Grill Door: A Cost-Effective And Timeless Means To Secure Your

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There are a lot of concerns and considerations when it comes to owning a property, from the financial capability to finding the most suitable loan, dealing with contractors on renovations, choosing the right furniture, and many more. Amongst all these considerations, security remains a top priority to most property owners whether it’s a residential property or a commercial unit. 

Nowadays, it is a common sight for security guards to be hired and electronic security systems to be installed at offices and other commercial properties to safeguard the property along with the machinery, equipment, and other belongings within. Simple locks on doors and windows are no longer considered sufficient for property owners to feel safe and secure. This applies to residential properties too, as we can see that most homeowners install at least one security feature in their homes whether it is to protect their own safety or to safeguard their own belongings. 

Home Break-ins a Frequently Occurring Crime in Malaysia

Despite a decrease in house break-ins and theft in Malaysia in 2020 as compared to 2019, break-ins remain one of the highest crimes in the country according to the Department of Statistics of Malaysia. Robbers and thieves are getting more daring as time passes. It is no longer the case that thieves break into houses only at night or target houses without residents. 

According to the Crime and Safety Report 2020, which was published by the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), thieves are generally non-confrontational and prefer to break in while residents are away, but at the same time do not shy away from confrontation. These thieves may opt to use violence to threaten residents such as in the recent incident in Petaling Jaya, where they pretended to be inspectors to gain access to the house and rob the owner directly. 

The Crime and Safety Report 2020 also stated that security levels in high-rise buildings are better as compared to landed units. However, this does not stop certain thieves from getting what they want, with reported cases of them climbing high-rise buildings such as the one reported last year at an apartment complex in Johor.

Need for Security and Peace of Mind

Having a sense of security when it comes to your own property is important so that you are not constantly stressing over your own safety and the security of your belongings in your home. Consequently, many people choose to spend extra money to secure their homes such as purchasing a home in a gated and guarded community, installing CCTVs and alarms, and installing grill doors.

Grill Door are the Most Common and Cost-Efficient Security Means for Homes

Amongst maintenance fees of a gated and guarded home’s security, CCTVs, and alarms, grill doors are likely to be the most cost-effective choice. Whether it is landed properties or high-rise buildings, homeowners would often think of grill doors first before considering other security means for their homes. For landed properties, grill doors are installed at doors and windows to keep intruders out, while for high-rise buildings, these grilles have the added function to protect children from falling out of the building. 

Benefits of Grill Door

There are solid reasons why grilles doors remain a popular choice for most homeowners in Malaysia. Let’s have a look at the benefits before weighing the cons of installing these grilles. 

Effective Security Means

First and foremost, the window and grille door  serve as a means to keep intruders out. Grill Door automatically gives the impression that the house is harder to break into and this deters thieves from choosing the house. 

Thieves often look for weak points in a property’s security to find an opportunity to break into. With grill doors installed, thieves will have to deal with two layers of security, first the grille and then the door. The effort needed and noise created during the process of breaking into a grill doors-protected entrance is likely to create enough noise and attention for people around to notice before the thief makes it inside. A house without any grill doors installed will likely be easier to access especially through a glass window. 

Peace of Mind

Knowing that your house is protected with grill doors will add a sense of security which translates to better tranquillity when you are away from home or when you are sleeping at night. Pair it with additional security systems such as an alarm or CCTV further increases your sense of security. 

Cost Effective

Compared to electronic security systems, grill doors are low maintenance and have close to no mechanisms that could cause breakdowns or malfunctions. In this regard, grill doors are very cost-effective as they are permanent installations that could protect your home for a lifetime. 

Disadvantages of Grill Door

Despite having clear advantages of having grill doors installed, wthere are also disadvantages that cause some homeowners to hesitate before installing them.

Risk of Getting Trapped In During an Emergency

This could be a major problem for residents trapped in the house when there is an emergency as these grill doors don’t have escape hatches and it would block them from escaping.

This is especially true in the tragedy that happened at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school where students weren’t able to escape through the windows during a deadly fire as the grill doors were unable to open from the inside. 

Costs Go Up with Better Designs

Grill doors are originally designed for functional purposes instead of aesthetics, which is why some homeowners opt for basic designs at lower prices. Even though grill doors can come in many different colours, materials, and shapes, the fact that it disrupts homeowners from having a clear view from the inside out makes it undesirable for some.

