Tougher Glass, Locks & Guards For Your Window

Tougher Glass, Locks & Guards For Your Window

If you are like most Canadians, you are concerned about the safety of your home and your community. One particular type of crime that worries Canadians is breaking and entering or burglary. Recent statistics show that burglary accounts for 22 per cent of all property crime.

Tougher glass
Typical insulated glass units (IGU’s) used in most residential applications comprise of 3mm or 4mm thick annealed glass panes; thicker panes of glass may be required for very large windows. Glazing at entrance doors, or where additional strength is required, should be heat-strength glass.

Other types of glass include the following:

• Tempered glass - Specially heat-treated to resist shattering. On impact, it shatters completely—into thousands of small, blunt pieces—even if the initial damage is slight. Like laminated and wired glass, it is used in schools, public buildings and patio doors to prevent injury if accidentally broken. It is more expensive than normal glass and cannot be cut once tempered. Although generally more break-resistant than plate glass, tempered glass has disadvantages where security is a consideration. Because it shatters into many small, blunt fragments, it does not make the distinctive sound of breaking glass; therefore, it doesn’t attract attention, and poses little physical danger to burglars.
• Laminated glass – Consists of a layer of tough, clear plastic sandwiched between two sheets of glass. The plastic holds the glass together when the pane is shattered. An example of laminated glass is the front windshield of a car.
• Wired glass - A mesh of thin wires is embedded in the glass to hold it together when broken. Suitable for use in skylights, sidelights, garage windows, basement windows and large windows in public areas.
• Acrylic plastic – A transparent, shatter-resistant material that offers a high-security alternative to glass. It can be cut with ordinary hand tools, making installation easy. Its surface hardness, however, is less than that of glass, making it easily scratched. Polishing compounds are available that will restore some of the original clarity.
• Polycarbonate plastic - The toughest glazing material you can buy. It will resist repeated blows from a sledgehammer. Two to three times as expensive as glass and, like acrylics, easily scratched. Although coated scratch-resistant varieties of acrylic and polycarbonate plastics are now available, both materials will become increasingly opaque after several years of use as a result of weathering and abrasion.
• Polyester safety film – Existing glass can also be covered with this product to reduce the likelihood of breaking; also prevents shattering if breakage does occur.

Note: Be sure the plastic you choose is designed for exterior use. Plastics expand and contract more than glass and require different clearances and special flexible putty. Unless the sheet of plastic is mounted firmly in a sturdy frame and sash, you will be wasting your money. Consult the manufacturer or distributor before installing these

Window locks
Key-operated window locks are the most reliable for security; however, they should not be used in rooms for sleeping. If there is a fire, misplaced keys might prevent an emergency escape; critical minutes could be lost blindly searching for a key in a smoke-filled room. Key operated window locks are difficult to use for people with agility problems and limited hand function.

Keyed locks should not be used in other rooms unless every ambulatory family occupant is able to quickly unlock the window in an emergency.

All window locks in the house should be openable with the same key. Spare keys should be kept handy but out of sight and out of reach from anyone outside the dwelling. Locks should be solid and designed to lock the window in a partly open position if the window is required for ventilation. Locks should be attached with fasteners of sufficient length to provide reasonable resistance to exterior entry forces.

Operable skylights should be fitted with a keyed lock or sturdy shackle and padlock with a five-pin tumbler. Install the steel hasp so that no mounting screws or bolts are exposed when the hasp is closed. Fixed skylights should be installed with fasteners on the inside. Install the hasp so that the screws or bolts do not show when the hasp is closed

Window guards
Steel bars or grills are sometimes used to secure windows. While these may be effective in increasing burglar-resistance, they can also hinder the escape of occupants in a fire or impede rescue by firefighters.

If installed on bedroom windows, they may contravene building code requirements unless they are designed to be readily openable from the inside. In basements that do not contain rooms intended for sleeping, such protection is particularly effective as basement windows normally offer poor security and are a favourite target for burglars.

Solid iron bars should be 25 mm (1 in.) in diameter. Iron pipe 20 mm (3/4 in.) in diameter can also be used, but the pipe should be filled with sand-cement mortar or have a tempered steel bar inside to prevent it from being cut with a hacksaw. Window frames to support these guards must be very strong or the guard itself will be of little value. On windows that could be used as emergency exits, install guards that can be easily removed in an emergency by every member of the family.

All hardware for window guards should be installed with tamper resistant fasteners with enough strength to resist the tremendous pulling and spreading forces that can be exerted during a determined entry. Fasteners should be long enough to penetrate through the window frame into the concrete or structural lumber. If anchoring to solid brick, concrete or stone, sink the rods or bolts into at least 50 mm (2 in.) of the foundation material.

Heavy metal mesh can be permanently installed over a vulnerable window that is not used as a secondary or emergency exit. The wire should be at least 3 mm (1/8 in.) in diameter with openings no more than 50 mm (2 in.) across. Attach the wire to the window frame with round-headed or machine bolts.

If bars or grills are too unsightly, consider using hinged wooden shutters or aluminum roll-shutters to protect windows. Both are especially useful on cabins and cottages where shattering glass is not likely to be heard. Choose heavy, working wooden shutters of solid construction instead of the flimsy, decorative kind. Mount hinges and locks on the inside of wooden shutters, where they will be protected from attack.

You have many options to improve your window security and the rest of your home.

Contact your REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty for more tips and advice on your home safety.

Reference