Thinking of updating your New Jersey or New York home security features? Have you considered the role home windows play in boosting protection for your family? Some of our Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey and New York metropolitan friends and neighbors may not be aware that good replacement windows are designed and manufactured specifically to enhance safety features.
Here are a few things to focus on when comparing different window and door brands.
Naturally, good replacement windows should be built with high-quality materials. When looking at safety features, glass is a good place to start.
Glass options give you flexibility to control your view. For example, home windows allow us to see what is going on outside, on our property and the surrounding area. When you want to check things out, you want a crystal clear glass without blemishes or distortion. On the other hand, patterned glass, often installed in bathrooms and other areas for added privacy, obscures the view, keeping outsiders from seeing inside your home.
Sometimes, the best safety and security enhancement strategy includes using stronger glass in vulnerable windows. Tempered or laminated glass panes are both many times stronger than traditional glass.
While tempered glass is harder for a would-be criminal to break than regular glass, when impacted with great force, the panel will shatter into hundreds of tiny blocks. Because heat-treated glass solutions don’t create shards when broken, this choice actually makes it safer for you than regular glass in the event it is necessary to break a window for emergency egress.
Laminated glass is stronger – and more expensive – than tempered glass. When impacted, the glass breaks, but stays intact, potentially preventing unwanted entrance.
Durable window frames are essential when you want to enhance home security and safety. After all, what good is strong glass if you can just pop it out of the frame?
Unlike wood windows that weaken over time with exposure to the elements and flimsy vinyl window frames, Fibrex window frames can’t be compromised by scorching heat, ice, rain or wind-driven dirt and debris. Composite frames also protect your family from pests – like roaches and some rodents – that literally eat through wood to gain access.
Choosing the right style for every window in every room is another great way to increase safety and security in your New Jersey or New York home.
People with young children may prefer double-hung replacement windows, since lowering the upper sash allows ventilation, without creating an opening easily reached by little ones – reducing the possibility of a child climbing or falling through an open window.
Casement windows are another popular style for security-minded homeowners, since the single crank-style operating handle and multi-point locking system make it more difficult to pry open from the exterior of your home.
Keyed locks for replacement windows and pedal locks for patio doors add another layer of protection against would-be invaders.
The best way to ensure your family is safe and secure is to look for replacement windows that meet your needs and lifestyle and include the safety features you need. Look for:
Fill in the short form on this page or call (866) 609-5033 to learn more about Renewal by Andersen safety and security features.
