Home security measures are a necessity in South Africa. We don’t really have a choice if we want to be safe at home. But personal safety doesn’t have to involve cluttered burglar bars – strong louvre shutters are a trendy alternative. Designed to be beautiful and practical, they bring harmony and style into the home while keeping you safe inside. Here’s how ShutterView Classic fits into any modern South African home.
Thoughtful Design
For anyone that takes pride in their home décor, metal bars on windows and doors can be problematic. Even when they’re well-designed, they look exactly as they’re supposed to – metal bars to keep people out. They’re not stylish and they have only one job to do, and that is to keep you safe at home.
On the other hand, louvre shutters are an attractive alternative that fulfil many purposes. They add some elegance to the home and they’re an all-in-one blinds/curtains/burglar bar solution for your windows. Many louvre shutter designs can replace blinds and curtains, but only a few can truly be called security barriers too.
One of these is Trellidor ShutterView Classic louvre shutters. Their sleek design elevates any home style, and they are simple to use. They are custom designed as security shutters for doors and windows, including sliding glass doors. And they look classy from outside and inside the home.
ShutterView shutters are made from aluminium and have sleek S-shaped louvre panels. Each louvre is edged with wool pile so that they close softly and quietly rather than the harsh clanging of metal on metal. To open or close the louvres, simply tilt them by hand – no fiddly rods or handles required.
The beautifully smooth louvre shutter surfaces are created through a high quality powder coating process that also makes sure these security barriers are corrosion resistant. With regular cleaning, the shutters will look gorgeous for many years. These are modern home security shutters, unlike any traditional form of physical security used in the past.
Internal Resilience
Burglar bars and security gates used to be fitted to doors and windows just to stop intruders from getting inside your home. They needed to be strong under attack to hold out as long as possible under the assault. No real thought was given to the appearance of windows and doors after security barriers were fitted.
Another problem was that security barriers often looked similar in design. But they weren’t (and still aren’t) all the same in terms of strength when assaulted by weapons like crowbars, hammers, or garden spades. Some barriers snap or buckle quickly. Some locks can be breached in seconds. Other security barriers will hold firm under the assault for far longer, and this is the type you need for dependable protection.
Trellidor security shutters are manufactured with inbuilt strength because customer safety comes first. ShutterView Classic is our strongest louvre shutter design and has been extensively attack tested at our factory to make sure it is robust under attack.
To add to their strength, each ShutterView Classic louvre panel is double walled, plus all the louvres have a threaded steel rod hidden inside them to resist an attack by intruders. The internal reinforcing means you are safe and secure even when the louvres are tilted open for fresh air.
These home security shutters are also an attractive addition to any home. Clean, contemporary design is highlighted through concealed mechanisms that open and close the louvres. There is no external clutter like rods that could be exploited or damaged by intruders.
Louvres are connected internally so that they move to they move together when tilted by hand. Plus, an indexing wheel hidden inside the unit ensures that adjacent louvres are rotated at the same angle for a pleasing, unified look.
Unique Locks
The locking system used in Trellidor security shutters is another strong design element. They can be used from either side of the shutter, just like a door lock. The benefits of this are:
- Lock up and go – if you have external ShutterView Classic security shutters on your doors, you can lock them from the outside when you leave home and unlock them just as easily when you return.
- Open windows safely – if you have internal ShutterView Classic security shutters on your windows, you can close and lock them from the inside. Tilt the louvres to the open position and you’ll get as much fresh air and sunshine as you need.
- Emergency exit – if you find yourself needing an escape route during an emergency, you can unlock your window or door shutters from inside to get out quickly. Or if children have locked themselves in their room, you can open up the shutters on their windows from the outside.
- Easy cleaning – most old-style burglar bars are permanently fixed into the window reveal, making window cleaning inside the home very difficult. With up-to-date window security shutters, you can simply open the shutters for easy window cleaning.
In terms of security, Trellidor locks are pick and bump resistant. They each have their own unique key and serial number to help prevent unauthorised duplication. Three keys per cylinder are supplied with each unit, which is usually more than enough per family, but additional keys can be ordered from Trellidor.
Customised Options
A little known fact is that you can personalise some aspects of ShutterView louvre shutters to suit your taste. They are not ‘one size fits all’ security barriers. Here are some of the customisable features of ShutterView Classic security louvre shutters:
- Configurations
The shutters are designed to suit the way your windows and doors work. They can be manufactured as hinged, bi-fold, French, slider, and stacker for windows and doors. They can also be made into a fixed panel for fixed window panes.
- Key Options
Keys and cylinders can be ordered in one of two options:
- Keyed alike where keys for all louvre shutters are the same. This allows one set of keys to be used on multiple louvre shutter units. The advantage is that you don’t have to have multiple keys when you lock up your home.
- Random keys where each louvre shutter lock has a different key. This is useful in that if you lose keys, whoever finds them won’t have access to all your louvre shutters.
- Lock Height
You can choose the height of the lock that suits you and your family best, but obviously within the design limits of each louvre shutter unit.
- Installation Choices
ShutterView Classic louvre shutters can be fitted into the door or window reveal, or as a face-on installation. You also have a choice of having your shutters installed inside your home or on the outside of the windows and doors, depending on the location restrictions.
- Extra Security
If you need added security, you can opt for a louvre latch. When engaged, this latch is an added layer of security as it prevents the louvres from opening.
- Louvre Colour
Louvre shutters are usually ordered in white but there is no reason why you shouldn’t specify another colour that you really love. Try matt charcoal or matt black in an ultra-modern home. Or choose a colour that blends in with your window and door frames. Trellidor offers a range of colour options and can also powder coat in a non-standard colour at an additional cost.
To sum up, home security does not have to be boring. Aluminium ShutterView Classic louvre shutters can be custom-made to fit windows and doors, bringing your home right up to date in terms of style and also keeping you safe inside. They are a growing trend in security in South Africa, where many families need protection for their peace of mind, but prefer their homes to look beautiful inside and out.
