uPVC windows security locks
Most insurance companies insist on key-operated locks for ground-floor windows and any home should have them for basic security.
Key lockable handles
Older windows would only have window catches, but these are vulnerable to being easily opened by an intruder. All new window handles are now key-operated as standard with varying degrees of lock quality.
Aside from security, having upper floor windows with key-operated locks is an additional safety feature to stop children from opening windows.
GrabLock® uPVC window security lock
GrabLock® has been developed in conjunction with Yale to create an innovative and superior secure lock.
GrabLock® has two aluminium rotating cylinders and GRP metal-reinforced keeps with triple the locking area of a standard multi-point lock. The lock provides security down the full length of the window.
As the window handle is turned the two blades rotate out of the frame and lock into the keeps on the frame, ‘grabbing’ on to them. Once the lock is engaged it can withstand massive amounts of force. In tests, when locked, GrabLock® could lift 600kg which is roughly the weight of a grand piano.
GrabLock® is exclusive to Everest and is featured on our uPVC Casement windows.
Everest Multi-point locking
Some basic window locks have only one or two points of contact leaving them vulnerable to be levered open by an intruder.
Everest secure uPVC windows have an extreme multi-point locking system with a multiple number of locking and contact points.
In addition to the locking points, bi-directional locking adds an extra layer of security in the frame that prevents the intruder from being able to lever your window out of place.
Lockable ventilation & night vents
Some windows can be set to a night vent position where the window is locked with a small one-inch gap for ventilation. However, not all windows can be safely left in this position as they can be prised open by an intruder.
Always check that your night vent setting is not vulnerable with exposed catches. Note: night vents do not meet Secured by Design standards.
Hinge-side security brackets
Security brackets are tough, interlocking brackets that secure the outside of a window sash on the hinge side of the window when the window is fully closed and locked.
If an intruder tries to lever the window at the hinge side, the brackets prevent the window from being moved out of place.
A window that has hinge brackets in combination with the friction hinges on the top and the bottom and the locking mechanism, means that all four sides of the window are protected.
Everest uPVC windows are fitted with two GRP brackets which reinforce the hinge side of the window.
Stainless Steel Friction Hinge
Friction hinges are designed to fold into the frame of the window.
When the hinge is folded into the frame, the layers of stainless steel sit in a perfect stack with each piece attached with a pivot point at both ends.
This folding prevents them from being tampered with, even if the uPVC in front of it has been broken and the hinge is left exposed.
No part of the hinge can be manipulated with pliers or tampered with. If the hinge is broken whilst trying to force, the hinge is rendered useless and the window is effectively locked closed. If this happens, the entire window sash would need to be removed to gain entrance.
All Everest uPVC casement windows have friction hinges.
Window opening restrictors
An opening restrictor on the frame can limit how far a window can be opened. This is useful not just for security, but also for safety reasons to stop children from falling out of windows.
Internally beaded windows
The glass in a window is held in place by a small strip called a bead. To remove the glass, the bead can easily be peeled away from the frame.
Older uPVC windows had the glazing bead on the exterior of the windows frame which meant a burglar could remove the bead and glass from the window.
Window glazing is held in place against the frame with a small strip called a ‘bead’ which runs along all the edges of the window sash.
Most windows now feature internal glazing beads for security reasons and to make fitting upper-floor windows easier from inside the house without ladders.
All Everest windows are fitted with an internal glazing bead.
The average cost of damages from a break in the UK is £846 and the cost of stolen items £2,856.
Laminated glass
Laminated glass is made by sandwiching a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer of thin plastic between two panes of annealed glass and fusing them together.
The unique quality of laminated glass is that if it breaks, the glass is fused to the PVB layer and stays in place.
Laminated glass is useful for additional security on secluded doors and windows to the rear of a property. If the glass is broken by an intruder, it’s difficult to pierce and gain entry because of the PVB layer.
All Everest windows are available with laminated glass as an option.
All statistics quoted are from ONS.