Home Protection

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by overbore, Feb 21, 2009.


  1. overbore

    overbore Monkey++

    Where can I find data on adding Lexan house window covers and diagonal door bracing?[peep] many thanks
    Overbore
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Lexan - Lexan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Not sure what you are looking for with "diagonal bracing."
     
  3. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    I replaced our front door, with a steel door, 'pre-hung', and made it so that it opens out-wards, instead of in-wards....It can't be kicked in that way, and that cheapie door knob will pull apart, if anyone pulls, hard enough on it.
    I put in a double keyed dead bolt below that.
    Windows: I decided to place swimming pool fencing, on the windows, on the inside.
    The welded, heavy duty, powder coated, steel fencing, with 4 inch spacing between the bars. (cheaper than fabricating my own, by far!)
    I can easily open them in case of fire, BUT, they cannot be seen from outside!
    I ran H.D. bolts thru the walls, and painted them to match the outside walls, you have to look really close to find them. (mobile homes have some good qualities, very few though!)
    I can't prevent the windows from being broken, but they still can't get in...
    Back door: I fashioned a double whammy....!
    A 'man trap' system, made of the same pool fencing, that has a 2 piece system that has to be opened only from the inside, and in sequence, or else....it's a "gotcha"!
    The door windows have a screen made from heavy duty expanded metal, that is razor sharp. They can't break the window too easy, and if they did, they still cannot open the door/s unless you know exactly where those locks are located inside, and away from the door frames. (you'd need a torch to cut your way in from the outside)
    We got the pool fencing for free, as they had some left-over pieces cut, and some were returned being the wrong color, height, whatever! They are all black now, and they were re-cut with a hot saw to size for each window area.
    They now DO NOT fit inside the window frames! (wanted them out of sight)
    They extend 6 inches, up to a foot, past the frames, and are on the inside of the drapes/curtains and blinds!
    All windows either slide vertically or horizontally, and all have pieces of 3/4 inch emt tubing "fit" to keep them from moving.
    Last time I bought LEXAN or even Plexiglas, it was quite expensive for anything past the 1/8 and 3/32 inch thickness'.
    I bought the 1/2 sheets as it was easier to handle, and costs less than samller pre-cut sizes.
    You'll need a special cutter to work with the thin stuff, or, if you get the heavier stuff, you can use a "plywood" blade in a table saw, but it is slow and dangerous.
    I have had a 1/4 sheet, (2 ft x 4 ft), blow-up on me!
    That smarts! ( slivers!)
    Only the heavier materilas will do much in the way of stopping any impact, due to flexion....
    The 1/2 inch is excellent, very heavy, and quite expensive.
    It would be tough to get anything else to keep from having windows shattered.
    There was a product that was a film, which can be applied to windows, (it was originally made for car windows, specifically the sides, where they could be shattered) under the impact of a baseball bat the window shattered, but it remained intact and impenetrable) It was even tested with a number of ballistics....

    Bill
     
  4. andy

    andy Monkey+++

    good stuff... i'm taking notes... thanks!
     
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