ᐅ What type of burglary protection do you have? And what is the estimated cost?
Created on: 30 Oct 2016 13:14
M
Mizit
This topic might not be exactly right here since we are not building new but buying, but it also relates to planning and idea development.
We are buying a house from 1995. The front door has a multi-point lock, and the basement has a fireproof security door, which probably can’t be opened quickly when locked. That’s all.
Due to a personal incident related to burglary, I am currently somewhat more sensitive to this issue. I am often alone with the children, and the house is in a remote location, with open fields behind us. Although the area is mostly rural and, according to the owner, there have been no incidents in the village so far, I don’t want to rely on that. In short: we want to allocate part of our budget to security investments.
We will schedule an appointment with the local police to get advice.
Regarding the front door: a multi-point lock sounds good – is that enough initially?
Next to the front door there is a glass panel, double-glazed, without a window handle. This could probably be broken quickly, but because of the muntins, it is probably not possible to enter the house quickly this way. We are considering installing a glass break film on the inside. Possibly combined with an acoustic alarm if someone tries to strike the glass?
The main issue is definitely the numerous windows, especially at the back of the house. None of these are visible from the street. As mentioned, the windows are double-glazed from 1995. There are no mushroom head locks installed. We couldn’t find a clear cost estimate for retrofitting such mushroom head locks. Can you share any insights? Possibly that alone would be so expensive that it might be more worthwhile to replace the windows? However, I think that would likely exceed our budget given the number of windows…
While researching mushroom locks, we came across these EM3 locks, which cost about 60 euros each. Do you have any experience with these, and can they be a practical alternative to mushroom head locks?
Regarding alarm systems, there are all kinds available. Mechanical security should probably take priority over acoustic alarms, right? Personally, although my husband sees it differently, I don’t really believe these alarm systems are that effective. Anyone planning a professional break-in, possibly after some reconnaissance, will know in such a rural location that the police won’t arrive in two minutes and neighbors probably won’t be outside immediately either. And what good would it do us if the alarm goes off while we’re sleeping? Acoustic alarms certainly aren’t bad, but depending on the price, I question whether the cost-benefit ratio is reasonable. Probably it would need to be that various alarms are also visible in a way that hopefully has a deterrent effect? Motion detectors, cameras, or even a connection to a security service?
How have you approached this topic?
We are buying a house from 1995. The front door has a multi-point lock, and the basement has a fireproof security door, which probably can’t be opened quickly when locked. That’s all.
Due to a personal incident related to burglary, I am currently somewhat more sensitive to this issue. I am often alone with the children, and the house is in a remote location, with open fields behind us. Although the area is mostly rural and, according to the owner, there have been no incidents in the village so far, I don’t want to rely on that. In short: we want to allocate part of our budget to security investments.
We will schedule an appointment with the local police to get advice.
Regarding the front door: a multi-point lock sounds good – is that enough initially?
Next to the front door there is a glass panel, double-glazed, without a window handle. This could probably be broken quickly, but because of the muntins, it is probably not possible to enter the house quickly this way. We are considering installing a glass break film on the inside. Possibly combined with an acoustic alarm if someone tries to strike the glass?
The main issue is definitely the numerous windows, especially at the back of the house. None of these are visible from the street. As mentioned, the windows are double-glazed from 1995. There are no mushroom head locks installed. We couldn’t find a clear cost estimate for retrofitting such mushroom head locks. Can you share any insights? Possibly that alone would be so expensive that it might be more worthwhile to replace the windows? However, I think that would likely exceed our budget given the number of windows…
While researching mushroom locks, we came across these EM3 locks, which cost about 60 euros each. Do you have any experience with these, and can they be a practical alternative to mushroom head locks?
Regarding alarm systems, there are all kinds available. Mechanical security should probably take priority over acoustic alarms, right? Personally, although my husband sees it differently, I don’t really believe these alarm systems are that effective. Anyone planning a professional break-in, possibly after some reconnaissance, will know in such a rural location that the police won’t arrive in two minutes and neighbors probably won’t be outside immediately either. And what good would it do us if the alarm goes off while we’re sleeping? Acoustic alarms certainly aren’t bad, but depending on the price, I question whether the cost-benefit ratio is reasonable. Probably it would need to be that various alarms are also visible in a way that hopefully has a deterrent effect? Motion detectors, cameras, or even a connection to a security service?
How have you approached this topic?
That is somewhat my problem. The retractable staircase is in the upper floor hallway, which is very small, so not in a remote, rarely used corner. And there probably won’t be a visually pleasing solution. You would have to design some sort of frame that can be locked by sliding it into the wall structure of the adjacent rooms.
I think you’re mistaken there. If someone really wants to get in, they just lift up a few roof tiles or take them off, jump once, and they are already through the insulation into the attic. Well, maybe they still have to move a piece of batten out of the way.
However, it’s also clear that anyone who takes this route probably isn’t looking for the next 30 euros for a quick grab, but knows that there is something special in the house that they want.
However, it’s also clear that anyone who takes this route probably isn’t looking for the next 30 euros for a quick grab, but knows that there is something special in the house that they want.
That may be true, but I still don’t want to build a fortress because of that. If someone wants to get in, they will, that’s clear to me. So securing the hatch doesn’t help me much either. Although the floor up there is fully covered with particle boards, you can probably get through it somehow, since it’s not a concrete ceiling.
World-e schrieb:
We will have all the windows on the ground floor and one window in the basement (light well) fitted with RC2 hardware and lockable window handles. The RC2 hardware costs €30 and the lockable handle adds €15 extra. The glass itself is standard triple glazing.
Our window manufacturer offers four security levels, which naturally vary in price:
• Security level 1: Security windows with RC1 hardware
• Security level 2: Security windows with RC2 hardware
• Security level 3: Security windows with RC2 N hardware – with certification
• Security level 4: Security windows with RC2 hardware – with certificationI’m asking again here. Is this for a new build in your case, or does it also apply to retrofitting?
Retrofitting is very important to me because I’m really afraid of a break-in, but I’m almost in disbelief about the cost of retrofitting these mushroom head locks.
We have three “normal” windows in the bay window in the living room on the ground floor, one actual balcony door, and two additional window panes that can’t be opened but can certainly be pried open. In addition, there is a double window in the kitchen and another one on the ground floor, plus one more in the guest toilet. If we retrofit mushroom head locks on these 11 windows, the cost apparently comes to around €4500. This price includes retrofitting the locks, lockable handles, and professional installation. Installing this ourselves seems pointless; we can’t do it, and if something gets damaged or the locks aren’t fitted properly and don’t offer protection, that would be a false economy.
But over €4000 for windows that are already around 22 years old? And what if the installation doesn’t go smoothly, and the extra labor pushes it over €5000? That seems extremely expensive to me.
As far as we understand now, these mushroom head locks are invisible and therefore better aesthetically. I also read about surface-mounted devices, which can’t be hidden visually but are said to offer comparable resistance to the mushroom head locks. Of course, I want a solution that looks good, but nearly €5000 for retrofitting these mushroom head locks seems very expensive given the number of windows... but I do want extra security.
Mizit schrieb:
Is your case about a new build, or does it also involve retrofitting? Hello, in our case it is a new build. Retrofitting is expensive. I would suggest looking, for example, at Abus (FOS550) or other manufacturers of retrofit solutions.
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