Are Bars for Windows a Good Choice?

There are estimations showing that more than half of all residential break-ins, burglaries, and thefts begin with entering the home through a window, usually at the back of the house. Unsurprisingly, the same is also true for business property break-ins. 

Burglars will always seek to go down the path of least resistance and as little risk as possible. The doors and windows may be locked, but burglars are clever and can usually open these without issue. 

If you’re keeping anything very valuable inside your home or business property, then burglars may even resort to breaking windows to enter if they can’t unlock them using other means. This means that a certain dose of security is necessary to dissuade them from even trying. 

One of the most common methods of protecting ground-floor windows from break-ins is using metal bars. Metal bars are generally considered an excellent protection choice because they’re fairly affordable and can deter virtually all forms of break-ins. No burglar will risk setting off alarms by trying to break the window to unlock the door. 

Likewise, they also won’t risk being loud, trying to cut through the bars themselves. All in all, bars for windows seem like the best security choice for windows there is. But is this a fact or is the general consensus skewed?

The Pros of Bars for Windows

Okay, so there is some truth behind the effectiveness of window bars. When people look at window security systems, they’ll usually go for bars because the positives outweigh the negatives. However, newer, more modern window security measures have appeared in the market that are better and – almost invisible. But more on that later.

Sturdy and Difficult to Cut

Most bars are usually made of Iron but certain polycarbonates can also be used. Iron bars are very difficult to cut through; burglars would need power tools and plenty of time to remove them. On top of that, the entire process would be loud so it doesn’t matter if they attempt a break-in during the day or during the night – they will be heard. 

Affordable

Although some people think that because window bars are usually large and made of Iron, they cost a lot. But this isn’t true. In fact, they are fairly affordable for most people, especially because you probably wouldn’t install them on every single window – just the ones on the ground floor. 

Provide a Sense of Security to the Occupants

Bars for windows are discouraging to burglars looking to break in and steal your possessions, but they’re also enormously beneficial to the occupants. No other security measure can quite provide the feeling of safety that window bars do. Just seeing those iron bars is enough to make a huge difference and prevent unauthorized entry. 

The Cons of Bars for Windows

While the pros of window bars are quite obvious at first glance and are the primary reasons why people choose this as their primary window security measure, there are a few ‘holes’ in its defense. 

Aesthetics

Window bars are simply ugly. They drastically change how people see a building or home, usually for the worse. If you’re inside and attempting to look through the window, you’ll have the bars obstructing your view. Besides, no matter how modern and gorgeous your house looks, it will automatically be less aesthetically pleasing if you were to place bars on your windows. 

Decrease Home Property Value

What is the first thing you think of when you see a house with window bars? Is it ‘Wow this home looks so safe’ or is it ‘This house has bars so the surrounding area is probably unsafe’. Probably the latter, right? Just seeing bars on the windows is enough to cause a psychological moment in potential buyers, leaving them worried or anxious about the home’s surroundings. 

Entry/Exit Blocking

You’d agree that bars for windows prevent burglars from breaking into your home by completely preventing them from accessing your home through the windows. However, this is a double-edged sword because they also prevent occupants from exiting the home in a state of emergency. 

If you suddenly had to leave your home due to an emergency (such as a fire), you won’t be able to use any of the windows that have metal bars over them. At the same time, firefighters will have trouble accessing your home and extinguishing the fire for the same reason. 

Based on the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), sleeping rooms and basements must have at least one functional emergency escape and rescue opening. If you have window bars installed, this means you’ll also need to install a quick-release mechanism. This can become costly, especially if you own a bigger house. 

Why Riot Glass® is the Best Window Security Option for your Home

It’s time to talk about a modern and much safer window security option that you can get for your home. We’re happy to present Riot Glass®; our flagship product and a strong choice to completely overhaul and enhance your home’s security. 

Our Riot Glass® product features all the pros that bars for windows do, but there are virtually no cons that go with it. For starters, Riot Glass® is virtually indestructible and can withstand almost anything. 

There’s also no impact on aesthetics, nor does Riot Glass® decrease home property value. The primary reason for this is that it’s basically invisible. The ‘Glass’ (actually a combination of multiple sheets of ballistic glass) is completely see-through (though you can get tinted or one-way mirror options as well) and doesn’t impact visibility whatsoever. 

We offer our customers a robust line of forced entry and ballistic glass protection, ranging from high-end ballistic glass to more affordable options (that are still incredibly strong). However, no matter which option you choose, you’ll be drastically improving your home’s window security, especially compared to most other security options. 

Contact us for more information about our wide range of Riot Glass® and ArmorPlast® ballistic glass products.