•     Plan for wide external doorways, particularly for apartments.  Security barriers reduce the size of the opening, making it impossible to move large pieces of furniture through the door if it is too small.

•    Doors must open outwards so that security can be fitted on the inside.  This is essential for back (usually kitchen) doors, the front door and folding patio doors.  Internal fitting enhances safety, makes security gates more accessible to cleaning and helps prevent corrosion at the sea.

•    Maximise beautiful views by surface mounting sliding or folding doors on the wall itself rather than in the reveal. The barriers will then stack on the wall, not inside the door, opening up the view.

•    Choose burglar guards that will enhance the look of the home, such as Trellidor’s Cottage Guards that match pane windows or create a cottage pane effect, bearing in mind that there are minimum size openings allowed by insurance companies.

•    Plan to fit sliding security barriers to at least one window in the home to act as an escape route if your home is invaded or in the event of fire or flooding.  This window should be in an area that will act as a ‘safe room’ if necessary.

•    Make sure that door or window handles and light switches are positioned so they don’t protrude into the space needed for the barrier system.  The same applies to toggles for blinds.

•    Plan ahead for people with special needs.  Trellidor can position security gate locks to suit those in wheelchairs, and have several options for bottom tracks to avoid them becoming a safety hazard. These include tracks that are recessed into the floor, or tracks that swing up and/or out of the way.

•    Fit the burglar guards and security doors before the curtains so that you can see how far out curtain track brackets need to protrude to hide the security system’s top track and how much space is left for blinds.

•    Use valances, pelmets and blinds to hide the barrier system framework from inside the home.  Obviously one wants the barriers to be visible from the outside, so that they act as a deterrent to potential home invaders.

For more information on how to make security barriers work for you, or to contact a Trellidor security consultant, visit our website at www.trellidor.co.za .