Any apartment or house can greatly benefit from having a balcony because it offers outside space and natural light. There is one more issue with balconies, particularly those on the first and second floors: balcony security. Consider the following balcony security suggestions if you reside in an apartment and want to be sure that your balcony—and your family—are safe and secure.
Risks of balconies
There are many risks associated with balconies, some of which can be fatal. Make sure your balcony is a secure space where safety precautions are implemented to avoid any incidents. Three potentially dangerous accidents that could occur on a balcony have been recognised.
Rooftop burglaries
Since they may be accessed without a ladder and are typically accessible by simply scaling a wall, lower balconies are noticeably more appealing targets for burglars. In addition, many lower balconies lack security gates, which makes it easier for thieves to enter.
A burglar can break into sliding glass doors or windows once they have obtained access to your balcony since it gives them cover and shields them from being seen. Doors are frequently left unlocked because owners are unaware of the risks, which makes it easy for any thief.
Falling from a balcony is a risk
More often than you might think, people fall from balconies, especially kids, drunk partygoers, and animals. A lethal fall from a tremendous height is possible. As a result, it’s imperative that your balcony be periodically checked and that safeguards are put in place to prevent these tragedies.
Balconies are also vulnerable to structural damage that might cause them to collapse under excessive weight. It frequently happens that having too many people or too much furniture on a balcony might have disastrous consequences.
Fire risks
The majority of balcony owners are flat or apartment dwellers without access to a garden. This indicates that they enjoy using their balcony for things like smoking cigarettes and grilling that they can’t do inside. Since any kind of flame can easily burn balcony furniture or other combustible items, this can be quite dangerous. If the fire on your balcony started, it would not be easy for you to get out of your house if you live on a high floor since it would spread quickly.
Balcony security tips
Motion detectors to increase illumination
The finest ally of burglars is the dark. As a result, lighting is essential to the security of your home. Particularly true are the ground-floor balconies, which are popular with robbers. The absence of exterior lighting, the presence of vegetation, and the location of the pavement make it ideal for break-ins. Install motion lights on your balcony to make it more difficult for robbers to enter. When someone approaches too closely to the house, set the motion detector to switch on the lights. The light will turn on even if a bird flies by or a cat walks beneath the sensor, alerting any would-be intruders that they will be caught trying to enter.
Purchase security gates or screens for balconies
A balcony security gate or a screen that you may install outside the sliding glass doors is one of the first lines of defence. In this manner, you can strengthen and protect your balcony door from potential theft. In particular, a glass protective film shields the glass from prying eyes, and the glass won’t be easy to break for them.
Security locks to prevent break-ins
Typically, balcony doors are not properly secured. They might have a simple lock that a skilled thief can quickly pick. Additionally, you require a lock that will stop children from opening the door and going out onto the balcony unattended. Your sliding balcony door has everything you need in the form of locking bars. For increased security, place the locking bars on the tracks. Additionally, anti-lift devices can aid in the prevention of break-ins. Installing these will prevent burglars from lifting sliding glass doors. They frequently use a different ruse to force the door to open horizontally. You will be completely theft-proof the door if you use anti-lift gadgets.
Protect your furniture
Furniture theft from a balcony with easy access is undoubtedly a problem, especially when it comes to more expensive objects like grills or smaller furniture pieces. You can take the following actions to make stealing much harder:
Bring furniture inside. Although it would be a nuisance and not the easiest choice, you can relocate stuff indoors when not in use.
To tie your furniture or expensive things to a railing or other permanent balcony structure, use a cable lock (which functions similarly to a bike lock).
You may always use a cable wire to connect your furniture if there is nothing to tie a cable lock to. Since everything you own would be connected as a single unit, it would be much more difficult to steal anything.
Conclusion
A balcony can be made safer without being difficult. A few shrewd suggestions will go a long way towards protecting your property from criminals and avoiding potential dangers. Your balcony will be safer if you install motion lighting, protect your furniture, use security locks, and think about security screens. Additionally, robbers will be aware that it is difficult to enter your home, giving you the necessary peace of mind.
Take a look at the 5 Ways to Improve Your Sliding Door Security