By According to crime statistics, more than 1 out of every 5 homes are broken into through a ground-floor window. That makes window protection a key element in your defense against burglars. Window security locks can make it more difficult for a burglar to break into your home.
Secure sash frame windows. These are among the most common windows, along with double hung windows. Both can be protected by pin locks that are drilled through the bottom of the top sash and aligned with the bottom sash, so that both are secured. Or, a steel deadbolt can be placed at the top and bottom of the sash.
How to handle sliding glass doors. There are a couple of issues here. One is to use a pin in the slide track so it cannot be opened from the outside. Metal devices called “charley bars” can also be used. They fold down at night to block the sliding door from being opened. The other issue is to secure the track itself, again to protect from attack from the outside. The burglar will try to lift the door off its track, but there are safety devices sold for just this purpose – pins that go through the sliding portion and the door itself.
Other Window Protection Beyond Security Locks
Use stronger panes. That can mean vinyl, tempered glass or even polycarbonate. The object is to make it more difficult for a burglar to break the window. Tempered glass, for example, is 5 times stronger than regular glass. Most crime experts agree that there is no way to burglar-proof a structure. But the more you frustrate and delay a burglar, the more likely he or she will move on rather than risk apprehension.
Use highly visible warning decals. These are a great idea even if you don’t have an alarm system or a vicious dog in the home. The idea is to give the burglar the picture of a home that is more trouble than it’s worth.
Consider an alarm. There are many simple, inexpensive systems that trigger an alarm of some sort if the connection between connections on windows is broken, which can only happen if the window is being opened or tampered with. Again, a loud siren may not seem like a lot of protection. But it may be enough to scare a burglar off.