Burglar Bars - Advice?

Pho3nix

Pho3nix

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Hi,

So insurance needs these installed and except for the Trellidor on the sliding door, I need to put these in, within the next week or so.
Found a couple threads from a years back but looking to see if any new info or "best" options are feasible.

- Are round bars still the best VS flat ?
- Is Trellidor worth the cost?
- Those clear plastic ones.. still crap?
- Anything wrong with welding/DIY burgler bars?
 
Round is generally better than flat.
Trellidor type is very good if rather unsightly -- just make sure it is able to open and slide out of the way on windows.
Do not know about the plestik stuff.
IF and it is a BIG IF. IF you know how to weld neatly AND you take the trouble to protect window sills and walls against splatter then go ahead. But IF you are like most of us that weld once in a blue moon --- don't
 
For most of the DIY type stuff you need a spanner and 2 minutes to break them free - be careful.

Last time we did it, we got a fairly interesting install: It uses square rods, but the rods are bolted in to the frame in such a way that if you just use a spanner / wrench to try and turn it, it will just turn in the frame.

No burglar bars makes the house invulnerable to break-in: all you can do is to make it too much of an efforts, and give people inside enough warning.

Stay away from that thin white crap.
 
bin3 said:
For most of the DIY type stuff you need a spanner and 2 minutes to break them free - be careful.

Last time we did it, we got a fairly interesting install: It uses square rods, but the rods are bolted in to the frame in such a way that if you just use a spanner / wrench to try and turn it, it will just turn in the frame.

No burglar bars makes the house invulnerable to break-in: all you can do is to make it too much of an efforts, and give people inside enough warning.

Stay away from that thin white crap.
Click to expand...

Could you possible provide pics?
 
Do not attach the bars to the window frame, whether it is steel, wood or aluminium, bend the end 90 deg and bolt it to the wall with break-off security bolts. Make sure the gaps between the bars are small enough so a small child cannot be pushed through

Make sure you have an adequate number of movement detectors connected to an alarm whose siren is irritatingly loud in the house
 
20171023_174848.jpg

Something like that.

Bolts welded at the wall, and the cross bars welded and bolted to the frame.

Took some getting used to the look, but after 3 break ins in 2 weeks (2 successful) never had a problem since.
 
OP - not sure what the location of your toilet is but here in water-less CT there ia a company called BurglarBar Studios

The drill and install into the wall; nothing surface.

We had a posse of 3+ guys try break in with crowbars and a car jack a few months later - they did a lot of damage but couldnt get through.

Needless to say I would highly recommend them.
 
Yes, that bar with a dome-headed nut is ideal. Make sure it is at least an 80mm long coach bolt into a plastic plug. This provides a certain amount of flexibility and stops the metal from bending and rusting
 
What type of window?

The plastic see through stuff is fine, especially if you buy the ones with the alarm trigger built in then they are better than any alternative.
 
Make the gaps small. Bottle jack / scissor jack vs burglar bars = bars broken EASY!
 
Last edited:
bin3 said:
For most of the DIY type stuff you need a spanner and 2 minutes to break them free - be careful.

Last time we did it, we got a fairly interesting install: It uses square rods, but the rods are bolted in to the frame in such a way that if you just use a spanner / wrench to try and turn it, it will just turn in the frame.

No burglar bars makes the house invulnerable to break-in: all you can do is to make it too much of an efforts, and give people inside enough warning.

Stay away from that thin white crap.
Click to expand...

Even paid for ones. Anything that has welding on it can be broken in a few seconds if you can get a monkey wrench around it. That is the reason I prefer Square tubing instead of round bar. Even square bar breaks at the welding. It it's tubular the welding will come off at some sections and not at others. Pho3nix: Test it yourself. Get a Monkey wrench and put it on a round bar burglar bar as close to the welding as you can, the Wrench :p You will see it snap off instantly.
 
Pitbull said:
Even paid for ones. Anything that has welding on it can be broken in a few seconds if you can get a monkey wrench around it. That is the reason I prefer Square tubing instead of round bar. Even square bar breaks at the welding. It it's tubular the welding will come off at some sections and not at others. Pho3nix: Test it yourself. Get a Monkey wrench and put it on a round bar burglar bar as close to the welding as you can, the Wrench :p You will see it snap off instantly.
Click to expand...

Will give it a try this weekend.

Seems this shall be an expensive exercise :cry:
 
Pho3nix said:
Will give it a try this weekend.

Seems this shall be an expensive exercise :cry:
Click to expand...

Doesn't have to be. Isn't an alarm enough for insurance purposes? If you do the burglar bars do it for your safety not because insurance wants it. And make sure you do it good.
 
It’s the reason I think these see through things are great because they flex so it’s not so easy to get them off/broken.

Which means it takes time and that’s really all that you can do.

Bonus that they are linked with the alarm is that if they should break the alarm trips and they are on 24/7 not just when armed.

Also means no magnets required on Windows.
 
Pitbull said:
Doesn't have to be. Isn't an alarm enough for insurance purposes? If you do the burglar bars do it for your safety not because insurance wants it. And make sure you do it good.
Click to expand...

In an estate so not sure an alarm would be feasiable?
It's either alarm or burglar bars.

Safety wise.. you make a good point.
 
Pho3nix said:
In an estate so not sure an alarm would be feasiable?
It's either alarm or burglar bars.

Safety wise.. you make a good point.
Click to expand...

Will probably cost less than the bars.

Depending if they want armed response etc.
 
Just be wary of the alarm aspect... insurance will invalidate a claim if you are broken into and the alarm isn’t armed
 
ToxicBunny said:
Just be wary of the alarm aspect... insurance will invalidate a claim if you are broken into and the alarm isn’t armed
Click to expand...

Well there’s a simple solution to that. Most new systems have auto-arm functionality anyway.

Besides do you want all you **** stolen quietly and find out when you get home with someone potentially waiting for you?

Or do you want some stuff stolen as they grab it before they run?

Even better would be an alarm + bars so it triggers before they get in. Which also solves your insurance problem somewhat as those bars are always armed.
 
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