How can I prevent the glass windows and doors from burglary?

Question

The house that have some glass doors and windows seems like it's easy to break in. Do you have any idea that I can do for stregthen them or protect them or make them safetier?

Answer 1

We got our town house windows on the first floor and doors lined with something called pollysolfoam. (I might of spelled it wrong). It is bullet proof plastic that looks like glass. It cost $$$$$$$ but it is worth the feeling of security.

Answer 2

sacrifice saftey for looks and maybe put up some metal bars? or gain a sense of safety and get a home security system

Answer 3

Ok. We were recently burglarized and we received a free service from the police department  where they come in and give tips to be safe.  Ill share some with you.

First, does your garage door have windows? Burglars would love to get in your garage. They can pull their car up, close the door and loot your house without anyone on the street knowing.  So if you have windows on your garage door, remove the rope thing and handle that hang on the garage door track on the ceiling. If the power goes out you can get a gardening tool to hook into it and pull it up. They often pop out a garage window and pull on that to get in. Also, dont leave boxes of electronics in your garage (we had a big tv box) which tells them what is in your house. and dont leave it out on your curb either....take it to a recycling or trash bin away from your house.

      Make sure the door from the house to the garage is always locked. If it has a deadbolt, which it should, make sure its double locking. (instead of a bolt switch that you turn, you have to use a key on both sides.) When you're home you can keep a key in the door to USE it like a switch that you turn, but at night and if youre gone, take it wiht you. This way,  even if they get in from another way, they still cant get into the garage, pull their car in, etc. They'll be forced to use the front door, which they dont like to do because its more suspicious.

Now for the rest of your doors. Make sure you have a peephole on your front door. Dont use side windows to look out of, because they can see you. You know where the door handle is, but the piece thats on the frame of the house? where the lock part goes into? Those screws that are holding it in place are like 1/2 inch long, making it easy to kick a door in. Take those screws out and replace them with 3-4 inch screws. This makes it much more difficult to kick through that door handle.  Do this to all the doors leading to outside.  

Another thing to deter crime is to keep a NO Soliciting sign on your front door. Many times people will come 'selling' something or asking for donations for something but they're really scoping the house, see inside, etc. So keep a no soliciting sign out. If someone DOES come soliciting, you could actally call the police on them for soliciting. (Thus the peephole, if someone looks suspicious, dont take the risk!)

  Make sure your landscaping is cut and trim, no overgrown areas, no bushes above 3 feet, that trees have a 4 foot clearance toward the ground, etc. Otherwise you're providing hiding places for them.

    For windows, I guess they're pretty easy to pop out, unless you have a track on the TOP as well as the bottom. some windows have this, some dont. We apparrently had them, so Im not sure EXACTLY what this means, but you could probably ask someone who knows more about windows....i guess its an easy fix...just s***w the windos to the frame, up from underneat the top of the window.....and lock your windows of course.    

also, park your car in the garage. If you cant or dont have one, never leave the garage door opener in your car. They'll break into your car, steal it, and can come back anytiime and just open your garage. Carry it in your purse. Never leave info, like bills or junk mail in your car either. Identity theft.    

Most burglars wont break glass to get inside. Its too loud, messy and suspicious.

Answer 4

One of the best home defenses is the use of proper lighting, shrubbery, etc.  In the Law Enforcement field, we call this policing by environmental design.

Install good lighting. Not motion lights - most experienced burglars know how these work and will test the light to see if anyone responds when they light up, if not, they know you are either gone or not paying attention to them.

Good (bright) lighting will deter criminals, you may want to put them on a timer, so that they come on automatically after nightfall.

Use shrubbery (the pricklier the better) under windows, this will deter criminals from using them as a hiding place.

If you are going to be gone for any extended period, have someone pick-up your mail and newspapers or have them stopped temporarily.

Remove anything from around you home that could be used to pry open doors or windows.  Remove ladders or other items that could be used to reach higher access points.

