Are timber windows secure?

Timber windows have been valued for years for their elegant appearance and durability, but these are not their only advantages. It is worth knowing that burglary-resistant timber windows, which protect a house against break-ins excellently, are gaining ever greater popularity on the market. In the post below we explain why windows made of timber give the best protection against intruders, and also how they protect a house against fire.

Burglary-resistant timber windows

Contrary to appearances, modern systems protecting a house against break-ins are not the domain of plastic windows but of timber ones. Windows made of timber are fitted with various security elements, including:

• security hardware of increased resistance and classes from RC1 to RC3,
• locking points,
• lockable security handles with a key and a button,
• anti-drill plates,
• a magnetic contact, standard or integrated with the perimeter hardware,
• special burglary-resistant glazing of class P4, which is very difficult to break.

Timber is a material ideally suited to making secure windows – it is exceptionally hard-wearing and durable (especially from species such as larch, oak and meranti), and the window frames made from it are rigid, which is why they are very difficult to lever open. Modern windows are made from several layers of timber, which makes them a relatively heavy but at the same time exceptionally stable structure.

Honest manufacturers certify the quality of their products with appropriate certificates. They also provide installation, which largely determines the correct operation of a window. When planning to change to burglary-resistant windows, it is worth securing first those places that are easy to reach, that is the ground floor and the basement.

Fire performance of timber windows

Although it might seem that timber is a flammable material, in a fire timber windows are safer for the household than windows made of plastics. The process of timber burning is controlled (which is not the case when plastic burns), that is it lasts from a dozen or so to several dozen minutes, and the charring that forms protects adjacent elements from catching fire.

Moreover, timber windows give off less smoke and withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius, whereas windows made from other materials burn at as little as 110 – 130 degrees. A timber frame does not deform as quickly as a plastic frame, so it protects the pane from cracking for longer. This protects against a sudden inflow of oxygen and the spread of the fire.