# How secure are the windows in your shop?



## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

I've been looking at a LOT of your workshops lately, because we are going to be moving within the next year and I'm gonna be putting up a new building when we get back to Ga. I've been paying attention to things like tool/equipment layouts, electrical drops and especially lighting.

We will be moving to a rural farming area where the "older" folks who have lived there for generations have been used to doing things such as leaving doors unlocked and keys in their cars/trucks parked in the yards. (My father-in-law is terrible about this.) But as times have changed, even the rural farm towns have to face the fact that security of your home/possessions/*FAMILY *have changed over time. There are thieves and low-life thugs in all areas who will steal you blind, given the chance for an "easy score". What concerns me as I scan thru your pictures is the number of workshops/garages that I see with windows with either no or limited coverings on them, which may be at a level which would give someone easy access to your shop.

When we moved here eight years ago I built a 30 X 40 pole barn and I at first I was gonna have them put a few opaque fiberglass panels in the roof to allow for some natural lighting. But I decided that if I was gonna insulate that would defeat the purpose. We had gone out shopping and stopped into a place that sells reclaimed and salvage construction supplies where I found some windows that were just what I needed. If I remember correctly I paid about $100 for 5 of these framed panels which are 48" X 12". The glass is something that would have been used in a bathroom to allow light in, but not be able to see thru. I mounted them high on the walls to allow light in, and yet not block out "too much" wall space inside for shelves and such. The bottom of these panels are about 8' off the ground and even if someone tried to use a ladder, they CANNOT see in from the outside.

I'm just hoping I can score something similar when I build my new shop. Here a few pictures showing the windows from both the outside and inside.
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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Looks safe and secure. Always nice to move to a trusting community.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

First line of defense is to have LIGHTING!  I have motion lights all over my yard. And sensors in the shop. If someone wants to get in, they're going to get in. If it's a "lazy thief" (as many are) they're going to look for something that's not so lit up. One of the sensors turns on a light in my bedroom and sounds a tone, at which point my dogs go running out the door barking and howling. Anyone on the property at that point is fair game. 

Windows up high give you some light and are too high or too small to get people and/or machinery in and out of, but I also do artwork in my shop, not just woodworking, so I need a lot of daylight. I have french doors.

Lots of lights, sensors on doors and windows (they're cheap and easy to install) and something that makes noise….. and dogs if you got 'em. Sneak thieves want to sneak and that's hard to do if there's light and noise.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Since I don't own my shop I can't do anything about the windows which were cheap single pane aluminum framed in 1970. 
My method is to leave all kinds of stuff laying all over the place that the perp will trip on and wreak mayhem and havoc upon him/herself.

And you all just thought I had a messy shop!


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I have to take the opposite view with regards to lighting, and especially outdoor lighting in a rural community. Light trespass can be a real issue and besides outdoor lighting just creates shadows for the boo-gyman to hide in. FWIW, I try to keep my property as dark as possible. It is much easier to see someone snooping around with a flashlight, than it is to see someone using outdoor lighting you provide to dash from shadow to shadow.

Adequate shop lighting however, is always appreciated and needed. Those high transom windows look to be very useful.


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## Elizabeth (Oct 17, 2009)

I have two high-ish windows on one wall of my shop, and a small window in the door. I can cover the door window whenever I want to. The wall windows would require a ladder from the outside and the ability not to get hurt when the intruder falls onto my lathe and turning tools on the inside, which are right underneath.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

My first line of defense is door locks followed by motion sensor floodlights, a dog and S&W as my backup. I live 1/4 mile off the road in the suburbs, so don't expect much in break-ins. If you live in a populated area, break-ins are a very big concern. When I lived in a family community, I had a canoe stolen from my back yard. Security is your responsibility. Don't depend on the police to keep you secure; there is only so much they can do.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

My windows are so painted shut nobody could open them, still I drove a couple 3 inch screws into the panes to the frames to be sure.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

I too have had those concerns with windows. They do sell bars you can attach on the insides to keep a would be burglar from coming in a window. The other concern for me is the wall space windows will hog as I have a small shed. I am leaning toward something similar posted in the original post. Something high up and narrow to let some ambient light come in.


