Proper Home Window Security

Proper home window security doesn't have to be expensive.

You can secure your windows from intruders for free or for very little money. Most intruders don't like to break the glass of a window because it can cause noise or they might accidentally cut themselves.

There was a case in my city where an intruder broke the glass of a window and tried to climb inside. As he was doing this, he cut himself so badly that he ended up bleeding to death.

Ground Level Windows

Ground level windows are the easiest for an intruder to try to get into. That's why you should make sure that all of your windows are locked whenever possible. If you have the windows that rise up, you can drill nails into both of the tracks above the window so that no one can crawl through the opening.

If you have sliding windows, you can place a piece of wood or metal in the track to keep the window from being slid open. This is the same method used for sliding doors as discussed in the home door security article.

Do you have a window-unit air conditioner? This is an often overlooked way for intruders to enter a house. If you have an air conditioner in a ground floor window, the intruder can just push it in and climb through the window.

That's why you want to make sure that the air conditioner is properly secured and nailed down in the window with long screws or at least have a metal bar nailed across the unit so that it can't be pushed in.

Upper Floor Windows

When planning your home window security, don't ignore your upper floor windows. Even though intruders prefer the ground level windows, there are still some determined intruders out there who aren't afraid to climb up to the second floor of a house.

Make sure there are no ladders visible near the house. Intruders can sometimes climb a tall tree to get to the upper windows. They can use your porch to lift themselves up to the second floor. If you have a balcony or upper deck, they can climb up there to get inside your house.

For all of your windows that rise up, you can spend a little money and install window locks. These locks are not permanent. You just place them in the track when the window is closed. All you do is screw them in place by hand. An intruder won't be able to raise the window. When you want to open your windows, you just remove the locks by unscrewing them.

High Risk Neighborhoods

Even though most intruders don't like to make a bunch of noise by breaking the window, there are still some who have no problem with this. These are usually the snatch and grab intruders. They break the glass, quickly crawl in, grab a few things, then quickly crawl back out. These break-ins are pretty common in high risk neighborhoods.

In order to prevent this type of break-in, you can put laminate on your windows. The laminate makes your windows impact resistant. When an intruder tries to break the glass, the laminate will hold the glass together. This is too much of a hassle for intruders, so they'll usually move on.

A more drastic measure is to install home window security bars. Some of these security bars can look pretty ugly. But, there are some security bars on the market that are more pleasing to the eye and don't look like you're in prison.

One of the downsides to home window security bars is that many of them don't come off if you are in an emergency situation and you have to escape out the window. You'll want to look forsecurity bars that have quick release devices on them so you can easily escape in case of emergency.

Once you try out these home window security tips, intruders will have a hard time getting inside your home. Intruders will get frustrated and move on.

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