How to Secure Your Window Panes

For quite some years, many of the burglaries that occur have been due to a pane of glass being removed. This glass pane is most often the non-opening window, which is not covered by burglar bars. The break in is typically done at night, while the infrared sensors are not activated, due to you moving around in the house. Only opening windows and doors are activated.

The easiest types of window to overcome is the aluminium or wood type of frame. In the case of aluminium, the rubber weatherproof strip can be easily pulled out and the beading removed, and in the case of wooden frames, the putty breaks away from the wood easily (especially when it is old).

Once the window pane has been removed, the burglar has freedom to move around and choose his pickings, without setting off the alarm. Even a big flat screen TV will easily pass through a big centre window.

There are a few ways to overcome this problem:

• Have a burglar bar to cover the non-opening widow (or the whole window system), but that is not to everyone's liking.
• Extend the opening window magnetic sensor to the non-opening window (preferably in the centre at the top of the window so that burglars cannot access it).
• What I think is best, is to remove the pane, and apply some clear silicon rubber adhesive between the frame and the glass, and then re-assemble. Then the pane cannot be removed unless you have access from the inside. This applies to all types of window, and the only way in from the outside, will be to break the glass.
• As a temporary measure, one could place a smear of silicon rubber on the inside around the frame / glass interface without removing the glass.

This equally applies to window panes in doors and shop front windows – even if they are big.

If during the day, when an infrared sensor is activated, and a window pane is removed, the burglar has many ways to overcome or fool the sensor from “seeing” him – but we won't go into that as it will maybe give some burglars ideas.

There are, no doubt, a few other commercial ideas around which would do the same job. I think that to prevent the inconvenience caused, and to assure the safety of you and your family, it would be well justified to spend a little to get those windows secure.

Source: Alastair Shand