Home Security Locks For Securing Your Homes Windows!This web page deals with all the different home security locks that are needed to protect your homes windows. It also discusses what additional security measures you may need to take in ensuring your windows are safely & better secured. The most appropriate home security locks for windows are locks that have been specifically designed for the type of windows they are protecting. Certain types of windows due to their design & some due to their location have their own set of unique challenges to address in making them more secure. Some of the windows in your home are more likely to be targeted than others & this is mainly due to the windows location. Basement windows are a main entry point for many intruders as well as any windows that cannot be seen by neighbours or anyone from a public area. In taking security measures to make your windows more secure, you need to ensure that any measure of protection you implement does not cause any type of safety problems for you or your family. I strongly believe that certain window locks regardless of what style of window they are designed to protect, should never be used in a home environment. The window locks I am referring to are home security locks that require you to use a key to unlock them. You could have a life & death situation on you hands if a fire broke out in your home & you & other family members were trapped inside loosing critical minutes searching for a lost or misplaced window key. There is no doubt that these type of window locks can be highly effective in making the windows in your home more secure. There is also no doubt that by using them you are gambling with the safety & wellbeing of you & your family. There are many methods that can be used to make the windows in your home more secure without risking the lives of you & your family over a $10.00 mail box style lock. There are basically five different types of windows that most people have in their homes. They are all listed below along with the various types of home security locks you may want to use in making them more secure.
Additional security measures may need to be taken on signal/double hung & sliding windows due to their specific design. Any windows that may be targeted due to their location may also require certain security measures to be taken in addition to any home security locks that are specifically designed to secure those windows. The five different type windows that are used in most homes today are single/double-hung, awning, casement, sliding & basement windows. A Double-Hung Window is a window that moves straight up & down & it operates by means of two windows or sashes that slide vertically past each other. Many single/double-hung windows are secured with a crescent lock (sash lock) & unfortunately the biggest thing this style of lock provides is a false sense of security. Intruders have been opening this style of lock for years by sliding a thin bladed knife between the two windows & then sliding the lock to the unlock position. If there is any problem for intruders to slide the lock open with a sturdy knife they will apply force against the sash in order for the lock to pull completely free of the wood it is attached to.
If you currently have these home security locks protecting any of the windows in your home you really should consider replacing all of them with a more secure lock. Single & double-hung windows have been around a long time & they are widely used. These windows can provide an adequate level of security for you if a couple of security measures that are outlined below are implemented. Due to how easy it is to manipulate home security locks of this style, some manufactures now sell a crescent style lock that requires a key to unlock it. This certainly resolves the vulnerability issue with this style of lock, but as I stated above home security locks that require a key to unlock them are totally unsafe to be used in a home environment.
As mentioned above if a crescent lock (sash lock) is currently installed on any single or double-hung windows in your home they, really should be replaced. There are different locks that can help make this style of window more secure, that do not require a key to unlock them. You can view the different type of locks that are suitable for single & double-hung windows at a hardware store in your area. A store employee could easily show you all the different locks that are specifically designed to help secure single & double-hung windows. You can also purchase window locks from the internet as many online retailers carry a wide range of home security locks for each style of window. Unfortunately whatever style of lock you choose you will more than likely have to purchase longer screws than what is sold with the lock. Most window locks come with screws that are a little less than one inch in length. You need to secure the lock you purchase to the top rail of the lower sash & the bottom rail of the upper sash. In doing this you need to measure the thickness of these rails & purchase screws that will penetrate no more than ¾ of the way into each railing. This next security measure will increase the level of security on single & double hung windows in two ways. It will secure the window from been opened when it is fully closed & it will also secure the window in an opened position to allow fresh air in if needed. This security measure requires pinning the upper & lower window sashes together. You will need to acquire a couple of ¼ X 3 inch eye bolts for each single & double-hung window that you need to secure. With the window fully closed, drill ¼ diameter holes at a slight downward angle through the top corners of the lower sash into the bottom of the top sash. Avoid hitting the glass or damaging the windows thermal seal & stop the hole at about ¾ of the way through the top sash. Once your holes are drilled insert the eye bolts in the holes to prevent the windows from been lowered or raised. With the eye bolts removed you can raise the lower window up about 6 inches to allow fresh air into your home. If you insert your drill bit into the ¼ inch holes when your lower window is opened at this height you will just need to drill ¾ of the way into the vertical pieces of the outer sash. If you insert the eye bolts into the newly drilled holes both windows will be locked in place while the lower window is opened 6 inches to allow ventilation. An Awning Window opens from the bottom & it swings upward & the swing motion of the window is operated by a crank handle that when turned clockwise it opens out & an anticlockwise motion closes it. The standard home security lock that comes with this style of window can be quite challenging for an intruder to open. Upgrading the security of this type of window in your home should not be a priority for you if the window closes correctly & there are no problems with the standard lock that is used for this style of window. If there are any problems with the standard lock for this window you really should replace the lock with a new one of the same style that works. There are other type locks that are made to make this style of window more secure but none of them will provide as much security as the standard lock will provide. A Casement Window is very similar to the awning except this window swings out but like the awning it is also operated with a crank handle. This windows standard lock is the same as the standard lock for the awning. The only difference is, the home security lock for the awning is located at the bottom of the window & the casement window has the lock positioned on the side. Having the same standard lock as the awning, intruders will also have a challenge to manipulate the locking mechanism for this window. If you have casement windows in your home with the standard lock properly working, adding an extra home security lock to this window shouldn’t be a priority for you also. A Sliding Window is a window that slides horizontally from side to side & they have a top & bottom track that guides the window. The biggest problem with these types of windows, especially the older ones is the amount of movement there is moving these windows up & down in the upper & lower track. There is a gap in the upper track that will allow the intruder to lift the windows complete out if he/she can get enough play of lifting the windows up & down. This can unfortunately be done even with the window locked. To prevent these windows from been able to move up & down to the extent were that they can be lifted out you will need to insert a few screws into the upper track just above the window. With the screws running through the track just above the window they will stop the window from been lifted high enough were the window could be taken out. You will also want to purchase a couple of tamper resistant sliding window locks for each window. Some sliding windows are small enough that the windows would have to be taken out so the window could be used as an emergency exit. If this is the case with any sliding windows in your home you can purchase plugs to be inserted in the track above the window instead of using screws. The plugs unlike the screws can be removed quickly in case the windows would need to be taken out in an emergency. The newer sliding windows that are made today appear to have fixed the problem of been able to manipulate the sliding windows out of their frame A Basement Window is usually comprised of a window that is hinged on the top of the window & a latch at the bottom of the window to secure the window from been pushed open. Basement windows are a main target for many intruders & they usually break the glass in the window & then reach in & unlock it. Do to this repeated method used by many intruders some home owners have been installing a home security lock on these windows that require a key to open them. As stated above there are many methods that can be used in securing your homes windows without risking you & your family’s lives. To help make your basement windows more secure you can have a security film laminate applied to the windows that will make it extremely hard for an intruder to break out.
Another solution could be to install window bars on the inside of the window that has a quick release mechanism. You can also implement electronic security measures to make your basement windows more secure. For further information on using window bars for your basement windows please take a look at my home windows security bars web page. You can also find detailed information on electronic security measures that can be used by visiting my window alarms web page. Related Articles:
Top Quality Home Security Information That Will Help You Provide Your Home & Family With An Adequate Level Of Security At The Lowest Possible Cost! This report is a must read for anyone who is serious about protecting their home & family against the onslaught of unlawful intrusions that effects so many each & every day!
This Is A Commercial Grade Deadbolt lock As It Has An ANSI Grade 1 Certification!
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