ᐅ New Construction Security Options for Windows and Front Doors

Hello,

I have a question regarding our new build.

For the windows, we were offered a security fitting in two levels:

Level 1: €45 per sash – mushroom cams all around, 4-corner steel tube reinforcement, and drill protection.

Level 2: €110 per sash – everything upgraded for better security.

I think Level 1 would be enough; on the ground floor, we have 7 sashes. Or do you think standard windows provide sufficient protection? Windows: (Veka Softline 82)

Front door:

Standard 5-point locking.

Additional cost €200 for 3-point automatic locking (what are the benefits? Is this necessary?)

Is an anti-lift device needed for the front door? It’s a metal plate costing about €100 that prevents the door from being pried open.

Do burglars even break in through the front door of a newly built semi-detached house, or do they usually go through the windows?

Our front door faces the street in a large new development.

Is a security bar required for the front door?

My personal opinion? One level above basic protection is sufficient. My last three break-ins (in my previous houses) were: garden shed, garage, and twice in the garden (fire pit, bench, etc.).
I prefer to spend my money on what I consider more sensible investments (e.g., exterior lighting with motion sensors).

A tip from my building advisor was: lockable window handles are more effective than many other measures. Making a hole in a window can be quicker than prying it open. Secure windows cost several hundred euros more and every ground floor window must be equipped with them, otherwise it’s pointless...

It’s always important to look at the weakest link in the security chain and focus on areas that are not easily visible from the street and are easily accessible, especially patio doors and patio windows.

Perhaps a (fake?) camera is also a very effective measure. However, it might also give the impression that there is something worth stealing...

Okay, thanks. Yes, we will need to equip all the windows on the ground floor and the windows above the garage with the protection, which adds up to a total of 9 window sashes.

We also think that Level 1 is completely sufficient. If the intruder realizes it can’t be opened quickly, they will just leave.

What do you think about the pry-resistant protection for the front door? Or is the front door with the five-point locking system already enough?

Do people actually pry open front doors? I believe burglars usually enter through the windows or the patio door, right?

Didn’t someone say that by now they even tend to break right through the wall? Apparently, aerated concrete blocks can now be fairly easily chiseled open. In that case, even the strongest steel door isn’t secure anymore if it’s simply knocked out of the wall.

My father-in-law made me consider one thing. Security glass and high-level protection are expensive. If the burglar can’t get inside or eventually does but ends up damaging a door or window worth a few thousand euros, that might actually be the biggest loss.

So maybe it’s better not to invest too much in burglary protection but instead focus on better lighting and keeping valuables out of the house.

Your approach with only level one protection (do you mean RC1?) is actually not a bad idea. I have RC2 everywhere.

We were told that sliding doors are the most vulnerable. They can apparently be quite easily pried open. The window fitter’s advice was actually to saw a wooden batten to size and wedge it on the inside into the fixed part when away for an extended period, so the door cannot be slid open anymore. Additionally, on the ground floor, we chose lockable handles.