With the nights drawing in, this is the season to make sure that your home’s security is adequate. Tony Pell, product manager at JELD-WEN, looks at the benefits of choosing Secured by Design Licensed products when changing doors and windows in the home.
Government figures show that there are around 756,000 burglaries each year [Source: 2004/2005 British Crime Survey] which means that around one in twenty-five households experience some form of crime every 12 months. Research shows that if it takes longer than four or five minutes to break into a home, most burglars will be deterred from even trying. Simple features such as thief resistant locks, night latches and sturdy door frames can make all the difference With many insurance companies also giving discounts for features that improve the safety of the home it now also makes financial sense to consider the security features of a product before buying.
Even though most break-ins take place in December and January when the dark evenings provide ideal cover for the would-be burglar, now is the time to start planning to upgrade your doors and windows. Don’t be caught out and, like most people, leave it until you have been burgled before taking the necessary steps. In a recent survey most people said they feared losing personal items, such as family heirlooms, jewellery and gifts more than items of higher financial value. These cannot be replaced and so it is essential that when it comes to protecting your home and possessions prevention really is the answer.
Here are 10 ways to reduce the risk of a forced entry into your house:
1. Fit Secured by Design products
Secured by Design is an initiative introduced by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), which aims to design out crime in housing by the use of effective crime prevention and security standards. The scheme, supported by a very informative website www.securedbydesign.com aims to assist the buyer in making informed choices on products which are more likely to resist common forms of attack and therefore give better protection. The website also gives links to companies that hold Secured by Design Licences and offer one or more products which meet technical standards endorsed by the scheme. The Secured by Design logo and the title "Police Preferred Specification" can only be used on products that meet these standards and so it is worth the time and effort visiting the site to identify them.
2. Specify a PAS 23/24 doorset
Secured by Design covers not only locks, hinges, handles, but also complete doorsets. For even better security and if you are changing your door and frame you could choose a product that complies with PAS 23/24. This is the British Standard for enhanced door security and meets the Secured by Design requirements. Doors are also put through a wider range of tests including frame and glass security performance, as well as general durability in use requirements. To carry out these tests the door has to be fitted into a frame along with all the ironmongery (a doorset) so as to recreate the actual installation as it would be fitted in your home. To comply with the PAS 23/24 the doorset is then subjected to rigorous tests including soft and hard body impact to represent a burglar trying to force their way in. Only when the doorset can be proven to withstand these sorts of assaults can it comply with PAS 23/24. All your fitter needs to do then is to ensure that the frame is securely fixed into the masonry. JELD-WEN, the UK’s largest manufacturer of windows and doors has a range of Secured by Design compliant products to choose from. For more information visit the website www.jeld-wen.co.uk.
3. Choose a door made of a material that can withstand forced entry
If you are changing your door and not the frame then try to choose a replacement made from a material and design that is robust enough to withstand a burglar shoulder slamming the door or hitting it with a hard object. Composite entrance doors are particularly good at withstanding these types of forces. Most composite doors are produced in a thermoset manufacturing process which creates a very effective barrier to forced entry. The robustness of the door is increased further by the high impact-resistant fibreglass skins. Overall door thickness is 45mm which is the minimum for increased security. Most composite doors when fitted with appropriate ironmongery meet the Secured by Design requirements. However you need to bear in mind that the composite door will only be as strong as the frame it is fitted in. If your frame is weak, insecurely fitted or rotting then you should consider replacing it as well as the door (see PAS 23/24 above).
4. Fit a light above your doors
Fitting a movement sensitive light above your doors will ensure that any activity in front of the door or unwelcome visitors are immediately noticeable. Most burglars attempt to break-in during the dark winter afternoons when their antics can go unnoticed. A light could make all the difference in deterring them from even trying.
5. Choose windows with enhanced security
Fit a security enhanced window that complies with the requirements of Secured by Design. All windows supplied to SBD standards comply with the requirements of BS7950: 1997 for security performance. Features offered on these windows include shoot bolt espagnolette locking that allows you to secure the window in several positions, as well as allowing ventilation. Factory glazing also comes as standard, which means glass is fitted in a controlled environment to meet SBD standards. The Secured by Design website also offers useful information when deciding where to purchase your windows.
6. Cut back shrubbery
Would be burglars love nothing better than overgrown shrubbery to conceal their activities. On a rear window or door under the cover of Leylandii, trees or other foliage, the burglar can give themselves those extra minutes of seclusion to work on a forced entry. If they are exposed and visible to the neighbours they will not risk taking as long to enter the property.
7. Fit a burglar alarm
Fit Magnetic Door Contacts to your doors and windows to detect when they are opened. Make sure you pay particular attention to the front door, back door and patios as these are the most likely to be targeted. It’s an unfortunate fact that around a third of us wait until we have been burgled before fitting an alarm. Reduce your risks now with a burglar alarm and you won’t need to suffer unnecessary losses and disruption.
8. Get a dog
Not as strange as you might think! Most burglars would avoid a house that has a dog – ask any postman what effective guards they make! Most burglars would be deterred by the barking which has the potential to raise a neighbour’s interest. If you really want to have a burglar alarm that is part of the family then the RSPCA ‘Adopt a Puppy’ campaign could be just what you are looking for – visit the website www.rspca.org.uk.
9. Hide your valuables
We don’t mean hiding your money under the mattress, or a favourite piece of jewellery in your bottom drawer, as most burglars know the common places to look. Burglars are looking for easy pickings and sometimes just making sure that your valuables, DVD’s and car keys are not visible from an outside window is enough to make sure you don’t over encourage any would be break-ins
10. Don’t leave a key under the mat
We’ve all done it - left a key under the mat when you haven’t time to wait for your partner to get home from work. Unfortunately burglars are wise to this and know where to look for the key. So if you think you have a novel way of hiding the key where burglars won’t look think again. They know all the places: plant pots, drainpipe, even under your favourite gnome in the garden!
So there you have it. Taking those extra measures to ensure a burglar thinks twice before breaking into your property is time well spent. Research shows that burglars are fickle. They rarely have ill feeling towards the houses or their owners, they just look for the easiest targets. They are however creatures of habit when it comes to evaluating a potential. Visual checks for secluded areas, scanning around for unlocked windows and sourcing quick get-away routes become habitual practice for them.
This opportunistic approach can be thwarted just by taking the few simple measures listed above. If a home looks easy to break into, the chances are they will give it a go; if it appears a challenge they will move on. It only takes a couple of seconds for them to make up your mind, so spending extra time incorporating features that deter would-be burglars is definitely time well spent!
To find your nearest stockist of Secured by Design Doors, contact JELD-WEN on 0870 126 0000 or visit the website. www.jeld-wen.co.uk.