For a short answer, yes, modern externally beaded windows are safe. The windows in the home may be internally or externally beaded; what does this mean for safety and security?
If you’re told external beaded windows are unsafe, you’re not being given all the correct information. This article will explain why windows have beading and the difference between internally and externally beaded windows regarding security.
What is the difference between internally and externally beaded windows?
Window beads are the strip which holds the glass in place. They are essential and must be removable to install and replace the glass when needed due to glass failure or breakage.
The window beads are fixed on either the inside or the outside and come in various styles to suit the window aesthetic and different depths to accommodate different thicknesses of glass units.
Why do you hear externally beaded windows are not safe?
Some installers say window beads on the outside aren’t safe and are easy to remove. You may also see images online showing a break-in through a window where access is apparently relatively easy by removing the external window beads.
At face value, images and a given perception that externally beaded double-glazed windows pose “dangers” to security would be alarming to any homeowner.
So, is this true? Given that many modern windows remain externally beaded, does this mean that these, too, could be broken easily?
Here is a post with images as an example:
Why are windows externally beaded?
There are actually many valid reasons why windows continue to be externally beaded.
The first is that combinations of opening vents next to fixed lights often use frames in reverse meaning the sashes are sometimes internally glazed and the fixed elements externally glazed. Many aluminium systems adopt this method. One of the key reasons why is that is helps create a much slimmer looking window.
For those wishing to have internal beads on the inside of their windows there are specific internally glazed windows available. In the case of the combination window a dummy sash can be fitted to the fixed element. This would be internally beaded but it adds to the cost of the window (as more material and fabrication time is needed) and it adds to the visible bulk.
You can read a more detailed explanation about internally and externally beaded windows. But in summary:
- Externally beaded windows provide a slimmer looking window. Some people also prefer the look of the window from the inside as there are no visible bead lines.
- Internally beaded windows make installation easy from the inside without requiring scaffolding and are the preferred option for windows fitted in tower blocks or high level generally.
Are externally beaded windows a security concern?
No. Rather than make such a general statement about externally beaded windows, it is worth considering several important points regarding window security, PVCu windows and the whole externally beaded debate. And this is not a new debate. As far back as 2011 we were writing about the security of externally beaded aluminium windows.
In factual and simple terms, an externally beaded windows today is not a security risk. However it’s worth examining why it could be.
No reputable window company would knowingly sell a homeowner windows that are not secure. And in any case it is almost impossible to with today’s modern double glazed windows. Whilst we don’t possess the facts about how this specific PVCu window was broken into, we can explain the situations where a window could be.
How window security and design has improved
As with any product that has undergone improvements, innovations and enhancements, so the same applies to double glazing and windows, whether PVCu, aluminium or timber. Older PVCu windows were fitted with externally glazed beads, had simple cockspur locking handles and in short were basic windows designed to address the early need for replacing old original timber or metal windows.
Speak to any home improvement professional and they’ll tell you that the first generation of double glazed windows were remarkably simple. Therefore what this picture doesn’t tell us is how old this window is and what the level of security for this window would have been at the time it was current. However there are clues in the pictures.
One of the first things a window professional will notice is that it appears the glazing rebate (that the glass sits against) uses glazing tape. Glazing tape is widely used in PVCu windows so this is nothing out of the ordinary. Modern externally glazed windows have moved away from tapes choosing secure internal wedge gaskets that do a far better job.
What closer inspection of the picture does show is a very basic frame profile. Compare this to a modern externally beaded window and there are many more grooves and channels that are designed into extrusions for many reasons and one being security.
So we would guess from the tweeted images that this is a very early generation externally beaded windows that lacks the design or glazing components to keep it secure.
Understanding PVCu windows and window beads
The early generation PVCu windows, as were the very first aluminium windows, were externally beaded. In these first-generation windows fitted in the 1970s and 1980s, the design was at its basic form. The main advantages of PVCu ‘double glazing’ then were the two pieces of glass and the low maintenance properties.
Moving forward to current PVCu windows, the message of these products is still low maintenance, but now it is also about security, thermal efficiency, aesthetics, and window style choices, which were lacking in early double glazing.
One of the reasons why PVCu windows quickly moved towards internal glazing was the physical weakness of a plastic glazing bead. These early externally beaded windows were quite brittle, and it was commonplace for external plastic beads to snap when a glazier tried to remove them.
The PVCu industry quickly spotted the design flaw in a plastic bead that was so susceptible to breaking and easy to remove, and the beads were moved to the inside of the windows. This move created the marketing opportunity to promote internally beaded windows as more secure.
What is better with modern double glazing?
Modern double-glazed windows now have something older generations did not – certification to recognised security standards.
Early double glazing was sold on features that old metal or timber windows did not possess, such as multi-point locking. But rarely was there official documentation to prove that windows were secure.
Today’s modern windows, whether internally or externally beaded, have been tested to meet current security standards such as Secured By Design, PAS 24, BS7950, and others. Testing institutes with expertise and knowledge have been set up to test the security of windows made of all the various materials.
In the case of Secured By Design, the Police Preferred Specification; the Police share with them how burglars break into windows, the methods and tools used, and the knowledge gained from former burglars turned advisors. On a typical test, a series of tools, attack methods, timed attack tests and much more are carried out to test the security of a window.
Older generation windows did not take part in these security tests; therefore, in our view, they have security flaws that those in the know can exploit. However, this is no different from old cars with simple locks that could easily be picked with a coat hanger. Knowledge and innovation have moved on, and as product flaws have come to light, they have been addressed.
What makes externally beaded windows secure?
If the window beads on the windows are on the outside, what makes them secure? Modern technology, as well as excellent engineering and design, is why modern externally glazed windows have passed current security tests and are secure.
When externally beaded windows are glazed, the internal wedge gasket is the last component to be put in place and effectively locks the bead into place.
Each glazing bead has an extended leg that sits under a purpose-designed rebate, which enables the bead to sit in place. On the rear of the bead, you’ll find a further leg designed to be pushed into position when the internal wedge gasket is fitted. This secures the bead and cannot be removed without the internal wedge gasket being removed first.
The only way to access this internal wedge gasket is to break the glass on a fixed window or spend a lot of time trying to prise open the opening vent. This is shown in the diagram below on a typical aluminium window with an external bead.
In the interests of being balanced, the below two tweets from Homes Secured of Leeds also show the flaws in an internally beaded product that has been broken into.
This image shows that access was gained simply by smashing the glass.
This image shows just how easy it was to prise open an early generation PVCu window with espagnolette locking.
Summary
To summarise, there is no security disadvantage to ‘modern’ externally beaded windows. Old windows are more likely to be susceptible to having the beads easily removed. Any reputable double-glazing company that knows its windows will tell you this.
Importantly, check that the windows you purchase have certification to prove they have passed modern security standards.
If you would like advice on where to buy secure windows, please get in touch; we will be happy to help.
