Bars and Screens

Although bars and screens are not glazing, they can be used to prevent entry through broken glazing. The protection varies with the strength of the materials as well as the method of fastening. Bars and screens are highly visible and can give a building an institutional appearance. They also can interfere with the view.

Bars and screens must be installed with emergency escape in mind. Many fire codes require that potential victims can release barriers from the inside. Other jurisdictions require that the fire department be able to release the window barrier from the outside so they can rescue victims.

As previously mentioned, glazing will not prevent access indefinitely. The objective is to resist penetration long enough to allow other security measures to take effect. Consider using alarm system sensors to detect forced entry through the glazing. Ideally, the sensor will detect the first attempt at forced entry, sending an alarm before the glazing has been penetrated successfully.

Glaziers are glazing professionals who can help facility managers select and apply glazing materials