5 Easy Ways to Fortify Your Home Windows

burglar-at-window, fortify your home windows — *This post contains affiliate links.*

We all want to make sure our homes are as secure as we can make them. That means fortifying areas of our homes that are targeted entry points for criminals and thieves. You can read more about fortifying your doors here, but today we’re focusing on five easy ways you can fortify your home windows.

While doors are a favorite entry point among criminals and thieves, with 34% of home invaders choosing to go through the front door, 23% of home invaders choose to enter through the first-floor windows.

Securing windows can be a slightly harder challenge than your doors, but here are 5 easy things you can do to make your home a harder target:

#1 – Upgrade Your Window Locks

Windows with old or broken locks are not going to keep very many criminals at bay, so make sure that your locks not only work but that you actually USE them! Most criminals who enter through the window end up just sliding them open.

You can also consider upgrading your window locks if they’re old or broken.

#2 – Add Track Protectors

In addition to upgrading your window locks, adding a track protector to your windows can be a huge deterrent for a criminal wanting to make a quick and speedy entrance. Track protectors slide right into the tract of your window to keep your window from opening. Whether your windows open vertically or horizontally, adding a track protector is a great way to ensure your windows stay shut.

These are also a great way to reinforce your sliding glass doors on the backend of your home.

If a criminal is determined to enter through the window, they’ll have to make far more noise than they may be willing to in order to get the window open, giving you an additional heads-up that someone is trying to get into your home.

#3 – Reinforce Your Glass

While not cheap, security film can reinforce your glass windows by preventing the glass from breaking in a single swing. The glass itself will shatter, but the film holds it together so that it doesn’t completely break. It takes a would-be intruder multiple attempts to get through the glass, once again buying you time to collect your family and get to a safe, defensible location in your home.

Security film is also great for those odd windows, like basement windows, where you can’t really add bars or track protectors. Security film can also fortify your home windows that are simply for decoration purposes and don’t actually open.

#4 – Add Window Bars

These are more for the security-conscious individual as the bars on your windows are definitely a noticeable addition to your home decor. However, they are strongly recommended for those who live in areas more prone to break-ins or petty crime. There are more decorative options available to you today that will accomplish the same task, but without looking like you’re adding prison bars to your home.

#5 – Plant Thorny Bushes

When attempting to fortify your home windows, take into account the whole “break-in experience”. Making the break-in experience as uncomfortable as possible for a would-be criminal can also have a deterrent effect. When considering landscaping designs for your home, keeping security in mind, there are a few plants that you can actually include to help your home security.

Planting thorny bushes under your windows can be quite a deterrent. The larger the thorns, the better. Flowering varieties such as rose bushes can add a lovely burst of color to your home but still be enough to drive away any would-be intruder.

If you’re up for it, planting thorny blackberry bushes would be a notch up. BE WARNED: blackberry bushes tend to be invasive and grow quickly, so you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping an eye on them to prevent any unwanted growth.

If you’re really looking for the ultimate thorny plant for home security, Osage Orange trees are one of the nastiest thorny plant varieties you can get. It’s been called Nature’s Barbed Wire for a reason. You’ll want to make sure you’re trimming and training this particular variety because they can get be to the size of regular trees otherwise.

To learn more about personal or home security, you can check out our mini-course, Developing a Personal and Home Protection Plan. You can also learn more about our CCW class and look into our additional courses.

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