What's beyond's opinion on basement window security bars these days?

So when I was growing up on the mean streets of northwest calgary, pretty much every home basement window had security bars. These days, security bars seem much less common. I'm building a new house in the inner-city NW, and we have some pretty large windows in the basement on three sides to allow for light, but i'm on the fence as whether I should bar the windows or not.

We do already have glass break sensors, but those alone won't really prevent someone from smashing through a window, grabbing whatever they can, and taking off before anyone can respond, so the bars do add a measure of security in that they'll more effectively prevent ingress.

On the other hand, I hate the look of them (both from the inside and out), and since I see them so less frequently, perhaps the feared basement-creeper break-in is not such an issue these days.

I know it all comes down to personal preference and my own peace of mind, but I'm curious for what Beyond's approach has been: So, on your home: basement windows bars - yay or nay - please validate me!

No

No.

No.

No

So for all the Nay's...what do you use to secure your giant basement windows?
Glass break sensors and we're good? "Beware of Dog" signs? Faith and trust in humanity?

No to mine, but yes to my parents home in the dirty SE Penbrooke. But they also had their house broken into while they were on vacation so they installed a bunch of stuff after.

Guns

Hardening your home is stupid, that’s what insurance is for.

Yeah, that's my thought - a break-in during travel or extended periods away (one can dream that we're able to do this again sometime in the future). The 'hood is prowled by people pretty much daily anyway, so absences may eventually be noticed and again, a glass break sensor doesn't prevent opportunistic entry.
Insurance doesn't address my sense of security being raped and violated, or dumb pets escaping through a broken window either.

Edit; don't really think strappin' up is an option for me, either. What am I, a farmer?

After a few hundred people in the USA got burned alive in house fires during the 70s/80s because they couldn't exit the house - we got all kinds of new egress rules...

You may want to read:
https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/w...guidelines.pdf

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XylathaneGTR

Yeah, that's my thought - a break-in during travel or extended periods away (one can dream that we're able to do this again sometime in the future). The 'hood is prowled by people pretty much daily anyway, so absences may eventually be noticed and again, a glass break sensor doesn't prevent opportunistic entry.
Insurance doesn't address my sense of security being raped and violated, or dumb pets escaping through a broken window either.

Edit; don't really think strappin' up is an option for me, either. What am I, a farmer?

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My good friends Smith and Wesson are very helpful in this regard.

Seriously though, no amount of hardening is going to stop someone who is determined to get inside. Once they are inside, if you are there and they are the kind of people to “rape and violate” you don’t really have much choice but to do something about it or become a victim.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by killramos

My good friends Smith and Wesson are very helpful in this regard.

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Wanna be friends? I offer your choice of gluten-free beers or ciders.
Re: edit; of course, nothing is impossible and if someone really wants in you can't stop them with hardening or deterrents, I totally get that. Most thefts & break-ins either opportunistic or targeted and the point of deterrents are to make it less easy to access; just like locking your car: if someone wants in, they'll still break in, but you lock your doors to limit the opportunistic prowlings.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XylathaneGTR

Wanna be friends? I offer your choice of gluten-free beers or ciders.

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Sure. I could always use more friends after Trudeau sent my Bro’s Heckler and Koch to jail...

I think the point about "hardening your home" being useless is pretty accurate. your security lies in luck, and not being the easiest target on your street. If you travel, you need smart bulbs on programs, and someone checking on your house regularly.

Bars on basement windows don't help when the perps enter through your attached garage, or an entry door, which I think are both more common.

Yea it’s really not that much more difficult to come in through the front door than a basement window.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by killramos

Guns

Hardening your home is stupid, that’s what insurance is for.

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I see your point, but also I don't agree.

You don't need to make it into a fort but some deterrents are needed, because even if we are covered financially, we don't want the hassles of dealing with fixing stuff and people rummaging your personal space.

It's kind of like when your car gets broken into. Sure it may be covered by insurance, but it still sucks ass and you wish it didn't happen.

With that said, hard no on the security bars. Ugly.

Doors are good, less suspicious. Attached garages are better.

Locks only keep out the honest people. Why smash a window and climb in through broken glass when hip checking/pry barring a door is easier and less overall noticeable sound projecting to the neighbours? Bars on windows don't really do shit unless you like leaving those windows open in summer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExtraSlow

your security lies in luck, and not being the easiest target on your street.

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This is the context for which we're discussing the window bars; a house with bars is more difficult than a house without.
Garage would also be barred, and the doors have rabbited jambs and reinforced strikeplates.


Appreciate the opinions. For what it's worth, my folks' house has giant ass basement windows (unbarred) too and in 20 years they've never been touched.

Dog is a good deterant. Most dogs will hear something rattling there and bolt right down to see what's going on.
I seriously doubt anyone would continue to climb in with one of these barking

Good for keeping voles out of your yard too.

https://images.huffingtonpost.com/20...nehp-thumb.jpg