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Why You Need Proper Pool Fencing and Balustrading

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It cannot be overstated the importance of having the proper fencing around your pool. There are a number of reasons why, but the most important is preventing children from falling into the pool and drowning. Even if you don’t have children, it has been known that kids in the neighbourhood might not resist knowing a pool is in your backyard. So, having the proper fencing is very important to prevent accidents from happening.

The same is true for pools at public places, commercial buildings, apartments, hotels and other places as well. While it may not prevent all tragic accidents from occurring, having a fence around your pool will act as a deterrent and may prevent the needless death of a child from occurring.

Proper Fencing Installation

In Australia, there are laws designed to ensure that the proper fencing and balusters are in place to create the safest conditions possible for your pool area. Any materials that you use in the creation of your fence or baluster must comply with Australian law. This means that you will need to have the area inspected to ensure that any access to the pool area can only come through a locked gate or passageway through the fencing itself.

Pool glass installation

Today, there are a wide range of fencing and balustrades that can be used to protect the pool area from the classic iron versions to modern, sleek styles that offer maximum protection, but also fully protect the pool area itself. In addition, pool railings, balconies and stairwells can enjoy this type of protection also when it comes to your pool. From aluminium to steel to wood and more, there are a number of unique designs that can be crafted to make your pool area safe.

Safety in the Design

You may have heard of instances where the fencing itself becomes an issue because kids can stick their arms, legs or even head through the fence and become trapped. In addition, kids may try to climb the fence and get stuck as well. While there is no type of fencing that can prevent all intrusions from occurring, there are still plenty of types that can prevent accidents from occurring while preventing most types of unwanted entries.

  • One Meter High Railings: This is to prevent small children from climbing over the top.
  • 12cm Spacing in Vertical Components: This is to prevent a child’s head from becoming stuck in-between the fencing.
  • 100mm Maximum Spacing from Bottom Rail to Flooring: This is to prevent a child from going under the fencing.

By incorporating these elements into the fencing that is used around your pool, you can help prevent a terrible accident from occurring. You will also need to take into account any areas surrounding the pool such as trees or higher fencing that may allow a child to climb up and jump over the fence around the pool.

By taking everything into account when you put up your fencing and balustrades, you can have the most effective protection against the most unfortunate incidents from happening in your pool.

Top Ten Reasons to Double Glaze Your Home

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You know that double glazing is more energy efficient, and that you can cut down on both heating and cooling costs. But there is still something holding you back from reglazing your home.

double glazing window

Here are our ‘top ten’ reasons to make the choice for double glazing:

  1. Protection! Double glazing has two panes of glass that provides your home with extra protection from would be intruders who would prefer to move on to a home with only single pane windows which is much easier to get through.
  2. Noise! If you live near a busy road or rail track, or even under a flight path you will be delighted at the level of noise reduction offered by professionally installed double glazing. Statistics have shown noise reduction to be up to 70%. Even the everyday sounds of neighbours cutting grass and children playing outside with be reduced instantly, giving you more peace and quiet in your own home.
  3. Added value! Double glazing has been proven to add value to your property and make it more appealing to future Online pharmacy buyers.
  4. Health! Many homes have issues with condensation which can lead to mold and mildew problems. Protect your family’s health by installing double glazing that eliminates that problem.
  5. Safety! If you have children or pets who play indoors you can rest easy knowing that a bump against double glazing reduces the risk of injury dramatically. Toughened and laminated glass is impact resistant and also ensures that there won’t be lethal shards of glass if there is a breakage.
  6. Low Maintenance! Most double glazing is installed in uPVC frames. You don’t have to repaint the frame and your frames won’t rot over time, needing replaced, due to weather.
  7. Life saving! The fire resistance quality of uPVC framed windows is one of their best features. Fully flame resistant they will not combust in the event of a fire.
  8. Environmentally Friendly! Not only do they help you reduce your energy usage, and carbon footprint, but they are fully recyclable and help prevent harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
  9. Comfortable! The heat of the summer and the chill of the winter won’t be able to affect the interior temperature of your home as much. You will be able to control your home’s environment much more effectively and save money as you do.
  10. Durable! Our extensive range of beautiful windows is perfect for homes that are exposed to extremes of temperatures, high winds or the ocean air. They won’t deteriorate over time and very effectively keep out sneaky draughts.

How to Secure Your Windows and Doors by Inexpensive Means

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Creating better security with your doors and windows starts by evaluating what you have in your home to start with and identifying the changes that need to be made. Protecting your home against intruders does not mean having to spend a great deal of money. Instead, what you are trying to accomplish is making your home less vulnerable so that potential burglars will pass you by.

windows and doors safety

Improve your Door Security

What often get overlooked when it comes to the security of your doors are not the locks or the door itself, but the jamb that often gives way when struck with enough force. All it takes is a good, hard blow and the jamb itself will rupture no matter the number of deadbolts or how strong the door itself is. Many entry doors have backup features, but not service doors so these need to be addressed. You can install a strike plate on the backside of the jamb that will make it very difficult to break. This improvement does not change the appearance of the door at all, yet it will provide much greater security.

Another simple improvement on entry doors that do not get used, like from the garage to the backyard for example, is to place a bar across the door. An old-fashioned bar will make the door virtually impenetrable to an intruder unless they have a chainsaw.

For glass doors, intruders will often cut or break the glass to unlock the door. However, if you install a key deadbolt lock on the inside, then the intruder cannot open the door unless they risk cutting themselves on the glass. However, in the case of fire you will want to have the key nearby and accessible so that people can escape.