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## shelly_b (Aug 8, 2012)

I don't have windows, but would really like some to get some natural light. I would also like to do what you have so people can't get into them. We have an alarm on the door(magnet type) that is really loud if the door is opened. We also have a motion sensor we got when we only had the shed. It has an alarm we can put in our room that way we can hear it if we are inside. We haven't used it since we built the shop though because when it was in the shed the mice would set it off lol. After a few false alarms I turned it off. It was really cheap from HF but works great. It is sad that you have to worry so much now. We lived on a gravel rd when I was growing up and we never locked our house or cars and never worried about having anything stolen. My parents still live there and someone broke into the garage a few years ago and took a bunch of stuff and ripped all the valuable stuff off their bass boat. I think the dog scared them away bc they ended up dropping everything in the ditch by the road.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

If I had windows, I'd be sure to secure them… ;^)


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## shelly_b (Aug 8, 2012)

We also have the yard well lit, a dog who is growing into a good gaurd dog, and plenty of guns just incase we should catch someone. We live on a dead end gravel rd, so I just feel like any car that goes past is up to no good unless it is one of the other 2 ppl that live on our rd.


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## wlkjr (Mar 12, 2013)

I have 8 windows in my 20×40 shop with mini-blinds covering the windows so no one can look in. I have a window fan that can be reversed for exhaust or pulling in air from the opposite side. Those might be the only two I'd install if I had it to do over again. A truck could pull up to mine and clean it out in the middle of the night and we wouldn't hear them. Matter of fact, this week a car wrecked about 60' from our bedroom window and we didn't hear it. Kept wondering why a truck idling sound was in front of the house. Looked out the window to see a State Trooper in the driveway, Deputy, firetruck, wrecker, first responders, and about 10 other people standing around. This about 8 in the morning.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

If they want in they will get in, then of course the alarm goes off and I have to get up. As I am a cranky Marine with a serious attitude concerning stealing when I come out expect to be shot. If you run you will just die tired. You had plenty of warning like say the Marine Corps flag on the pole out front, or the sign that says I shoot first, shoot again, empty the clip and then ask the questions.

Like *Dallas* wrote I keep things that are not healthy to land on or jump into blind when coming through the window. This makes the idiots escape much harder and less work for me as you just cannot jump and run. You must make alot of noise, fall, trip, maybe turn the saw on by mistake grabbing for a hand hold and cut your arm off, etc etc (laughing) In either event expect no mercy, you want that see a Priest, and I will sleep well knowing I have helped the gene pool. (laughing)


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Some good ideas and responses here. 
One thing I was trying to point out is not just that windows aren't secure, but they're not even covered so that the thieves can "scope out" your stuff then come back later when no one is at home. Most break-ins occur during week days when everybody is at work.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

My house alarm system also covers my seperate workshop.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

Considering that someone kicked in the door before I moved in I'm not certain the window is a real concern. Shop does have a single hung window that is just small enough to not be able to wiggle through. I'll be adding 4 skylights when I redo the roof and adding windows to the door. I'll just be making sure the new door can't be kicked in, been playing around with the idea of rods at the top and bottom that can be activated with powerful magnets. Although not the worst neighborhood people have stolen the screen door off the house while we were away.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I love having windows in my shop, and if I could, I'd have a whole wall of windows to let in light and fresh air in the summer, but you're right, it does make for easy access to my shop if someone wants to break in.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Shelly- "Plenty of guns just is case we should catch someone". I knew there was a reason I liked you!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

My windows are 12" tall and do not open and their 14' off the ground. I have bright lights all the way around the shop and a alarm system with video surveillance plus doors that have high end locks and are barred from the inside plus my next door neighbor is on the sheriff's department other than having a mote and a draw bridge I don't know what else to do.


