Conservatories are unsafe

chirp

Since conservatories are made almost entirely of glass, do they not make the properties very unsafe? Burglars can look into the house and break the glass easily. So what is the point of having a secure front door and back door if the house has a conservatory through which a burglar can easily enter? Why do most houses have conservatories when it is such a security risk?

Cidersid

i'm going to brick up every window in my house!!!

MX5huggy

It only covers patio doors normally, the glass will have to be toughened so difficult to break.

They are rubbish because they are cold in winter and hot in summer. But not a security risk.

shegar

Well normally the sliding doors that go into conservatories from the interior side are lockable so therefore they are as safe as houses, well mine are , as they were the external locking sliding doors before the conservatory was built .... . .....And the conservatory doors leading outside are double glazed lockable too, so I cant see a security problem really..........

sirmosh

The doors on a conservatory are just as secure as a normal back door not to mention you'll have another locked door between the house and conservatory. If glass was such an invitation to rob your house than someone could just as easily smash a window and get in.

In any house there's nothing to really stop someone getting in if they absolutely wanted to, that's why you just try and deter them using alarms, locks that will slow them down and good security lighting etc.

The best way to stop yourself being robbed is to make sure the house next door looks like an easier target.

C_Mababejive

If people wish to rob you then the construction of your home has little to do with it. All they do is knock on your door and when you open it..they step forward,shove you out of the way,give you a crack if you resist and/or brandish weapon as necessary. What are you going to do about it?

Davesnave

chirp wrote: »

Why do most houses have conservatories when it is such a security risk?

There's no evidence that most houses have conservatories, and certainly most dwellings don't, but even if they did, the majority of conservatories lead to a door suitable for a 5 lever lock.

One could therefore argue that conservatories are capable of increasing home security.

Anyway, I wouldn't keep my Canaletto in the conservatory, as the heat, humidity and light levels would surely damage it.

jimpix12

Very few burglars smash through glass - too much noise, not as easy as it looks, and risks leaving evidence. Particularly not reinforced or double glazed glass on conservatories! The usual method of entry is through unlocked windows or doors.

I would say if anything it's safer at least from the back where the conservatory is, as there's an additional door.

Salster278

I have a conservatory with secure doors and locked windows. However, someone broke into mine by standing on the decking rail and forcing off the corner roof panel and dropping down through the roof like Milk Tray man! They couldn't get through the kitchen door into the house but I have a few friends whose conservatory is an open plan extension from the kitchen where access via the roof would give easy access into the house.

jjlandlord

I had the same thought and so replaced all the windows and conservatory glass with military grade, 3 inch thick, bullet-proof glass.
Those burglars/terrorists can now shoot at me with AK47 all they want while I keep sipping my tea in my conservatory.

The downside is that I'm concerned that the brick walls are now the weak point... I'll probably just have to move to a bunker.

C_Mababejive wrote: »

What are you going to do about it?

Move to Florida.

violettasomerset

We got burgled last week - not through a conservatory (we don't have one) but through a closed locked double-glazed window - they smashed the side security light, and then jimmied the kitchen window using a crowbar or something similar. clearly if they want to get in, they will do so - they tried the dining window first, with no luck, so moved onto the kitchen even though they had to stand on a chair to do so. I had always assumed that double glazing was safe, but by forcing it, they made the locking bolts sheer off the window and the frame.

Things I've learnt: don't leave your valuables in your clothes drawers - we hadn't, but they dumped all the clothes on the floor to check (on the plus side, when tidying up I rediscovered various clothes I'd forgotten about!). They hadn't looked in the kitchen cupboards (or if they had, they only glanced then closed the doors) and hadn't properly searched the wardrobes either, so those might be better places.