Burglar Proofing in Cape Town and surrounding areas

There are various chains of thought regarding this subject. The most common reason for a house owner to have burglar bars installed is to cover him for insurance purposes. He / she want to be able to proof to an insurance company that there was forced entry to his premises for the purpose of having a legitimate claim. Then there are the group of people who wants Burglar proofing for personal security reasons. In the event of a Burglary with them being inside the dwelling, they want to feel safe and have enough time to contact local Police or security companies for assistance.

In the first scenario, I would generally suggest the cheapest possible option and material required by insurance companies. Here one would look at a minimum of 8 – 10mm Solid round bar burglar proofing fixed to window frames by means of rivets or one way screws. This can be broken out of window frames fairly easily, but you are covered by your insurance. Should you be inside the dwelling, it would not give you much time to react.

In the second scenario, I normally suggest nothing less than bars made from a minimum of 12mm Solid square bar. This will be fixed to the walls of the dwelling with security coach screws of not less than 8mm x 75mm. (the type with the heads that knock off after it is fastened, so that it cannot be unscrewed again.

Exterior or interior:
Some clients prefer to have  Burglar bars on the outside of their windows  ( Spanish bars) In general exterior bars should be of a heavier material, 12mm – 16mm solid square bar and requires galvanising due to the exposure to the elements. A drawback of these is that is in general does not do much for the aesthetics of your home and it restrict the opening of windows.  Interior bars are made in general of lighter material and has much less maintenance. It is also less visual and does not spoil the aesthetics of your home!
Also note that no burglar bars are burglar proof! If a burglar wants to enter your dwelling, he will find a way! No matter how secure it was made! ...Believe me, I’ve seen it all!

Finishing of burglar bars:
It is advisable in our coastal regions to have mild steel burglar bars galvanized. This prevents rust. To get it in the colour of your choice, it can then either be painted or epoxy coated. Epoxy coating is slightly more expensive than painting, but it is a much neater finish and will last for years and years without maintenance, unlike paint which will require some degree of maintenance annually.

Designs:
 Here your imagination and budget is your only limit! There is no rule as to how a burglar bar should look! As long as the openings is small enough to keep an intruder out and there is enough points to secure it to the wall or window frame it is good! Bear in mind that the more complicated your design gets, the higher the price goes.