Improve your Window Security

Always lock your windows, especially in rooms that are not being occupied because they make the perfect place for intruders to enter.

Casement windows are a good example for security because they have a crank inside to open the window outwards. Basically, these types of windows are not accessible to open from the outside because of the position of the handle. So, an intruder will not be able to open them from the outside and will have to look elsewhere to get inside.

A sliding window is basically a single panel that opens to the right or left. However, because of the design it is actually easy to operate many of these windows from the outside, including removing the entire window panel. A simple bar will prevent the window from being opened and operated which makes it impossible to enter from the outside without breaking the window.

A double hung window moves up and down and comes with a cam lock to hold both windows together so that neither can move. Adding a small tab into the face of the frame of the top window allows the bottom one to be moved freely. You can extend the tab and the window will not open.

Using a little common sense along with a few inexpensive items can really improve the security of your home.

Glass Safety Tips 

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Glass is a beautiful enhancement to our homes. It is everywhere! We use it in our windows, sliding glass doors, front entrances, lamps, dishes, glasses, light bulbs, picture frames, and even in our furniture. For homes with small children, the threat for potential injury seems infinite. Your home may be filled with safety hazards, many of which you are not even aware.

glass safety

What to Do when Glass is Broken

Every situation is unique and different, but here are the basic steps to consider whenever you drop a plate from the dishwasher or accidentally break a window pane.

  1. Remove everyone from the area immediately, especially your children and pets.
  2. If you are barefoot or in your stocking feet, immediately put on a pair of old shoes.
  3. Get an old pair of leather or thick rubber gloves for the safety of your hands and fingers.
  4. Wear a pair of eyeglasses to protect your eyes from flying glass particles. Safety glasses are even better, if you have them available.
  5. Carefully remove the large chunks of broken glass from the floor or affected area. Cautiously place them into a secure container.
  6. Next, vacuum the area of the medium-sized pieces of broken glass rather than trying to use your hands.

The less physical contact that you have with the shards of glass, the safer you will be from potential cuts.

Exterior Sliding Glass Doors

Exterior patio doors provide many other safety hazards than just simply broken glass. Thousands of accidents are reported every year in which people and small children have smashed into these doors, thinking that they were actually open.

The glass is clear and cannot be easily detected at times when we are in a rush. This can lead to broken noses, concussions, or even extremely severe cases of life threatening cuts throughout the entire body and face, perhaps even leaving permanent scars.

Newer sliding glass doors are often made with a type of tempered glass that does not shatter upon impact, but instead breaks into smaller cube-like chucks of glass that are less harmful. Other types of glass doors employ a type of glass that merely cracks while staying located within the frame.

If your exterior sliding glass door is over 20 years old, neither of these options are likely to be included in the safety enhancements. Therefore, many homeowners simply attach pretty decals on the panes of the doors, acting as a warning to visitors and residents of the home that the door is indeed closed.

Window Locks and Furniture Placement

Homes with small children should pay close attention to the location of furniture near upper story windows. If your windows do not currently provide a locking mechanism, these can easily be purchased and installed from local hardware stores. Be sure that your furniture is not within distance of these windows, as well. Cases of children climbing on furniture and falling through opened windows are a very common occurrence. Pets are also high susceptible to this dangerous mishap as well.

Crime Safety Tips: Sliding Glass Door Security 

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We all love letting the sun shine in, but providing added security to our sliding glass doors of our patios and outside decks can often prove to be challenging. Because these doors are often made from only aluminum frames and consist of large panels of easily breakable glass, we can often feel as if our home and loved ones are under a constant threat of burglaries and robberies.

windows and doors safety

Security Bars

There are many safety features that can be added to your exterior sliding glass doors, one of which is the addition of a dual function security bar. These simply have a removable pin, allowing you to insert the bar across the door frame, locking it into place. These bars can withstand up to 1000 pounds of pressure, keeping the door from opening from the outside.

Sliding Bolt Locks

These are a great alternative for all types of sliding glass doors of both wood and aluminum framing systems. You can use the lock on either side of the opening, the left or the right, depending on the style of door that you have installed. These Sliding Bolt Locks can be easily installed and are guaranteed to work with all varieties of manufacturers.

Pan Head Screws

You might think that all burglaries occur by simply shattering your glass, but thieves and thugs are a bit more quiet than you might think. If at all possible, they want to gain entrance with the least amount of distraction possible to prevent being caught. They may even try to lift your sliding glass door frame from its tracking mechanisms, simply detaching it and entering your home. Pan Head Screws can prevent this from happening.

Charley Bars

Charley bars are another type of security bar, but this version is attached directly to the center frame of your sliding glass door. It’s easier to implement and manage on a daily basis. All you have to do is screw the bar into the middle frame of the slider door. When you want to secure the entrance, rotate the arm downward across the frame. Lift it when you want to open your sliding glass door. It’s very easy to use and makes it nearly impossible to open your doors without breaking the glass.

Security Film

Security film that is either built into the glass of your door or that is adhered on the outside and inside surfaces will work well with your security bars. This film keeps the glass in place if it is shattered by an unwanted intruder. The glass will fragment, but will not fall out of the frame.

Glass Break Alarms

We are so fortunate to live in this new age of digital technology. We can even provide a Glass Break Alarm that will sound whenever glass of any kind is being broken. If the glass in your sliding glass door is shattered, when you are in the home or away from your property, the alarm will alert you and the police immediately. This can provide an extra peace of mind when you are away from your family for the evening or on extended trips and vacations.