Burglar gates and bars do you ever give them much thought, except when you need them in an emergency? Or when you’re home alone and glad you’ve got them fitted to keep you safe?
Well I thought about mine today because I nearly yanked my arm off trying to close the burglar gate outside my front door. It’s not a Trellidor product and I haven’t changed it yet because we’re in the process of renovations and will install a Trellidor Retractable security gate once the new entrance is done.
The reason why my ugly old non-Trellidor burglar gate was so hard to close is because I haven’t cleaned it since we moved in, and I don’t think the previous owner ever cleaned it either. The result is a burglar gate that is rusting and sticks firmly to its bottom track when you try to pull it closed.
What we tend to forget is that door burglar bars need cleaning, just like your windows, doors and floors. This is especially important if you live at the coast, because rust is a serious issue there. Corrosion weakens burglar proofing and if left unchecked, even the strongest burglar gates and window security bars will be vulnerable to a hefty kick or crowbar.
What to do about burglar gates and burglar bars that don’t open easily
So how do you avoid problems such as rust and stiffening of burglar gates and burglar bars through lack of use or care? Here are some tips for ensuring that your barriers, unlike mine, stay in good working order:
- Clean your burglar gates and bars regularly as per your manufacturers instruction. Trellidor recommend that if you live within 500m of the beachfront, clean your barriers every two weeks; up to 1km from the beachfront, clean them once a month; from 1km to 10km from the sea, clean them every two to three months; more than 10km from the sea, clean them every 6 months.
- If you’re installing new burglar bars and gates, check on how they’re manufactured. Trellidor use roll-formed galvanised steel that forms a U-shape. This allows the factory to coat the entire component and protect it against corrosion. Square tubing can’t be coated on the inside, is more inclined to rust and will require more maintenance.
- Ask for the barriers to be installed internally rather than on the outside of the building wherever possible. This means they will have less exposure to harsh elements.
- If the barriers have to be fitted externally, make sure they are of a quality that can withstand harsh weather and corrosive conditions. Off-the-shelf or poor quality barriers are unlikely to be able to cope under these conditions for long.
- If your burglar bars and burglar gates are guaranteed you’ll have recourse to your supplier should the barriers rust prematurely. Make sure you’re given written guarantees once the barriers are fitted. Read these through thoroughly, especially the conditions under which barriers will be replaced.
Trellidors recommended cleaning method for burglar gates and burglar bars:
- Use a premium quality (salt free) car wash liquid, mixed with water as per manufacturer’s directions and a soft cotton cloth to clean the entire unit. Never use abrasive cleaners, detergent based cleaners or solvent based cleaners such as scouring agents, dishwashing liquids, washing powders, thinners etc as these could adversely affect the expected life of the products.
- Hard to reach areas may require the use of a soft nylon bristle brush such as a dishwashing brush.
- Dry the unit with a soft cotton cloth or chamois.
- Always lubricate the security barrier after cleaning
Recommended lubrication for burglar gates and burglar bars than open:
Trellidor can supply lubricating spray to customers. Contact your nearest franchise should you need more spray. It must be applied to all moving parts, especially all hinge points inside the channel sections and into the top tracks, as follows:
- Shake the can of lubricating spray well, apply to a clean cotton cloth and wipe the entire burglar gate or burglar bar, or spray directly onto unit from a distance of about 20cm. Wipe off the excess residue. This will form a protective barrier against both moisture and contamination of airborne pollutants.
- Do not spray into the keyhole of the cylinder where the key fits.
- A second application may be required if the unit has stood for too long without being lubricated and has become stiff, dry and difficult to operate.
- Remember to read the warnings on the Trellidor Lubricating Spray label as the product is highly flammable, must not be ingested and is irritating to eyes and skin.
Choose burglar gates and burglar bars engineered for anti-corrosion and smooth movement
Trellidor has put a lot of effort into designing barriers that can withstand harsh environments. Apart from the roll-forming process, Trellidor trellis-style burglar gates and burglar bars also have the following anti-corrosion features:
- They’re all coated with a state-of-the-art powder coating method that includes a pre-treatment process to significantly enhance the corrosion resistant properties.
- Many have moving components that are glass-filled Nylon 6/6 rather than steel, so there is no danger of rust.
- This allows the moving parts to operate more smoothly and quietly than traditional steel-on-steel components. This is key to corrosion resistance because the friction caused by steel-on-steel components accelerates the onset of corrosion.
- Nylon 6/6 is strong enough for NASA’s Space Shuttle and the motor industry, amongst other uses. It has a UV stabiliser and excellent heat deflection properties, giving our components the ability to withstand exposure to long-term heat, which is important in our long, hot summers, particularly at the coast.
- Any new Trellidor components have to perform well under stringent salt-spray tests before they’re allowed to be used on our products.
Once my shoulder recovers, I’ll get round to cleaning my non-Trellidor burglar gate and hopefully avoid any further injury. I can’t wait for my new entrance, front door and Trellidor burglar gate!
Contributor: Lindy Barry
A new (clean) Trellidor Retractable burglar gate and an inspirational entrance area
