How to protect your home: glass, doors and simple habits

Many break-ins begin with an easy way in: a window left open, a glass door that breaks with one blow, a gate that was not locked. Making your home harder to get into does not need to be complicated. A few changes to glass and doors, and a handful of simple habits, take away most of those easy chances.

Start with the glass

Windows and glass doors are common ways in, because ordinary float glass breaks with a single blow.

• Laminated glass holds together when it is struck. It takes repeated, noisy blows to make a hole, which slows an intruder down and draws attention. It is a good choice for ground-floor windows, glass doors and panes close to door handles and locks.
• Toughened glass is much stronger than ordinary glass against a knock, but when it does break, the whole pane shatters into small pieces and the opening is left clear. It is a safety glass more than a security glass.

Our guide to laminated and toughened safety glass explains the difference in more detail.

Burglar bars and security gates

Bars and gates are the most visible deterrent and the hardest barrier to get past. Burglar bars fixed into the brickwork let you open windows for air while keeping the gaps too small to climb through. Security gates in front of sliding and main doors let you leave the door open on a hot day and still keep the entrance locked.

Look for gates with interlocking, tamper-resistant locking, and keep a key near every opening section so everyone in the house can get out quickly in an emergency. See our page on burglar bars and security gates for the options.

Doors and locks

• Check that every outside door closes fully and locks without being lifted or pushed. A door that has dropped, or a sliding door that has come off its track, is easy to lever open.
• Sliding doors benefit from a lock that engages firmly into the frame, and from a stop in the top track so the door cannot simply be lifted out.
• Replace worn locks and keys that stick. A lock that is awkward to use is a lock that gets left open.

Outside lighting

Intruders prefer the dark. Outside lights on motion sensors at the front door, the back of the house and along the side passages remove hiding places and let neighbours see movement. Mount them high enough that they cannot easily be reached and unscrewed.

Locking gates and the boundary

Keep driveway and pedestrian gates closed and locked, even during the day. Check that gate motors close fully and that the gate cannot be lifted off its rail. Trim bushes along the boundary and under windows, so nobody has anywhere to wait out of sight.

Window alarms and cameras

• Window and door alarms that sound when an opening is forced or glass breaks give early warning, and many systems can be set to cover the doors and windows while you are at home at night.
• Cameras at the gate and the entrances let you see who is there, and visible cameras are a deterrent in themselves. Store the recordings somewhere an intruder cannot simply carry away.

Simple habits

• Close and lock ground-floor windows when you go out, even for a short time.
• Never leave keys in locks or on a hook near a door or window.
• Lock away ladders and tools, which make upper windows and roofs easy to reach.
• Keep valuables out of sight from outside.
• Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on the house when you are away, and to clear the post box.

Where to begin

Walk around your home as if you were trying to get in, and note the easiest openings. Those are the ones to deal with first, whether that means laminated glass in a vulnerable pane, burglar bars on a back window or a security gate on the patio door. When you know what you would like, request a free quote and send photos of the openings, and we will quote for the ones you list.