The Crime Prevention Website

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Is a conservatory part of the garden or part of the house?  I suppose it is both and so you’ll find this information repeated in other sections of this website.

Conservatory door and window frames will be constructed from either timber, aluminium, steel or PVC-U and if you haven’t got a conservatory, but are thinking about having one built then see the sections on Door security and Window security, specifically the parts about enhanced secure doors and windows, because the security quality of these doors and windows will make a huge difference to the overall security of your home.  Also ask for laminated safety glass on the inner pane of the sealed units for added security and, if you have one, consider extending the house alarm into the conservatory.  (See  Alarms and CCTV  Alarms

Most people who have added conservatories have retained the existing doors from the back of the house and that decision is supported by this website.  This is because the majority of conservatories will not have used enhanced secure doors and windows and therefore the inner house doors and windows will still be an important barrier against the burglars.  In addition it is likely that the conservatory glazing will be toughened glass (for safety), which can be broken quite easily and silently with a sharp tool.  (See  Glazing for domestic security )

Windows should be lockable and if you never open certain windows you could consider screwing them shut permanently.  If you have automatic opening roof vents, which could be prised off and climbed through, consider located a grille on the underside. 

Replacing existing toughened glass sealed units with laminated ones is possible, but would be a rather expensive exercise and although you could instead apply a security film onto the sealed units to make them more secure (but it has to be applied so that it is behind the glazing bars) it is unlikely that the overall benefits would make this worthwhile.

Think carefully then about what you keep in the conservatory.

True story

One hot Friday night in June a burglar was climbing across a glass conservatory roof to reach an open bedroom window when he fell through the glazing.  He landed on the hard tiled floor and broke both his ankles. He couldn’t stand up and the French doors leading into the house were solidly locked. He shouted for help, but the double glazing muffled his shouts to the extent that the neighbours couldn’t hear him. The residents were away for the weekend and arrived home Sunday afternoon to discover the dehydrated and frazzled lad in a great deal of pain laid out on the floor. And the moral to this story is....