One of the most effective ways to keep a would-be intruder out of your house is to make it hard for him to get in. Installing window bars on your windows, while not foolproof, creates an extra step for a bad guy who’s looking to pull off a quick and easy home burglary.
Window bars are easy to install yourself. Newer sets come with locks so you can unlock them in case you need to crawl out of the window during an emergency. A side benefit: Bars can prevent children from falling out of open windows.
The drawbacks: You don’t want to leave the key to the bars too close to the window, which means someone who needs to unlock the bars might not be able to find the key in a hurry if there’s a fire.
And the bars could prevent firefighters from getting into the home quickly.
Rosie’s tips:
- Choose security bars with quick-release devices so you can open them without a key from the inside during an emergency.
- If you already have security bars, add quick-release devices so your family will have an easy way to get out of the room in case of a fire.
- Practice your escape before you have an emergency. During this dress rehearsal, make sure every family member knows how to release or unlock security bars, and also windows and doors without bars.
