Glass shopfronts in London
A great glass or aluminium shop front London is the best way to get people to know about your business. You can show off your goods, reach potential customers interested, and make your shop a place people want to enter.
Even though glass shop fronts in London are good for advertising, they also create a weak spot on the outside of a building. Both vandals and thieves are attracted to them because they think the materials are vulnerable. There are security measures that can make it less likely that someone will break into a storefront.
Tips for making glass shopfronts in London safe
But there are some simple security measures that any business owner can take to make it less likely that their storefronts will be broken into. Here are some of the most common things we tell our clients to consider.
Installing dropdown shutters
Rolling shutters made of steel or aluminium are a great way to protect storefronts from all kinds of attacks. There are many different options, such as aluminium roller shutters that can be coated to match a brand’s colors, etc.
Solid steel or aluminium roller shutters are better than any other type of security because they can’t be broken through. Their high visibility also makes criminals less likely to try to break in. Roller shutters can also keep you safe when the weather is terrible.
We also suggest that customers lock the shutters at the bottom of the storefront with a lock that is welded to the bottom rail of the shutter. This makes the shutter more secure and less likely that someone will try to “hotwire” the electric mechanism.
Keep your glass safe.
All storefronts need to have the most secure glass possible. One choice is security glass. Durable security glass panels are stronger and more durable than safety glass. They can’t be broken, making it much less likely for someone to break in. Even if the security glass is broken, burglars still can’t get in because it has films that are hard to break. The rigid plastic layer in the middle is too flexible to break when hit, so the glass shards stay in place.
Security glass can be costly and hard to put in because it is heavy. Sometimes the old window frames can’t handle the extra weight of the glass or are too small for the new panels, so the whole structure has to be replaced at a high cost.
A cheap alternative is to add window laminate to glass that is already there. This strengthens the existing glass and keeps shards together in case of an attack. With both security laminate and security glass, however, you will still need to replace the glass after an attack to remove the broken, shattered glass left behind.
Put bollards in front of your store.
Putting poles in front of a storefront makes it impossible for a car to hit the windows and break them. These don’t get in the way of people walking; they are set deep into concrete at regular intervals so they can’t be pulled out. There are ways to decorate that doesn’t take away from the look of the business, like using natural boulders or brightly colored plant pots.
But before putting up the bollards, it’s essential to make sure that the area where they will go belongs to the business in question. Depending on where the bollards will be used, you may need permission from your local government before installing them.
Safety window film
Security window film is a great, cheap way to strengthen storefront glass without adding bars or shutters that look bad. But it’s important to remember that it doesn’t stop glass from breaking.
This type of window film keeps broken pieces of glass in place instead of letting them fall inward immediately. This can make it take longer for someone to break in, giving the police time to get there and catch them in the act.
Gates and bars
Installing bars or roll-out gates that stay in place is a common way to keep people from breaking into stores.
They might work fine for liquor and convenience stores, but they could be a better choice for high-end stores because they take away from the storefront’s look and make it harder to window shop.
Even though bars and gates keep people out, there are still places where the glass is exposed. This means that even though they keep people out, they don’t always prevent vandals or flying storm debris from breaking glass.
Polycarbonate glazing shields
Polycarbonate sheets are another type of storefront security glass that isn’t glass, making them so great. These panels look and feel a lot like glass, but they are made of polycarbonate, which is very strong and doesn’t break easily when hit.
Since polycarbonate is much lighter and stronger than glass, you can put these glazing shields on storefronts where other types of security glass are not an option.
Polycarbonate sheets can also be made not to be bulletproof or bulletproof. Most storefronts only need a containment-grade (non-ballistic) glazing shield to protect them from forced entry, storm damage, riots, etc.
The last words
Every retail store has different security needs and budgets but faces the same daily threats. We hope this article has helped you understand how to protect your glass shopfront in London and made it easier to choose the right one. Our team of experts is always happy to discuss your needs and help you find the best solution.
