The best defense against potential home break-ins and burglaries is installing the right prevention tools. Many homeowners consider investing in solid front doors and alarm systems, not realizing that installing security windows can be a key way to deter break-ins as well. Security windows offer advanced technology to avert break-ins, plus they add home value, improve curb appeal, and increase overall energy efficiency throughout your home.

For the best home window security options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, consult the experts at Homespire Windows and Doors. Our team has over 25 years of home improvement experience — with the assistance of our local manufacturing partner — making our home window offerings the best possible options for securing your home. We accomplish our stellar results with our tempered glass system, featuring invisible home window security bars and high-quality construction. We also offer a variety of window designs that are resistant to being opened from the outside, including casement, sliding and double-hung windows.

If you’re considering purchasing new security windows, call us today to schedule a free window analysis with one of our skilled and friendly representatives. During a window analysis, our team will work closely with you to evaluate your current home windows and offer a more burglar-proof solution with new windows from Homespire Windows and Doors.

Why You Should Consider Home Window Security

On average, a burglary occurs every 22.6 seconds in the United States. Burglaries are more likely to happen when the weather is warm and families leave their homes for outings and vacations. However, no matter when they occur, they leave families with a number of unfortunate consequences.

Burglaries often take a significant financial and emotional toll. The average burglary offense results in $2,416 worth of losses. Moreover, if any members of your family are home during the incident, they could be in danger. Even if no one is harmed during a burglary, you may find you suffer due to the feeling of insecurity in your own home — a place where we should all feel safe and comfortable.

To best prevent these intrusions, homeowners need to take necessary precautions to protect their homes and families. Locking your doors and windows is always a great start, but a more advanced solution is installing new security windows for your home. At Homespire Windows and Doors, we offer security windows designed to consider every aspect of home security — including impact-resistant glass, 12-point fusion-weld construction and designs like double-hung, sliding, and casement windows that are very difficult to pry open from the outside.

How to Tell if Your Windows Are Vulnerable

If your windows are easy to break through or open, your home could be vulnerable to a break-in. You don’t want to let your windows make your home an easy target, so it’s wise to inspect them to see if there are any problems. Some common vulnerabilities to watch out for include:

1. Broken Lock

A broken window lock could make you an easy target for intruders. If a home invader is able to open your window from the outside without resistance, this puts your whole home at risk. If any of your window locks are broken, it’s time to replace them.
There are several types of window locks you can install, including:
  • Pin locks: Pin locks connect sashes on your window with a pin on a chain. They are a good option for first-floor windows since they can keep intruders from opening a window.
  • Keyed locks: Keyed locks are another common type of lock that works for most windows. You simply turn a key to lock the window closed. This could be a normal lock and key mechanism, a key track stop, or a keyed turnbuckle.
  • Hinged wedge locks: A hinged wedge lock is a great option for double-hung windows. These locks are adjustable, so you can lock a window at a partially open position when you want.
  • Sash locks: Sash locks are especially common with double-hung windows. They include a small lever that you move to one side to lock the window in place, making them a convenient option.

2. Broken or Missing Panes

An obvious problem with your window that can attract home invaders is a missing or broken pane. If a windowpane is missing or contains a hole — even a small one — this makes it easier for a home invader to enter your home. Depending on the size of the missing pane or broken area, an intruder may be able to climb through, reach through the opening to unlock the window or just break open a larger area to enter.
Having an opening in your window will also allow precipitation and outdoor air to infiltrate your home, making your heating or cooling system work much harder. You can mitigate these issues by temporarily covering missing panes in heavy plastic, but this won’t take care of the security issue. If you have broken or missing windowpanes, you should replace these panes or the whole window as soon as possible to keep your home secure.

3. Warped or Rotting Frame

Another issue that can affect aging windows is a warped or rotting frame. Both wooden frames and some vinyl frames can become warped, and wooden frames can also experience rot. Factors like humidity, precipitation, sun exposure, and wood-destroying insects can all wear down on wooden window frames over time.
If your window frame isn’t stable, then your window isn’t stable. A home invader may be able to pry open a frame far more easily if it’s already pulling away from the exterior wall or degrading from rot. If you have an old window with a warped or deteriorating frame, you will likely need to replace the frame or, possibly, the whole window. If there are minor spots of damage, you can use an epoxy wood filler and paint over the area to seal it.

Should I Repair or Replace to Improve Security?

How do you know when to repair and when to replace a window? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive rule. However, there are some indicators you can look for to help you decide whether to repair or replace your window:

Generally, it’s best to repair a window when:

  • It’s more cost-effective: In some cases, it is more cost-effective to repair your existing windows than to pay for new ones. Repairs will generally cost less than replacements, but if the need for repairs is extensive, you may need to consider your windows “totaled.” You may want to ask a professional for some advice on whether you would be better off repairing or replacing.
  • It’s enough to restore window security: Even if repairing your windows is the most cost-effective option, you should only go this route if it’s enough to restore your home’s security adequately. Will the repaired window do its part to keep out home intruders, or would you be better off to install a new window that’s more secure?
  • You want to maintain historical appearance: One reason some homeowners prefer not to replace their old windows is because their windows are antique and add to the uniqueness of their home. If your home has windows with stained or leaded glass, for example, you may want to find a technician who can carefully repair your windows to maintain their historical aesthetic.

