Windows With Alarms
One way is to have your windows alarmed. This involves putting a magnetic contact on each window. When the window's pried open, the contact breaks and sets the alarm off.
Now, there's an easy way to circumvent this approach. That is to break the window. You don't need to pry the window open if you've simply broken it. This means that a security company might also include a glass break detector that triggers on sound.
This is a good solution, but it's not a perfect one. There are better options for two reasons. One, the alarm doesn't go off until the intruder's already pried or broken the window open, and two, sound detectors aren't the most reliable alarm method on the planet.
A motion detector can be used in place of the sound detector. This solves the second problem, but not the first one. It also adds the possibility for triggering false alarms.
Screens As Alarms
The solution can become too complex, with too many different steps that rely on each other in order not to fail. The goal with home security should always be solutions that involve fewer variables to work, not more.
This is why screens can be used as single-piece alarm sensors. This is much more effective and adds another layer before the glass. Rather than relying on a two-step system that only triggers once an intruder's made entry, a security screen sensor can sound the alarm before a burglar's even touched the glass.
This earlier trigger for the alarm means you have that much more time for the police to come. If the burglar is scared off by the alarm sounding, as most are, then all you've potentially lost is the security screen. That's easily replaced, so you don't have to worry about the time or expense involved with replacing a broken window.
Most importantly, the alarm sounds while the burglar still has another layer to get through. They haven't made entry yet. Even with the alarm going, a burglar who's made entry is more likely to stay than a burglar who has yet to make entry. By relying on the security screen sensor, the alarm triggers before they can even get in the house.
How Is This Accomplished?
Your existing window screen frames can be used in most cases, but they'll be refitted with a mesh that has sensor wire woven into it. If the screen is cut, the sensor is set off and sounds the alarm. If the screen is removed, a tamper switch releases and sounds the alarm.
This is the simplest and most elegant way to achieve home security without going so far as putting steel bars across your windows. More physical solutions like that detract from the beauty of your home and can decrease its value.
A security sensor screen for your windows maintains the normal look of your home while implementing a high level of security even before a burglar gets to the glass. The screens still work when you open your windows during the summer. This means you can leave the glass panes open – say, on a hot summer night – and the screens will still function as security barriers. They'll trigger the alarm reliably regardless of whether the interior pane is open or closed.
The Best Window Security Solution
The first solution offered, dealing with magnetic contacts, glass break sensors, and motion detectors is a good solution. It's certainly better than nothing. Yet it relies on too many factors without enough reliability to be the best solution.
Security sensor screens involve fewer vulnerabilities or points of failure, while also moving that security barrier for your home one layer further outward. It makes your security more flexible and easier to control without interfering with your home's beauty or your everyday habits. You're less likely to set the alarm off yourself, and the technology involved is far more reliable. Contact Integrity Security for more information about securing your windows and your home.