Different Types of Grill Door

Grill doors are made with different kinds of steel depending on the homeowner’s choice. Each type of steel carries different characteristics such as weight, the need for maintenance, cost, and so on.  

Stainless Steel

You may notice that some houses have common grill doors installed that are bright silver in colour. These are stainless steel, and as the name implies, they are very durable and often last for a long time. Stainless steel does not rust due to the chromium and nickel content that protects them from corrosion and rusting. Maintenance for stainless steel is low and there is no need to constantly reapply paint to protect it. However, there are no options when it comes to colour due to the nature of the material. Stainless steel is also the most expensive among other materials.

Wrought Iron

Wrought iron is more cost-effective when compared to stainless steel. It is tough to a certain extent, and the advantages lie in the many shapes it can be welded into. Therefore, the grille is more aesthetically designed. Even so, wrought iron requires maintenance every two to three years, as they are powder coated or painted to protect them from rust. 

Aluminium

In comparison to stainless steel, aluminium is nearly as durable as it doesn’t rust easily. This means that homeowners who install aluminium grilles do not need to worry about any repainting. Aluminium is also more cost-effective as compared to stainless steel and wrought iron. However, aluminium is the least tough among all materials and it requires less force for a break-in to happen.  

Mild Steel

Commonly used in Malaysia, mild steel is the cheapest among all 4 materials stated here. The advantage lies in its toughness, as it is tougher than wrought iron and aluminium. However, it also requires maintenance every two to three years as it is powder coated or painted to protect it from rust. 

Iron

Iron is sturdy and also a cheap option to consider. A good advantage to using iron is that it is malleable and it can be shaped into different shapes and designs depending on the user’s needs. Iron requires the owner to repaint it every now and then as it rusts quite easily when compared to other materials. 

Other Options besides Grill Door

There are newer options in recent years that appeal more to property owners than the conventional grill doors. These new options offer better protection features and a better aesthetic for homes. 

Security Doors

Security doors are doors that are further reinforced from ordinary ones. Security door providers claim that they are fitted with stronger structures, vault-like locks, and heavy-duty hinges to provide extra security. Most of these security doors are also built with stainless steel which is more resistant to Malaysian weather. These doors are also made with better fire and weather resistance and have improved sound insulation as well. 

Security Mesh

Security mesh as its name implies are panels made from different materials, woven into a mesh for security and protection purposes. Depending on the material used for the mesh, there are different levels of durability and security. For example, stainless steel is one of the best materials for security mesh due to its impact and cutting resistance. 

There are many advantages to security mesh such as providing durable protection, keeping insects from entering, improved lighting, unobstructed view, and also the flexibility of application to any kind of window or door. Many new homeowners prefer security mesh due to the open view and security it provides.

Electronic Security Systems (CCTV & Alarms)

Even though grill doors are a cost-effective means of securing your house, most homeowners often pair them with other security systems such as CCTVs and alarms. An alarm system has sensors installed onto doors, windows, or grill doors and it detects strong vibrations which cause the alarm to activate. Paired hand-in-hand with grill doors, alarms serve as another layer of a deterrent to thieves that dare to break into a house equipped with grill doors as they alert the homeowner and people within the neighbourhood immediately.

CCTV allows homeowners to view recorded or live feeds from specific locations around the house. Not only does it help to record an event but it also lets the homeowner have a better idea of what is going on around the house when the alarm activates within the safety of his or her own room. 

Rising Trend of Gated and Guarded Communities

There has been a growing trend of gated and guarded communities in recent years. Some of these houses within gated and guarded communities even come without a gate for a more aesthetic appearance. However, despite all the safety and security measures offered, break-ins still happen to houses within gated and guarded communities.

This is because the security within a gated and guarded community is highly dependent on multiple external factors such as the quality of security guards, guardhouse entry and exit points, CCTV surveillance within the community, proper fencing, and the proximity of police stations and fire departments. This may contain loopholes for thieves to take advantage of for their break-ins. 

Grill Door  Remain a Preferable Security Means for a Home

Security within gated and guarded communities are secondary safety measures and the efficiency is heavily reliant on the external factors mentioned above. When it comes to personal home security, many homeowners still prefer to take matters into their own hands such as installing grill doors and other security systems for security. 

There are many options available for homeowners when selecting grille doors for their doors and windows. Depending on the budget, you can opt for different materials and designs available. The choice is in your hands.