# Burglar Alarm ?



## NickH01 (May 4, 2014)

Hi.
Can anyone recommend/suggest where we could get 'window bars' (sorry don't know the correct Spanish wording) made and fitted. We will be in the Alicante area. 
Thanks.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

NickH01 said:


> Hi.
> Can anyone recommend/suggest where we could get 'window bars' (sorry don't know the correct Spanish wording) made and fitted. We will be in the Alicante area.
> Thanks.


they are called _rejas

_or 'wreckers' according to lots of Brits - even those who profess to speak Spanish


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## NickH01 (May 4, 2014)

Thank you, Spanish lessons will be high on the 'to do' list when we get out to Spain.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Rejas are a waste of time and money ... and who wants to live in a prison cell? A professional thief will tear them from the wall without any difficulty or, even easier, they can be cut with an angle grinder in seconds. Dozens of houses around our area have been burgled even though they had rejas. Programme lights with timer switches and leave a radio on loud when you go out. Not foolproof by any means but as good as any other security measure.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

The Skipper said:


> Rejas are a waste of time and money ... and who wants to live in a prison cell? A professional thief will tear them from the wall without any difficulty or, even easier, they can be cut with an angle grinder in seconds. Dozens of houses around our area have been burgled even though they had rejas. Programme lights with timer switches and leave a radio on loud when you go out. Not foolproof by any means but as good as any other security measure.


however - lots of insurance companies have a clause that ground floor windows must have rejas

a local couple has recently been told that they will not be getting any insurance money after their burglary, because the 'small print' says they have to have them, & they don't


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Always look in the small print for " street lights " .Lack of them normally means no coverage for burglary !!


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> however - lots of insurance companies have a clause that ground floor windows must have rejas
> 
> a local couple has recently been told that they will not be getting any insurance money after their burglary, because the 'small print' says they have to have them, & they don't


Yes, that´s quite right, we were declined cover by several companies because we do not have rejas but Unión Alcoyana were happy to accept us without them. I think they are ugly things and, as I have already said, serve very little purpose. If the thieves target your house there´s not much that will deter them, unfortunately.


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## NickH01 (May 4, 2014)

Thanks everyone for all your advice, lots for us to think about and get sorted over the next couple of months.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

The Skipper said:


> Rejas are a waste of time and money ... and who wants to live in a prison cell? A professional thief will tear them from the wall without any difficulty or, even easier, they can be cut with an angle grinder in seconds. Dozens of houses around our area have been burgled even though they had rejas. Programme lights with timer switches and leave a radio on loud when you go out. Not foolproof by any means but as good as any other security measure.


On our street every house had rejas except one. Well guess which house was burgled - THREE times! - while none of the others were. Those neighbors finally went ahead and installed rejas. Since then there have been no problems (for any of us).

I think you have to keep up with the Joneses. If all of your neighbors have rejas and you don't, you will be the easy target and so they will go for you. The same goes for an alarm system, a high fence, whatever. You should have an equal amount of security as your neighbors. 

And for what it's worth, I don't think rejas have to be ugly. Ironwork is an artform, or at least it is here in Andalucia. 

What you need to look for is an herrería. They are ironmongers. Around here they won't do installations, though, only the construction and delivery of the rejas. They might be able to suggest someone in the area who could do the installation.


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

Of course the reverse also applies. If you have high fences, security lights etc then they think you have something valuable to steal.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Reading some posts here might lead you to conclude that the best thing to do is leave all the doors wide open so long as nothing expensive is in view!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

You could always live in a more suitable neighbourhood.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Rejas can be horrible or they can be works of art.

It's puzzling they are needed in Spain when they are not in the UK. Maybe they are a hangover from not so long ago when Spanish windows weren't glazed. The Spanish with their high walls and security gates seem to be far more security conscious than Brits.

I have this dreadful vision of kids in a burning room trapped behind them.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

They are a must for me and any future house I buy will have them put in if it doesn't have them already. It's not just the added security when one is out, but means one can leave windows open when you're in without fear of opportunist burglars. I have a window halfway up the stairs, so accessible with a ladder, that I leave open all night during the summer to allow cool night air to flood the house, and I wouldn't want to do that without a reja. I know a determined burglar could get in, but I think they deter casual thieves. None of my upstairs windows have them and we've always had escape routes planned in case of fires.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

jimenato said:


> Rejas can be horrible or they can be works of art.
> 
> It's puzzling they are needed in Spain when they are not in the UK. Maybe they are a hangover from not so long ago when Spanish windows weren't glazed. The Spanish with their high walls and security gates seem to be far more security conscious than Brits.
> 
> I have this dreadful vision of kids in a burning room trapped behind them.




... I think this is exactly the reason and now they have become more of a 'decoration' than anything else. 

Yes they deter the petty criminal but most aren't really that strong.