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## macatlin1 (May 5, 2010)

I was worried when I moved my shop into a 2 car garage because there are windows in the garage doors and there is a pretty good view in from the street. The street being uphill which affords a good view of pretty much everything. To remedy this I taped wax paper to the inside of the windows. Simple, cheap and effective at letting light in and obscuring the view. The doors are also "pinned" with a bolt to keep them from opening from the outside. And like shelly_b the shop serves as a path for the German Shepards to get to the doggy door. Nothing like crawling through a small opening to be confronted by 70 pounds of unfriendly…


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I think these will work very well for a shop. They let the light in and conserve wall space that is closer to the floor than when you use conventional windows.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## shelly_b (Aug 8, 2012)

Luckily I work 3 12s. 7-7 and it changes all the time. Days, nights, weekdays, weekends. So there is no way to plan on no one being home unless you know me and know I am working. lol gfadvm, the thought of some low life coming in and stealing my stuff that I work hard for makes me very unsympathetic. macatlin1-I can't wait until our dog gets big and scary! He is a shepard/lab mix. He's only about 6months old, so he is still too friendly with strangers. He just recently started barking when he see's something on our land that he doesn't like, so we are getting there!


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## SquintyPolock (Mar 16, 2013)

Living in a big City, security is always a concern, not just for the tools, but also the family. We have an iron fence all the way around the property - need a key to get in or out. Need a key to get in the front door and then another key to get into each apartment or the basement. We always keep the blinds shut in the evening so no one can see in. I have glass block windows in the basement - they let plenty of light in but no one can see inside - these work on a frame or brick building. Lastly, the secrity lights on a motion detector are grat for warding off intruders and gangsters.

Stay secure everyone - the world is nuts and there are a lot of broke and desperate folks out there.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I just refuse to live with those twins around my shop and house. I just won't do it! You know the twins I'm talking about don't you… those pair 'o Noids. They are unhealthy and all they do is make you sick in the stomach every time they come out to the country and set up their 'tanning beds' in the middle of the night with all those high-powered 'tanning' bulbs on poles!... Geez…


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## TechRedneck (Jul 30, 2010)

If you have windows, get some clear contact paper in a roll. Did this for my father in law's shop 20 yrs ago and it is still there, it has a hash pattern design on it that lets light in but you can't see anything.

I did this on the garage windows of the house we had in NJ. Now that I am out in the country we have windows all over the house including a whole back wall of glass overlooking the mountains. Nobody but deer and squirrels looking in. The birds sometimes hit the windows however.

Out here I still have an alarm system and the garage has insulated doors with no windows and no windows in the shop. Keeps the warm air in during the winter and in summer the garage doors are always open when I am in the shop. I did have a nice king snake come in and make himself at home. ( the wife did not know, but I let him hang out a while to get the few mice we had).

We can hear anybody coming, and plenty of motion lights around the house. If someone breaks in while we are home, they will hear that un-mistakable sound of a round going in the chamber. Here in WV they can be shot on your property if you feel they are threatening your life.


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## SamuraiSaw (Jan 8, 2013)

Loud noise is your best friend. Buy an alarm system with an outside speaker. Once the noise starts they will drop everything and run!


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## woodsmithshop (Sep 10, 2008)

this reminds me of something that happened many ,many years ago, not long after the wife and I were married, she woke me up about 1am, saying the dogs are barking and really raising cain, grabbing a shotgun and stepping on the back porch, I shined a light around to see what the dogs were barking at, seeing a cat I figured that's what they are barking at, so I took a shot at the cat, ( there were way too many strays around), the cat kept going on out of sight and the dogs quieted down 
the next day after coming home from work, the neighbor lady came over and asked if my dogs had been barking the night before, I said yes, they were barking at a cat, she then told me that her husband had tied up his motorcycle in the back of his truck, in the morning the ropes were found to have been cut, and the motorcycle was laying on it's side in the truck, we concluded that the thieves were about to take the cycle when I took my shot at the cat, they dropped the cycle and ran.
I would have liked to seen them when the gun went off, lol.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

*Smitty*,

Those must have been some big cats to cut through the ropes.


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