Main door with glass panels

jake_jones99

I found this nice looking flat for renting. However, the main door has glass panels meaning someone could break in easier than in other flats. At the same time, the flat is on the 3rd floor, and many apartments in that area are the same. What is your advice? I haven't signed the tenancy yet but I'm about to.

TripleH

So other flats in the building have the same doors?

How easy is it to get into the actual building?

We had a solid front door, didn't stop some toerag trying to pop the yale lock in our flat. Luckily we used the mortise lock as well.

Opportunists will have a go at anything they think looks easy, bear in mind glass can be loud when you try and break it and probably requires you carrying apparatus that will create suspicion.

Bottom line is the more risk someone takes the greater their expected reward.

If looking through the glass you can't see anything worth nicking why take the risk?

FreeBear

If it is a modern door with a sealed double glazed panel, they are not easy to break. With a uPVC door, much easier to cut through any plastic panels (a bread knife will do the job). Or snap the lock - Very quick and easy to do, and attracts a lot less attention than breaking glass.

TripleH

FreeBear said:

If it is a modern door with a sealed double glazed panel, they are not easy to break. With a uPVC door, much easier to cut through any plastic panels (a bread knife will do the job). Or snap the lock - Very quick and easy to do, and attracts a lot less attention than breaking glass.

YOu sound quite knowledgeable on this matter 😉
Sorry! I'm in a stranger mood thsn usual.

user1977

It's probably just as easy to kick in as a non-glass door...

FreeBear

TripleH said:

FreeBear said:

If it is a modern door with a sealed double glazed panel, they are not easy to break. With a uPVC door, much easier to cut through any plastic panels (a bread knife will do the job). Or snap the lock - Very quick and easy to do, and attracts a lot less attention than breaking glass.

YOu sound quite knowledgeable on this matter 😉
Sorry! I'm in a stranger mood thsn usual.

Had need to cut a hole in a uPVC door for a cat flap.

jake_jones99

This is the sort of glass it is. Doesn't look like the glass is double-glazed, but it has kind of like a checkered pattern within it, I'm not sure if it's some metal wire to provide more safety, or if it's simply design. You can't see through it, as it has a roller blind behind it, but that doesn't stop someone from breaking it. Does anyone recognise the type of glass and its resistance?

user1977

jake_jones99 said:

This is the sort of glass it is. Doesn't look like the glass is double-glazed, but it has kind of like a checkered pattern within it, I'm not sure if it's some metal wire to provide more safety, or if it's simply design. You can't see through it, as it has a roller blind behind it, but that doesn't stop someone from breaking it. Does anyone recognise the type of glass and its resistance?

It's this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_glass#Wire_mesh_glass

so not particularly secure (assuming that being able to reach in would be enough to unlock the door?).

jake_jones99

Yep.. it seems like wire mesh glass. This gets me more wary. I could find additional methods to block the door, however, the landlord might be against it. 

jake_jones99

Does anyone know of any non-intrusive or landlord-friendly locking systems?

youth_leader

Could you screw on one of those grilles people have on windows?  You could fill the holes and repaint when you leave.

I lived in a tower block in a rough part of Acton many moons ago, our door was glass and we just hammered big strips of wood across ours.