Vulnerable window in need of burglar bars or trellis gates. A new (vulnerable) window, soon to be fitted with Trellidor Clear Guard burglar bars for safety’s sake
Are burglar bars and trellis gates just an unnecessary extra?
Burglar bars and trellis gates were not part of the pretty picture I had in my head of my completed house alterations. We’ve put in lovely sliding glass doors and big view windows and we’re loving the open indoor/outdoor feel they’ve created. So why would I want to clutter that up with burglar proofing, especially since we live in a safe, gated community?
Ignore burglar bars and trellis gates at your peril
Two items arrived in my in box this weekend that brought me back to reality. The first was an on-line article that said 94% of South Africans live in fear of falling victim to crime and the second was a summary of the 2012/2013 SAPS crime stats that said:
- Residential burglaries increased by 3.3 percent in the past financial year and
- Robbery at residential premises increased by 3.6 percent
Both stats refer to theft from homes in our communities; the difference between burglary and robbery is that robbery uses force and/or intimidation while burglary is breaking into a building with the intention of committing a crime but not necessarily stealing anything.
I also know from working with Trellidor franchises around the country that no community is entirely safe from criminal activity, gated or not. There are loads of urban legends about criminals renting houses in gated complexes and quietly helping themselves to neighbours goods while appearing to be part of the community.
Trellis gates and burglar bars are now on the shopping list
So the reality is that we now have to choose burglar proofing for the new doors and windows. It would be really foolish of us not to, especially with the December holidays coming up. We’ll be away for a few weeks and know first-hand how erratic burglar alarms can be (with apologies, again, to our long-suffering neighbours).
Fortunately we have experts to call on for advice, and in fact have already had one of the Trellidor guys around to measure up our new doors and windows. I’m choosing from a number of Trellidor ranges Trellidor Clear Guard for the front door, sliding doors and one of the windows that looks onto our garden; Trellidor Retractable Security for the windows that face our road so that thieves can see it won’t be easy getting inside our house; and Trellidor Burglar Guard on the less vulnerable windows.
Once my new Window Security Bars and trellis gates have been fitted, I’ll post some before and after pictures to show how different designs can work together if you link them with colour white, in our case.
Contributor: Lindy Barry
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