ᐅ New Construction Security Options for Windows and Front Doors

At my parents’ house, the situation was just as described by @k-man2021. About 15 years ago, the police advice was that burglars wouldn’t break in through the glass anyway. Following that recommendation, the window hardware was upgraded with mushroom head locking cams all around and lockable handles.

A few years ago, however, the break-in did happen through the glass. The perpetrators smashed a hole in the glass and then forced the bolt on the locked window handle to open it, entering that way. The property damage and stolen items totaled six figures, and my mother experienced severe psychological distress.

Since then, all windows have been replaced with RC3-rated windows equipped with P6B laminated safety glass (which corresponds to RC4 windows) and window handles rated for 200 Nm. In addition, there is a burglary alarm system connected to a monitoring station and several external sirens (the external sirens mainly serve as a “better go to the neighbor” warning), 360° video surveillance around the house, and a video door intercom system forwarding calls to a mobile phone.

We regularly notice suspicious people standing in front of the house—something no one would probably believe without the video evidence. We only found out about this because of the video surveillance and door intercom. Interestingly, many of these individuals casually walk around the house until their gaze visibly shifts upward (toward a camera or one of the external sirens) and suddenly they retreat quickly. The police also appreciated the high-quality video footage when pressing charges for attempted trespassing against a—probably not too bright—individual who thought he could check if any door was left open.

Regarding the “They won’t get in through the glass” statements: That may have been true 10–15 years ago, but today, as many people have increasingly secure window frames, the methods used by intruders have adapted accordingly. Thanks to quadruple glazing and comfort ventilation that cools during summer even with closed windows in a low-energy house, the neighbors don’t even notice when someone breaks the glass at your place anymore.

One should be aware that security essentially buys you time—the time a typical burglar needs to break into a house. As soon as it becomes noticeably more difficult, many give up on their attempt.
There is very clear video footage showing how quickly windows can be lifted—taking less than 10 seconds.
Of course, nothing can be generalized completely, but statistics can be consulted. When six-figure amounts are involved in a home, it can almost be assumed that the burglar had prior knowledge through scouting. Therefore, entry attempts carry a particularly high risk.
In the context of theft-related crimes, windows are often smashed quickly, and anything that might be useful for the next illegal transaction is stolen and sold.
It only makes sense to cover the common cases. In those situations, lighting and mushroom head bolts (also known as spigot bolts or security bolts) already provide effective protection.

I won’t be making six figures unless they take the entire kitchen with them.
If they manage that noise and mess, I’ll hire them for my next move.

I think what @BlackLotus is really getting at is the main point: how does a break-in affect your mental health and emotional well-being, especially if it happens while you’re still in the house?
You want to feel safe, of course.
Material possessions can be replaced and are usually covered by some kind of insurance.
But the sense of security in your own home is something that’s very difficult to regain after an incident.

I once noticed indentations on the frame of the office entrance door that kept bothering us. Eventually, I realized it was not an attempted break-in but rather the key ring, which one of us always hung on the door, causing those suspicious marks on the wood.

The feeling of a possible break-in up to that point was unpleasant; what I mean to say is that an attempted break-in already feels bad.

When criminals regularly try to break into a house, as described, this is no longer an everyday situation typical of a usual residential building. In such a case, a deeper analysis should be conducted to understand why these people are specifically targeting this house or the person living there.

Security glass reduces the chances of an attack on the house and might be sufficient in some cases, but it can also motivate an intruder to look for other ways to reach their goal. Therefore, it is crucial to find out exactly what the special target of each of these visitors is.

Criminals do not become less dangerous; rather, crime shifts to different areas. Banks are no longer robbed, cars are rarely stolen, yet the total amount of crime does not decrease.

Sometimes one hopes for a miracle, but ultimately, everyone hopes for themselves. Since my neighbor also takes measures to prevent a break-in, I could become a potential victim of their activities.

I can only repeat that everyone should perform their own individual analysis for their situation. Widespread, generic measures motivated by fear only benefit industry sales; the film "Bowling for Columbine" effectively illustrates a similar phenomenon.

Of course, there is always a specific case or worst-case scenario, but that is not the norm.

We once lived abroad where every house was fenced with metal, surveillance cameras were everywhere, guards and alarm systems were standard. Wherever you went, alarms went off—in hardware stores, underground garages, pedestrian zones—but no one paid attention anymore; only I found it extremely annoying. Everyone was mainly afraid, something I was not used to, and the fact was that this was a completely peaceful country compared to its neighbors.

I think there are many nuances between zero and one hundred. Constantly securing oneself against every worst-case scenario requires strict discipline, costs a lot of money, as well as freedom and joy of life. If other criminals with probably different goals were constantly lurking around my house, I would move away, or I would advise someone to do so. I couldn’t live there because it would only be a matter of time before the seventeenth person comes up with the right idea to finally reach their goal—my house or me and my family. Why would they wait until I am inside the house?

pagoni2020 schrieb:

If burglars regularly try to break into a house, as described, this is no longer an ordinary situation you would expect with a typical residential building. In such cases, a more in-depth analysis should be carried out to understand why these individuals are targeting this particular house or the person living there.
Bulletproof glass reduces the possibilities of an attack on the house; this may be sufficient in some cases but can also motivate the attacker to find other ways to achieve their goal.

That would be my concern as well—that a break-in could escalate into a robbery. With six-figure amounts involved, that might not be entirely unrealistic.

I just did a quick calculation again. For me, even when including movable items, it barely reaches five figures. Definitely only when using new prices.
The most valuable single item will be the heat pump, which is installed outside anyway. That alone can easily push the total into five figures, but I don’t think those are often stolen, considering they weigh 130-150 kg (285-330 lbs) and require professional installation.
What do people usually have inside their homes to reach six-figure values? Genuine artwork by well-known artists?