For many years Trellidor consultants struggled to gain the approval of their security barriers by bodies corporate and homeowners associations. The reasons they all had in common were that ‘we sell ourselves as a safe community and will not do anything to detract from that perception’ or that the barriers on offer did not adhere to their building regulations.
More recently, however, homeowners within these communities are pushing for a change in attitude, having found out first-hand that the ‘secure complex’ is an illusion due to uncontrollable factors such as less than perfect guarding and criminals renting properties in the estate for easy access to the wealth therein.
“We are now being asked by residents associations all over the country to supply samples of door and window barriers that would suit the architecture of the estate,” said Trellidor business development manager Nick Sacco.
The lesson that has been learned is that the most reliable way of keeping criminals out of one’s home is to block their way in with a good quality barrier on all doors and windows. Breaking through this type of barrier requires a lot of effort, noise and the right tools, and is bound to attract the attention of guards and other residents. This is enough to discourage most burglars.
“We are in no way saying that physical barriers are the only solution. What we are saying is that barriers should be an essential layer of security and should work in conjunction with other layers such as electronic surveillance, access control measures and guarding,” said Sacco.
More choice on offer
The design of security gates and burglar proofing has come a long way from the ugly rigid steel versions of yesteryear. Trellidor has introduced a number of options that are finding favour in secure estates as well as suburban homes and apartments.
* Trellidor Clear Guard is one of the top sellers. Streamlined high tensile mesh screens are framed in aluminium; are so see through that they do not obscure the view; robust enough to ward off a concerted attack; and fine enough to keep out nuisances such as mosquitoes and monkeys.
* Trellidor Rollerstyle new-age shutters are made from aluminium, so are lightweight but strong enough to present a formidable challenge to home invaders. They roll up completely out of sight into a box that can be recessed into a wall cavity if specified during the building phase. These shutters can be fully automated and incorporated into ‘smart’ electronic control systems. They are ideal for creating safe zones within the home.
* Trellidor Cottage Guard burglar proofing is a high-end product that is particularly popular in homes with cottage pane windows. It can be manufactured to match the size of the window panes, making it unobtrusive but highly capable of thwarting an attempted break-in.
* Trellidor Retractable security is the more commonly recognised galvanised steel trellis-style barrier. It is available in various strengths for different levels of security risk, and can be designed for doors as well as windows, providing an escape route if necessary. This product is also suitable for creating a safe area in a passage.
Advantages of physical security barriers
* Once installed they require very little in the way of maintenance, apart from cleaning as per manufacturer’s instructions.
* Barriers can be powder coated to blend in seamlessly with the estate’s colour scheme.
* Continuity amongst homes can be maintained by specifying a limited choice of barriers for the estate.
* New homes built on the estate will be supplied with the same barriers so that they do not differ from older homes.
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