There are two commonly used ways to break into your home – doors and windows. In this article I’ll show you the best way to secure your windows from intruders without detracting from their appearance at all.
Detect The Threat: Turn Your Window Screen Into a Security Alarm Sensor
The way security alarm companies typically attempt to secure your windows is by putting a regular open/close magnetic contact on each window to detect when an intruder pries it open. They might also install a glass break sound detector to detect when an intruder smashes the glass. This method is certainly better than nothing but it has a couple inherent flaws. 1) The intrusion isn’t detected until after the perimeter has been breached. 2) Glass break detectors have reliability problems because they are difficult to test and prove they are working correctly, it’s extremely rare for a homeowner to test their glass break detectors regularly. The recent trend has been to use motion detectors instead of open/close contacts and glass break detectors. Motion detectors are generally more reliable and more cost effective but motion detectors don’t detect the intrusion until after the intruder has already entered your home.
The better alternative is to turn your existing exterior window screen into an alarm sensor and detect the intrusion as soon as the burglar removes or cuts the screen, before they have even started attempting to break through the glass window. This buys you time, and in security time is everything. There are several advantages to protecting your windows with exterior security screen sensors instead of interior contacts, glass break or motion detectors. 1) The intrusion is detected at the earliest time possible which buys you and the police the most time to react. 2) The alarm is sounding when the burglar is still outside your home with the barrier between you and them (the window) still in tact. 3) The alarm is sounding when the intruder has done nothing but removed or cut your security screen, before they have caused physical damage to your window and window frame, which will often save you an expensive window repair.
To make your screens into security sensors we will take your existing window screens and reuse the frame but replace the existing screen mesh with a special mesh that has security sensor wire woven in which detects when the screen has been cut. In addition, the screen frame itself will be fitted with a tamper switch to detect if the screen is simply removed from the window. The result is a window screen that is armed and ready to detect break-ins and sound your alarm. Furthermore these sensors continue working to protect you even when your windows are open during the warmer months in Columbus Ohio..
There are physically stronger ways to secure windows that do change their physical appearance such as installing steel security bars, replacing your window panes with glass block or permanently screwing your windows shut. Those methods have serious drawbacks that make them more trouble than they’re worth for a typical window. You can’t see through glass block so we only recommend it for small basement windows and if you install steel security bars you’ll reduce your property value and probably upset your neighbors, unless you live in a neighborhood where security bars on windows are the norm. If you screw your windows permanently shut you lose the ability to open them which is a large part of why we have windows in the first place and even then the glass can still be broken.
In conclusion the best way to secure your windows without reducing their aesthetic appeal or functionality is to turn your window screens into security alarm sensors and reinforce the glass with security laminate film. If you do that you’ll have the safest normal-looking windows on the block.
