Sash window security should be taken extremely seriously in London. It is a crime hotspot of the country, and three out of ten hotspots are in London. This combined with an announcement earlier this year from the Metropolitan that if you make a complaint, there’s a fair chance you won’t even be followed up makes for compelling reasons to do the most you can to protect your home.
The fact we are aware of the figures above in itself, should tell you how seriously we take sash window security, and if that’s not convincing enough you can take a look at free information we’ve written a whole long post on the best ways to secure sash windows. The methods of securing sash windows detailed in this post are brilliant for a competent DIY enthusiast, however using our professional services we can literally make your home bullet proof. Note I said bullet proof – I really did mean that, we have in the past had requests for bullet proof glazing. London Sash Window Repairs Ltd have no problem taking security to these extremes and below I am going to detail some of the basic ways we can make your sash windows secure, as well as the more advanced methods. If you really do want to make it impossible for someone to enter your home, then we can do it.
It is quite sad but many basement flats need uprated sash window security to the point I would call advanced, and I will go into advanced sash window security at the end of this page but for now let’s list the more common things we will do to make the home safer:
Sash window security restrictors are a must because they really work. In almost all break in situations a security restrictor will force a thief to break glass to enter, and having extensive experiences of previous customers, I know this is the kind of deterrent that really works and they are really inexpensive. Just take a look at our sash windows prices page. Please head to the sash window hardware and security prices section. Another great reason to install sash window security restrictors is the current requirements from insurers are that sash windows, and casement windows for that matter, must have a “key operated locking mechanism” and the cheaper one you’ll find in a hardware store are not always accepted. Below is an image of the type of restrictor that may not be accepted by an insurance company in the event of a break in:
There is actually some reasonability behind this type of lock not being accepted. The bolt itself is not that large and does not protrude fair enough to stop sashes passing each other in the event they are loose in the frames and staff bead is not firmly attached, resulting in the possibility of break in without broken glass. Now pictured below is an example of a security restrictor we install that is fully accepted by security companies and will absolutely result in broken glass in the event of a break in:
As you can see the barrel is far more robust and the grommet is installed deeply into the top sash. A note on that, we have to be careful of damaging the glass on installation. The grommet being so well fixed results in a really strong bind to the sash window.
Uprated security glazing is the professionals next weapon in combating theft. Two types of glass will work well. Either 6.4mm laminate safety glass or toughened glass. My preference is toughened glass because as the edges are not exposed, swinging a sledge hammer might not get the glass to break! You can imagine the noise that creates as well. Combined with security restrictors this is an excellent solution. The other benefit of using toughened 4mm over safety laminate is the fact 4mm glass will not result in the need to change sash window weighting, that will create additional costs.
You will be familiar with toughened glass and safety laminate glass – laminate it is on the windscreen of your car, and will crack but not break. This makes it extremely strong and durable against break-ins. Toughened glass can be found on the side windows of your car. This is the glass that, when finally breaks, shatters into thousands of pieces. This is equally a good way of securing the home against theft.
If the standard options don’t do enough to leave you feeling comfortable then we can move into the advanced methods to secure your home. These I would say very appropriate if you are in a ground floor flat. Security grilles that are lockable and sliding provide a great way to keep a ground floor flat secure. I know they are unsightly but they really do the job. Please see an image of a home that is impregnable below:
They don’t look too bad and as you can see they will also fit nicely across French Doors. I find them a little impractical because once the novelty of having them wears off. It becomes a task continually opening, closing, and locking. The best option in my opinion is to have them externally installed as you can see below:
There’s a load of really good reasons to have them installed externally in the basement. Firstly a thief can see them, pass this house is the first and only thought. There is no way, with the exception of a van that’s got a generator, and a 9 inch angle grinder, that you could possibly make your way through this. Just not going to happen! The other real benefit is that internally aesthetics are not effected by the install as well as still having free opening of your windows once they have been overhaul and draught proof. If you would like a security assessment from us then please feel free to contact us today for a free no obligation quote.