Generally, they are only on the ground floor so there would always be doors to go through. We always leave keys handy in case we have to get out fast in an emergency.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

gus-lopez said:


> Always look in the small print for " street lights " .Lack of them normally means no coverage for burglary !!


How ridiculous and any company that has a policy like that is not fit for purpose.

I'd much rather not have my yard illuminated like an 'all you can eat buffet' with only enough shadows to hide perfectly unseen in.

There is enough evidence rolling in from police forces all over that switching off the lights has either no impact or even reduces incidents of crime.

As for rojas, without them we'd have to pay a huge premium. We also have cameras covering the yard which I think is the biggest deterrent of all. These were all here when we moved in but I think even placing dummy cams could be a good idea.


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

_I have this dreadful vision of kids in a burning room trapped behind them.
_

This scenario is unlikely in Spanish homes due to Spanish building practices. Concrete /stone floors, concrete ceilings, brick or tile walls plaster covered are unlikely to burn. The biggest hazard is fumes from the furniture burning.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> You could always live in a more suitable neighbourhood.


please explain


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> please explain


One where there is less crime.


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## lyric (Oct 9, 2014)

*Lights*

In the UK a lifetime ago we had a break-in. The Police sent an expert to give us security advice. On seeing our outside lights with motion sensors he asked why we were making the offender's job easier.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

NickH01 said:


> Hi.
> Can anyone recommend/suggest where we could get 'window bars' (sorry don't know the correct Spanish wording) made and fitted. We will be in the Alicante area.
> Thanks.


Hi Nick.
Well an alarm is the way to go IMO. 
Oh and odds on its cheaper to supply/fit than the bars as well.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kalohi said:


> On our street every house had rejas except one. Well guess which house was burgled - THREE times! - while none of the others were. Those neighbors finally went ahead and installed rejas. Since then there have been no problems (for any of us).
> 
> I think you have to keep up with the Joneses. If all of your neighbors have rejas and you don't, you will be the easy target and so they will go for you. The same goes for an alarm system, a high fence, whatever. You should have an equal amount of security as your neighbors.
> 
> ...


I have always thought this. If, as you say, all the neighbours have them are you kind of obliged to have them yourselves.
I agree that if burglars want to get in they will, whether there are bars or high fences or whatever. Bars maybe easy for burglars to get through, but it's still another deterrent, another barrier. 
We don't have bars on our windows BTW as most of our neighbours don't either, although some do have alarms. I think our house is pretty difficult to get into though for other reasons, but if it was an easy target I think I'd go for an alarm over bars.
The fact that we have little to steal I think is neither here nor there. I think being broken into must be a very upsetting experience at the least and could be absolutely harrowing. I certainly don't want to have to face that in my own home.
Another deterrent often recommended by the police apparently is to use natural barriers like cacti, thorny bushes and the like.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> You could always live in a more suitable neighbourhood.


What is a 'more suitable' neighbourhood, though, Baldy.....
We are often told that poor people suffer from crime more than the rich, statistically....so if that's the case a more 'suitable' neighbourhood might be that posh billionaires only estate outside Marbella, can't remember the name.
But then it's true that houses in posh areas are more likely to have stuff worth stealing....
A piece in El Pais recently described a lower-middle class area in Madrid where burglary of flats was commonplace to the extent that practically every piso had been broken into.
So there you go. Posh, middle-class and poor area, rural or village/town/city, none immune from the opportune or experienced thief, it seems.
I suppose our area is 'middle class' , whatever, we've all been burgled. This is a quiet village.
Nowhere is 'suitable' in the sense that it is immune from break-ins. Our perrera in the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja was burgled....for microchips and animal passports, and presumably drugs such as ketamine, which we don't keep on the premises.
Our gardener is of the opinion that many burglaries occur because it's well-known that so many business people deal in cash and obviously can't bank it so they keep it at home.
So perhaps it's the habits of many Spanish people that aren't 'suitable'?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

VFR said:


> Hi Nick.
> Well an alarm is the way to go IMO.
> Oh and odds on its cheaper to supply/fit than the bars as well.


Alarms are no deterrent. Two of our neighbours with state-of-the-art alarms with photo capture were broken into, one, our next-door neighbour, at half-past eight one Friday evening when we were home and heard nothing.
Besides, by the time the alarm company sends someone, the intruders are long gone.
Photo capture is useless if the thieves wear balaclavas.
And if your alarm is a cheapo DIY affair........what can you do if you're miles away when your house is broken into? Do you think your neighbours, if home, will risk a bash on the head? An alarm merely spoils your evening out by telling you you've been robbed as you're about to tuck into your steak.
We had expensive state-of-the-art alarms fitted to our business premises in the UK, linked to the police station. Didn't stop break ins. It takes very few minutes to grab cash, computers, whatever, then to leg it before the Old Bill arrives with flashing lights and sirens.
Our house has an alarm, rejas and persilianas. We were broken into when we were out with the dog.
And the dog, or dogs, as we now have two, are our best deterrent. A Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Cane Corso. Both indoor dogs, much-loved pets, loyal and very protective.
Beats rejas and alarms any day.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Alarms are no deterrent. Two of our neighbours with state-of-the-art alarms with photo capture were broken into, one, our next-door neighbour, at half-past eight one Friday evening when we were home and heard nothing.
> Besides, by the time the alarm company sends someone, the intruders are long gone.
> Photo capture is useless if the thieves wear balaclavas.
> And if your alarm is a cheapo DIY affair........what can you do if you're miles away when your house is broken into? Do you think your neighbours, if home, will risk a bash on the head? An alarm merely spoils your evening out by telling you you've been robbed as you're about to tuck into your steak.
> ...