Alternatively, it’s best to replace your window when:

  • It’s more cost-effective: In some cases, replacing your windows is the more cost-effective option. Why pay for extensive repairs on a window you may need to replace in the coming years anyway? Replacing a window may come with a higher price tag initially, but you should think of it as an investment, one that can pay for itself over time if it helps you save on your energy bill, increase your home’s value, and keep your home secure.
  • Damage is irreparable: Of course, if your window is irreparably damaged, then you have to replace it rather than repair it. This applies to both panes and frames. While some broken, warped, or missing parts can be fixed and replaced, in some cases, a window technician will advise you to replace the window instead.
  • You want to upgrade to better windows: Even if you think you can improve your windows’ security by repairing them, you may still want to replace them if you’re ready for a window upgrade. Newer windows may better match the aesthetic of your home, and they will most assuredly offer better insulation compared to older models.
Homespire Windows and Doors— The Best in Home Window Security

When you’re seeking the best window solution for home security, efficiency and attractiveness, consider the security windows available at Homespire Windows and Doors. Our security windows feature highly advanced technology to guarantee home protection, including invisible security bars, 12-layer tempered glass, foam-enhanced casing, and 12-point fusion-welded construction.

At Homespire, we use exceptionally reliable screws and place them at more frequent intervals to hold windows more securely. The combination of the following features and superior installation lead to windows that are high-performance on multiple levels, including home security.

1. Invisible Home Window Security Bar

Bars over your windows are an effective way to improve security. Even if a burglar manages to break the window glass, bars can still keep them from squeezing inside. Most home invaders won’t even bother trying to get in through a window that is covered by security bars.

The downside of installing bars over your windows is that they are unsightly. Though you can invest in custom decorative bars that fit the style of your home, it can be a stretch to make home window security bars look like anything besides bars on a jail cell. Plus, if you hire wrought-iron fabricators to customize bars for your home in an effort to make them more attractive, you will end up paying a significant amount of money.

While security should be a chief concern when it comes to your windows, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for a secure window system. Security windows from Homespire come with an invisible home window security bar that revolutionizes our locking system and interlocking sashes. The “invisible burglar bar” is really a stainless steel bar that runs through the top part of the bottom sash where the lock gets anchored. The purpose is so that no one can strip the locks out of the frame. This imperceptible bar provides the added level of security of traditional burglar bars without the unsightly appearance.

2. 12-Layer Tempered Glass

Safety glass is one of the best ways to reinforce your windows so they can stand up to break-in attempts. While regular glass will shatter if a burglar throws a brick or rock through it, tempered glass will be much harder to break. Standard tempered glass is four times stronger than regular glass. Even if a burglar does manage to break a tempered glass window, it won’t shatter or break in shards. Instead, it will crumble, making the burglar’s job of getting inside more difficult.

Tempered glass is stronger because of the way it’s formed. The most common method of tempering glass involves the glass being heated to over 600 degrees Celsius and then undergoing a process called quenching, where the glass is rapidly cooled on the outside, leaving the inside to cool more gradually. The result is that the center of tempered glass remains in tension, and the outside is in compression, creating a stronger material. Chemical tempering, which uses ion exchange to create compression, is another possible method for creating tempered glass.

At Homespire, we take the strength of tempered glass a step further by offering 12-layer tempered glass for our security windows. This extremely durable glass will help protect your home from intruders who try breaking through a window to get inside. This glass can also provide exceptional energy efficiency for your home.

3. Foam-Enhanced Casing

The basic construction of your windows can also have an effect on their level of security. Take a window’s casing, for example. Window casings are moldings that surround your windows on the inside and outside of your home. On the outside of your home, casings should form an effective seal to keep outside air from leaking inside around your window. Window casings also serve a decorative purpose since they provide a border for your windows.

In terms of security, window casings should be strong and securely in place, so home invaders cannot easily pry them off to better access your windows. A well-designed casing should excel at every aspect of a window casing’s role. It should be energy-efficient, attractive, and secure.

Homespire windows are made with foam-enhanced casing, which adds to the structural integrity of our windows, in addition to making them more energy-efficient. Our casings also offer an attractive aesthetic for your windows. When you want your windows to be exceptionally strong, foam-enhanced casings can make for more solid windows.

4.12-Point Fusion-Welded Construction

When you want your windows to be secure, it helps to put yourself in the position of someone trying to break in. A home invader looks for the easiest ways to get in, which means you need to consider where the weakest links in your home security are. Even if the glass on your windows is strong, if the frame contains weak points, a burglar may still be able to pry the window open.

At Homespire, we fusion-weld our frames, which eliminates seams in the frame. This is important since it makes it more difficult for home invaders to find a point of weakness where they can pry open your window. Fusion-welded frames are also a superior option when it comes to energy efficiency since they create a seamless seal to keep out outside air.

Fusion welding melts and presses the pieces of the frame together to create a strong seal, creating window frames and sashes that are stronger and more solid. Homespire’s 12-point fusion-welded window frames create an impermeable seal that makes our windows well-insulated.

Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free Window Analysis

To guarantee the most secure, advanced, and attractive security window replacements in the tri-state region, contact the knowledgeable and innovative representatives at Homespire Windows and Doors. We can assist you with any window replacement project, large or small, to improve your home security. Our technicians can install windows in an entire home in as little as one day, and all of our security windows are backed by a true Signature Warranty that covers materials and installation.