beaners Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 The house we are buying has these. They are screwed in and don't have a release. I know we need a way for them to open in case of fire. Would you just remove them or would you install a release? I'm not sure how expensive the releases are to retrofit and this house has a ton of windows. Other houses in the area don't have bars, so I don't think they are 100% necessary in the neighborhood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Can you ask the current owners about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'd remove them. They are horribly dangerous. I have a cousin who used to be a firefighter, and he has told stories about them frantically trying to rescue people in burning houses, unsuccessfully. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 An older woman owns the house right now. She won't be able to replace them. We are having to repair some things before the house can get a mortgage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'd remove them. They are horribly dangerous. I have a cousin who used to be a firefighter, and he has told stories about them frantically trying to rescue people in burning houses, unsuccessfully. That is the direction I'm leaning toward. I'm not sure if it is cheap or easy to add an inside release mechanism instead, but then that still leaves the problem of firefighters trying to get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I would remove them and install an alarm system. Or get a big dog with a big bark. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Haha, we have five big, noisy dogs. An alarm system might be good too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 REMOVE. My friend's mother just had a medical crisis in her home and the EMTs had a hard time getting in the house, partly because all her windows had burglar bars. (Her front door was locked and she passed out after calling 911; they finally smashed the back door to get in.) Here in California, code for new construction is that bedroom windows be unobstructed and large enough that a fully-equipped firefighter could break the glass and then climb in, do a rescue and remove a resident or residents through the same path. Long story short, I've become convinced that burglar bars are a significant danger rather than a safety feature. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Remove them. My parents had them on their house, which I bought from them when I got married. They had releases but I hated them; I was afraid I wouldn't be able to work the release in a crisis situation. If something had happened while my parents were there alone, they would not have gotten out. We planned to remove them "someday" but we ended up moving. The realtor said our house would never sell with those on it. We took them off, and I realized how obstructed our views had been. They had been on so long I never noticed out much they ruined the view! The house looked so much nicer, even from the inside, without them. I wished I had never let my brother (a bit paranoid about crime) talk my parents into them. So, aside from safety, which others have mentioned, there's the aesthetic factor too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 If that house is situated like many houses in the USA, where people can walk right up to your house, before thinking about removing the burglar bars, I would investigate what the cost of installing releases on them would be. If a burglar (or worse) can walk right up to your house and break a window and enter your house, that's not a safe thing. The door frames and doors need to be strong, also. We have burglar bars on our windows and our lot is completely fenced in. I don't think our next door neighbors have burglar bars in their house. (Our house is made of concrete and brick so the only wood is in the roof and the doors). GL with your new home! Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 If that house is situated like many houses in the USA, where people can walk right up to your house, before thinking about removing the burglar bars, I would investigate what the cost of installing releases on them would be. If a burglar (or worse) can walk right up to your house and break a window and enter your house, that's not a safe thing. Unless the OP has a particular fear of extreme neighbourhood activity or someone with a personal grudge, I think this is rather an excessive attitude. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Haha, we have five big, noisy dogs. An alarm system might be good too.I would remove them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I would remove them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 They are pretty common throughout the neighborhoods we looked at houses in. Not universal but very common. We are priced out of the nicer, expensive suburbs and the city as a whole does have a higher than average rate of crime. I think we would be okay without them, but I haven't lived there yet. Our neighborhood only has a few houses and they are nicer compared to the surrounding area. There are areas with more crime not too far away. I'm not sure if the houses within this neighborhood are targets of crime or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) If that house is situated like many houses in the USA, where people can walk right up to your house, before thinking about removing the burglar bars, I would investigate what the cost of installing releases on them would be. If a burglar (or worse) can walk right up to your house and break a window and enter your house, that's not a safe thing. The door frames and doors need to be strong, also. We have burglar bars on our windows and our lot is completely fenced in. I don't think our next door neighbors have burglar bars in their house. (Our house is made of concrete and brick so the only wood is in the roof and the doors). GL with your new home! Enjoy! I have always lived in a home or apartment where people can walk right up to my house. I don't worry about someone walking up and breaking in. My whole family and in laws live in the same type of dwelling and none of us have bars on our windows. Some of us are in Vegas, Dallas, Indianapolis, and just outside of Chicago. I honestly can't imagine living with that kind of fear. OP, I would remove them. If I was worried about the area, I would install an alarm system instead. Edited December 14, 2015 by Joker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I can tell I haven't had my coffee yet, because I thought you were posting about bars for burglars. Where they could go and have a drink and talk shop. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF612 Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I'd remove them. Never have we lived with them, they are very uncommon in my area. I'd prefer an alarm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) I'd remove them. They are horribly dangerous. I have a cousin who used to be a firefighter, and he has told stories about them frantically trying to rescue people in burning houses, unsuccessfully. They are pretty common throughout the neighborhoods we looked at houses in. Not universal but very common. We are priced out of the nicer, expensive suburbs and the city as a whole does have a higher than average rate of crime. I think we would be okay without them, but I haven't lived there yet. Our neighborhood only has a few houses and they are nicer compared to the surrounding area. There are areas with more crime not too far away. I'm not sure if the houses within this neighborhood are targets of crime or not. In the past, when renting a home, we went to the local police to inquire about the crime rate for the area. They gave us a print-out of all of the crimes within a certain radius of the house. The twelve pages of 6-point type gave us the info we needed to make informed decisions about appropriate security measures. We were able to get a realistic, data-based perspective on the types of crimes we might face, without hype or vague speculation. Before you move in, get the crime information, inspect the home, and make a comprehensive plan regarding how you will secure the house. Consult with local law enforcement to see what they recommend. Talk to your insurance company, too. And research local building codes to see what is needed to be in compliance. Consider windows, doors, and any other possible entry points; a combination of reinforcement (of doorframes, etc.) and an alarm system are worth considering. Try to have all of the work completed before you spend the night in your new home. This report about burgler bars, from the US Fire Administration is excellent reading about the pros and cons of keeping/modifying the bars, and will give you much food for thought. I will be blunt: my urban friends have horrible stories of watching house fires and hearing the screams of neighbors who did not make it out; the burgler bars blocked their exit route and rescuers could not remove the bars in time. Edited December 14, 2015 by justasque 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I can tell I haven't had my coffee yet, because I thought you were posting about bars for burglars. Where they could go and have a drink and talk shop. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 Sounds like I'm getting a lot of agreement on removing them. I am adding the bar removal and security installation to an already lengthy to-do list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThursdayNext Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought this! I thought it was a kind of cookie bar. Rice Krispie bars, date bars, burglar bars... They're so good that folks will want to steal them! You can tell I've got Christmas baking on my mind. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 If that house is situated like many houses in the USA, where people can walk right up to your house, before thinking about removing the burglar bars, I would investigate what the cost of installing releases on them would be. If a burglar (or worse) can walk right up to your house and break a window and enter your house, that's not a safe thing. The door frames and doors need to be strong, also. We have burglar bars on our windows and our lot is completely fenced in. I don't think our next door neighbors have burglar bars in their house. (Our house is made of concrete and brick so the only wood is in the roof and the doors). GL with your new home! Enjoy! What? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I can tell I haven't had my coffee yet, because I thought you were posting about bars for burglars. Where they could go and have a drink and talk shop. Yes, me too. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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