Security in attics. Keys to prevent burglary

Penthouses, desirable properties but with high burglary rates

Penthouses are the dream of many people and the most sought-after type of property on the real estate market. Bright flats at the top of buildings, whose terraces are a privileged space in the middle of the city. A place with less noise in which to enjoy the open air, gardening, dinners, views... However, they also have some drawbacks and among them is their vulnerability to burglary. The idea that height can scare off burglars is wrong and one of their weaknesses is security.

Here we explain why it does not scare off criminals and what measures can be taken to increase the security of penthouses.

Why are attic burglaries common?

While heights tend to scare most people, they are not a source of fear for burglars. They have the knowledge, skills, equipment and experience to gain access to homes on upper floors or at the top of buildings without any problems.

Intruders are able to gain access to penthouses by climbing down from the roof of buildings, just think of the type of doors and locks we usually have on the roof of our building or by jumping over the adjoining houses or roofs. As these are, as a general rule, areas that are not frequented or rarely used and out of sight and out of sight of people, they offer burglars greater peace of mind to carry out their offense.

What are the best security measures for penthouses?

To protect attics we recommend a combination of physical measures and a good home alarm system.

Physical measures should focus on the most vulnerable parts of this type of home: windows, doors and terraces.

• Grilles: fixed grilles for windows and flexible grilles for hinged doors are an effective measure to reinforce security.
• Reinforced glass: it is recommended to have reinforced glass in windows and doors (double glazing).
• Reinforced frames: it is also recommended for windows and doors to have reinforced frames, which cannot be easily deformed.
• Self-locking shutters: Another very good option, which may or may not be combined with certain types of grilles, are self-locking shutters.

For those who do not have all the physical elements that we propose, or for those who want greater security, we definitely recommend the installation of "security alarms for penthouses" with detectors on the terrace and inside, which allow early detection of intrusion. The installation of perimeter sensors in the outside area is intended to prevent intrusion into the interior and to protect the valuables in this area (furniture, image and sound equipment, etc.).

This type of alarm is particularly suitable for properties with an outdoor area (garden, terrace, car park, porch...). Perimeter detectors are designed for outdoor use (they can withstand rain, snow, dust, sudden changes in temperature, etc.) and are programmed to detect signals that could generate false alarms (leaves, animals, etc.). In case of intrusion, the perimeter alarms warn the tenants and/or the Alarm Reception Centre of the presence of a burglar in the protected area.

The installation of various types of indoor sensors, such as:

• Video detectors, these are motion detectors with built-in colour camera and night vision, which respect privacy and are activated only in response to a detection.
• Motion detectors, these devices are capable of detecting human presence by means of a passive infrared sensor.
• Glass breakage detectors, which are installed at a certain distance from windows and, thanks to a microphone, record the sound of the impact against the glass and the sound of falling glass. In this way they filter out possible false alarms caused by other breakages or by other sounds such as thunder, barking, the noise of passing trucks, etc.
• Magnetic detectors (without or with vibration detector), indicated to detect the opening of doors or windows. They generally consist of two parts (a contact and a magnet) which form a closed circuit. If they separate, the change of strength in the magnetic field gives an alarm signal.
• It is also highly recommended that the alarm system is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), where experienced professionals can view the recording of the pre-alarm (what caused the alarm to be triggered) and the alarm (what happens once the alarm has been triggered) and can act immediately.

Conclusion - Don't let security spoil the charm of attics

The only way not to spoil the charm is to choose the technology of alarm systems with their corresponding "sensors" instead of opting for physical elements. A good alarm system is the one described above.

In addition, every attic is different and there are many factors to consider in preventing intrusions. For example, location, size, adjoining buildings... For this reason, at Trablisa we have security advisors who carry out a detailed risk study. In this report we detail all the weak points of your penthouse with regard to burglary and the elements necessary to protect it.