Many burglars will enter your home by simply breaking the glass in windows and doors and walking or climbing in. A good deterrence to this behavior happening is to have a better quality glass installed in your windows and doors. Most burglars do avoid breaking the following types of glass because they fear drawing attention to themselves.

Laminated Glass:
This type of glass is made with a vinyl or plastic inner layer sandwiched between two outer layers of glass. Glass made this way adds additional strength to your windows and doors. For a burglar to gain access to your home with this type of glass he would have to hit the glass repeatedly in the same spot, very hard, in order to make a small opening. Most burglars will not do this because of the noise created and the fear of being detected.

Tempered Glass: This type of glass is made by placing a piece of regular glass in an oven, bringing it almost to the melting point and then rapidly chilling it. This causes a skin to form around the glass. Fully tempered glass is four to five times stronger than regular glass.

Wired Glass: This type of glass has wire within the glass and adds the benefit of strength and a visible deterrent. A burglar knows it will take extra effort to break the glass and then cut through the wire in order to gain entry.

Plastics: Plastic material is divided into two types: acrylic and polycarbonate. The acrylics are more than ten times stronger than glass of the same thickness. These are commonly called Plexiglas. Polycarbonate sheets are superior to acrylics and are advertised to be 250 times more impact resistant than safety glass and 20 times more than other transparent plastic.

Casement Windows: These are the simplest windows to secure. Make sure the latch works properly. The operator should have no excess play. If the operator does, replace the worn hardware.

Double Hung Window: Latches on these windows may be jimmied open. If you have one of these windows that is not used, screw it shut (except bedroom windows). For windows of this type in active use: drill a sloping hole into the top of the bottom windowthrough and into the bottom of the top window, and insert an easily removable pin or nail.

Louver Windows: This type of window is a bad security risk. Remove these and replace them with solid glass or another type of ventilating window. You could provide windows with a grate or grille if you do not want to replace them. Do not put grates or grilles in bedroom windows incase you must exit rapidly.

Sliding windows - either metal or wood frame: should be protected in the same way as sliding doors. Wood or metal dowels laid in the track and screws set in the track to prevent the window from being lifted out are effective protective measures.

Sliding Glass Doors: Sliding glass doors present a major security problem if they do not have the proper locks and if special steps are not taken to prevent removal of the door. A sliding glass door is lifted into position when installed and, therefore, must be lifted from the track to be removed. To prevent this, it is recommended that 1 1/4 inch pan head (large head), sheet metal screws be inserted into the top of the door frame at both ends and at the middle. These screws should be adjusted so that the door barely clears them when it is operated.

The best lock for a sliding glass door is a deadlock, which utilizes a bore pin tumbler cylinder and is operated by a key from the outside. The lock bolt should engage the strike sufficiently so that it will not be disengaged by any amount of movement. When the existing inside pull has to be changed in order to accommodate a new deadlock, an inside cylinder pull is recommended as a replacement.

Wood or metal dowels laid in the track and screws set in the track to prevent the window from being lifted out are effective protective measures.

WARNING: One window in every bedroom on the ground floor and second floor must be left available as a fire exit, particularly for children and guests in your home. This window may be the quickest exit, particularly at night. Decorative grilles and grates are not recommended on these windows because of fire danger.

Ted Marlett

Copyright 2006 USA Ted Marlett has been in the home, business and personal safety business for the past two years. He retired from the military after 20 years and has an MSW degree. You may freely distribute this article in electronic form or print if the links, byline and bio remain intact.