When researching the installation of new windows always look out for PAS 24: 2022+A1:2024, which is a UK British Standard specification which highlights security performance requirements for doors and windows.
The purpose of such necessities is to run tests on frames, locks, handles and glazing against forced entry. It takes the place of PAS 24: 2016, and also updates PAS24:2022, in that there is now a demand for refined testing for modern tools and thermal attacks.
Things to Consider when Installing Secure uPVC Windows
For the best uPVC window security, install products which adhere to Secured by Design standards. This requires enhanced performance regarding windows and doorsets in the UK.
These regulations are designed to meet the needs of a buildings faced with comparable risk. This risk takes the form of an attack by an opportunist burglar, who may easily be concealing a tool. It generally subscribes to excellence in weather tightness, strength characteristics and that a particular doorset is fit for purpose as well.
20% of burglars are thought to enter through windows, making it a sensitive point to have protected in your home or commercial building. It will be particularly prescient to have extra secure windows on the ground floor.
A majority of insurance companies do insist on key-operated locks for ground floor windows. This has become the norm for most newly built accommodations, with most new handles having varying degrees of lock quality. For more reassurance, particularly to prevent children from opening windows upstairs, have key-operated locks on the first floor and above as well.
Multi-point locking systems are becoming more popular. They operate by making use of a multiple number of locking and contact points as opposed to the basic system which had only 1 or 2 points of contact. Specifically, multi-point locking will stop the potential burglar from levering out the window frame itself.
Though it is not secure for all window types, there are some that can be set to a one-inch ventilation gap. It is worth mentioning that these do not meet Secured by Design requirements.
Hinge-side security brackets prevent the window frame from being forced open, since they are interlocking brackets that add a level of security when the window is closed and locked. It is possible to have installed a hinge bracket and friction hinges system which provides complete protection on all sides of the windows.
Stainless steel friction hinges, commonly called friction stays, is a mechanism fitted into the side or top of a window frame to control its movement. If entry is being forced the hinge will break, but the window will remain in place effectively locked close.
To prevent accidents, particularly for small children, opening restrictors allow for a shallow depth of exposure. This provides a level of security too.
Modern uPVC windows have an internal beading preventing entry by means of bead removal from the outside. This also helps installation on above ground floors, negating the need for ladders.
In the event of a break-in laminated glass stays integrated without falling out, making entry by a burglar much more difficult. Lamination is achieved through having a layer of PVB (Polyvinyl butyral) between two pieces of annealed glass and fusing them together.
Ultimately window security is a requisite of a threesome of physical barriers, advanced glazing and smart monitoring. This is not a guarantee, just forward planning and recommendations.
