Forum
« My steam gas boiler? Soil - free to a good home! »
October 30, 2007
Laminate Security Windows?
Anyone have experience with laminated security windows? Are they secure enough to remove the bars from my window?
Comments
The purpose of bars is too stop crooks from making the effort to break in. Face it, with the right tools, almost any window can be broken into. Laminate in my opinion would be a waste of money and make the window look crappy.
Posted by: guest at October 30, 2007 8:54 AM
Laminated or "safety" glass consists of two pieces of 1/8" glass laminated to a clear sheet of plastic, just like a cars windshield. You can not tell the difference between regular plate glass and laminated glass until you break it (save for the marking on the corner of the sheet of glass).
If you plan on replacing the existing glass (1/8") in a double hung window you will need to adjust the sash weights to compensate for the extra weight of the glass.
Posted by: southslope at October 30, 2007 10:49 AM
I have installed burglar resistant glass on a job (in order to remove window bars that made the apartment look like the inside of a prison) - this is the same type of glass that they use in Florida for protection against hurricanes - flying debris, etc. This glass does not look any different than normal glass - there is a clear inner layer of plastic glued between the 2 panes of glass.
The lamination sandwich makes it very difficult for someone to break directly through the glass pane however a thief could still use a crow bar and try to pry open the window sash - they will go for the weakest link - i.e. the easiest way to get through the window. So in addition to installing the burglar resistant glass I would also want to buy a new window with a strong locking mechanism that made it hard to pry open (or retrofit an existing window to make it harder to pry open).
Posted by: guest at October 30, 2007 10:10 PM
reinforcing the window frame sounds tricky. wouldnt the thief just bust out the broken sheet of glass with the same pry bar?
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 5:08 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.