Maybe you could sell recordings of the dogs barking seriously to the OP then he could rig up something that will start the playback as soon as anyone comes near the house.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

We were forced by our insurers to install an expensive monitored alarm system in our remote country cottage in the UK after being burgled twice in one year. It was a pain in the backside, constantly going off for no reason (a fly or spider crossing a sensor was one theory). On one occasion, while working in my mother´s garden three miles away, I received a call from the monitoring service to say the alarm had gone off and the police were on their way. I rushed home to find it was yet another false alarm. Just as I was locking up a police car pulled into the drive with a girl who looked about 12 years old at the wheel. “Everything´s OK,” I told her. “False alarm.” She said OK and drove away, not even bothering to ask who I was (and bear in mind that I was dressed in scruffy working clothes)! You can guess therefore what I think about alarms and I suspect they are no better in Spain than the UK, particularly when fitted to an isolated property with no immediate neighbours. Perhaps an alarm would be more effective for a house within an urbanisation ... but you may not prove too popular with the neighbours if you get as many false alarms as we did!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> Maybe you could sell recordings of the dogs barking seriously to the OP then he could rig up something that will start the playback as soon as anyone comes near the house.


You can buy cheap alarm systems that play the barking of vicious dogs.....but I'm told you can hear the amplified 'click' as the recording starts playing which somewhat spoils the effect.....


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> You can buy cheap alarm systems that play the barking of vicious dogs.....but I'm told you can hear the amplified 'click' as the recording starts playing which somewhat spoils the effect.....


And if the thief happens to be somebody who lives locally, they will be only too well aware that you don't have a dog and are only pretending anyway!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> And if the thief happens to be somebody who lives locally, they will be only too well aware that you don't have a dog and are only pretending anyway!


If an experienced thief wants to get in your house, they will. If like us you have nothing worth stealing, no Monets or Picassos, no Cartier jewellery, no stashes of 'black' cash in a safe or under the floorboards, it's probably best not to have too many precautions so as to minimise damage to doors, windows etc. if you are burgled.
When we were burgled we forgot to set the alarm, didn't put down the persianas and left the keys in the back door. All the burglars had to do was to gently push open the French doors on the upstairs balcony. So no broken locks or windows.
They did try to get a safe off the wall but as we didn't know the combination to open it, had no key and in any case have nothing worthy of being locked in a safe I had it removed as I didn't fancy being tortured to reveal the unlock code.
If I hadn't been so daft as to leave 170 euros on the hallstand all that would have been taken would have been an IPod, an old one anyway which I intended to replace.
Passport, laptops and credit cards were left in situ....


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

My UK house is in a nice place. We get lots of visitors from elsewhere. They follow you home and come for a chat when you're getting out of your car on the driveway. They offer to park your car for you. They don't tell you where they're going to take it or when or if you'll get it back though. 

Point is, the nice areas are where the criminals like to do their thing.



baldilocks said:


> One where there is less crime.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Not very long ago I built an alarm for a friend. It rings you up if the PIR goes off.

I now see them on eBay for about 10 UKP. I can't make one for that! No idea what they're like.

But what do you do if the phone rings? Not everybody would feel comfortable confronting a burglar.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Horlics said:


> Not very long ago I built an alarm for a friend. It rings you up if the PIR goes off.
> 
> I now see them on eBay for about 10 UKP. I can't make one for that! No idea what they're like.
> 
> But what do you do if the phone rings? Not everybody would feel comfortable confronting a burglar.


We 'confronted' ours, or rather tried to. He was in the house when we arrived back with the dog. His accomplice was waiting in the car outside. We let our Ridgeback loose and he fled, vaulting over a 2m wall Olympic style.
We were angry, really angry and would have caught him if he hadn't been so quick to get away from Our Little Azor.
It's amazing what two really wild, angry women can do with whatever implement available to hand...frying pans, rolling pins, brooms.....and assisted by a large, very protective dog.
We were furious to have our home intruded on by some scumbag.
What I found disturbing was the realisation that our house had been watched for some time. We used to take the dog for a long walk at the same time. We don't now. We don't always take the two dogs together.
Lesson learned. Don't be predictable.


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