window security bars

[crewguy]

Anyone ever built any?

[aczlan]

Saw lots of them in Argentina, never built any though.

Aaron Z

[Cat_Driver]

It's not only the bars, but you need to come up with a safe way to EXIT the window in case of a fire. Some sort of quick release from inside to swing open the bars so people can exit. Here in Ca. an etire family was killed because they could not get out of a burning house through the window. People watched them trying to get out but the bars kept them in.

[MFWD]

Hello,
I built some at the first house I owned. I put them on all my basement windows. I can't remember everything about them since it was so long ago, but I think I used 1/2" square bar stock and welded them to some channel on the sides. Then bolted through the side channel metal to attach them to the block walls. Probably not too much help, but yes, I have built some !!!!!

MFWD

[forgeblast]

I just bought some of the 4mil window security film. It will keep the glass together in case someone tries to smash in a window.
If you search for window security bars, you can see how they are made. I was thinking of getting those but we have windows that swing out. So we opted for the film.

[Runner]

I built a security grille for my shop door out of bar stock and steel tube.

[quicksandfarmer]

I used to live in a part of Washington DC where just about every house had window bars. They were not usually made on site, the welder would buy a pre-fab unit and install it. If it wasn't an egress window usually what they would do is drill eight holes around the window frame, 2 on each side, parallel to the glass, and put a piece of 1/2" round steel rod in each hole and weld the frame of the bars to the round rods. If it was an egress window it would have a frame like a prehung door which could be lag bolted to the window frame and the bolt heads would be covered when the window was closed.

The bars don't have to be Alcatraz-quality. They're really just so you can have the windows open without worrying that a passing opportunistic criminal won't come in and see what you have. It's very rare for the walls of a house to be made out of something that will stand up to a sledgehammer for more than a couple of blows and it's pointless for the bars to be stronger than the walls, it just means that if someone is determined he's going to make a more expensive hole.

[JD 4520]

Remember this is only a deterrent like many other security features. Also consider the weakest link theory. A big fat chain lock with a small lock is only limited by breaking the small lock, who cares about the big fat heavy duty chain. Locks on doors are generally only deterrents as well. The more you do to make things hard or create deterrents is usually enough for the potential intruder to go some where else - the weaker link place.

[forgeblast]

For door frames you may want to look at the stikemaster 2 unit. Its easy to install we have it on all our doors, barn included.