You want to make the home looked lived in and therefore more univiting for criminals.  They will always take the path of least resistance.

GOOD DEADBOLT LOCKS are a must, also on the hinge side of the door, check the screws that hold the hinges.  Most come with small screws, typically builders will replace a couple of these with 1 1/2 to 2 " screws.  This makes it very difficult to kick the door in.  If you do not have these length screws in at least two of the hinges, put them in.

Lastly, window locks are usually relativley cheap and easy to install, get them.

Good Luck

Answer 5

dont live in the hood. seriously...thats the only way besides those insanly tacky burgulary bars.

Answer 6

Double pain windows are more difficult to break through. They also can not be cut with a glass cutter. Side lights, the long windows that run along side doors from top to bottom, are small panes . Small panes, because of their density, are extremely hard to break through. You would literally need to repeatedly bash it with a crow bar. The small, high windows that are in many basements are often the entry point for thieves . You can remove the existing windows and buy block glass to fill in the hole. Block glass consists of squares of small , dense glass that  are stacked next to each other and set in place with a layer of cement. If a burglar tried to break through it would be very hard because they would need to bust through the cement as well and would need a sledge hammer.

Answer 7

you can't prevent it, if people want to break in, they will find a way

Answer 8

add a net

Answer 9

One way is to replace the most critical glass with Lexan which is tough, mildly bullet resistant in thinner thicknesses.  You can either take out the glass or s***w the lexan on the inside.  Makes the house more dangerous in a fire if you can't the windows open from the inside.

  These houses with big glass in front doors violate security aspects of housing code ("no glass within 30" of locks") and violate fire safety if they require a key to open from inside.

  The best way to reduce burglary is to program your lighting so that a person watching the house never knows if someone is home or not.

Answer 10

You can purchase laminated glass that is very difficult to break, but is also very expensive.  Installing bars on all the windows is the only tried and true method.

Answer 11

you colud get safety glass which has a plastic film (like tape) that covers the whole window making it hard to break. If you are really worried you could put bars on them or instal an alarm system on them.  hope you solve your problem!

Answer 12

Double glazed.

saftey glass.

Answer 13

Install Plexiglase or Acrylic glass on the inside of your windows, s***w molding around permiter of plexiglass to hold in place.  Most building supply will cut to size.

Good Luck

Answer 14

Bars on the windows if you want a physical deterrant.  Usually not the most attractive though.  If you have an alarm system (or install one) you can make it alert if a window breaks if you want more of a "psychological" deterrant.  Or even just a fake alarm company sign (real company fake service sign if you want the best effect on the cheap).  Burgulars tend to look for the quickest and easiest targets to hit with the most benifits.  On a quick scan a house with an alarm system sign usually tells them it's not the easiest target.  Far from a 100% solution though.

Could always invest in plexyglass windows.  They won't break easy, but do scratch easily and may not be attractive after a short period of time.  Also I'm not sure what the insulation value of the plexyglass may be compaired to glass so your heating/cooling bill could be significantly effected.

Answer 15

home. . . security. . . system.

Answer 16

There are films that you can apply to the inside of windows that makes them highly resistant to breaking. Ask your hardware store, they should be able to tell you more. If you're really worried, get 5/8" tempered glass--the same glass use in hockey arenas. That stuff is incredibly strong.

Answer 17

http://www.crimedoctor.com/home.htm

check out this link--scroll down to the sections on glass doors and windows--maybe it will help, also make sure you have a working alarm system in a house which will help in a situation like burglary.

Answer 18

Security bars that people place over doors and windows.

Answer 19

http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezStore...

OK, this is what you put up on the ceiling and If there are any glass that breaks it will detect it and then it will ring. I really don't know if it will ring if you break a glass cup, but good luck! thanks bye! =)

Answer 20

Another option that hasn't been suggested is having thorny plants/bushes around the house to deter thieves from gaining entry points to the windows.. Rose bushes and pricker bushes along the perimeter of the house would help keep thieves OUT!