Burglar bars
Burglar bars and security gates for doors and windows.
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Burglar bars are the oldest part of what we do. Paul made them in 1978.
Most people want two things from them. They want to sleep with the window open, and not feel like they live in a cage. Both are possible, if the bars are made for the window instead of bought for it.
What are burglar bars and security gates?
Burglar bars are steel bars fixed across a window, so you can open it for air while nobody can climb through. A security gate is a lockable steel gate fitted in front of a door, so you can open the door and still keep the entrance locked. Both are made to measure and fixed firmly into the frame or wall.
We make burglar bars and security gates for doors and windows. Each one is measured on site and made to fit the frame and the house. Good bars do their job without anyone noticing them.
Security you can live behind
A security gate at the front door means you can open the door without opening the house. You can talk to the person outside, take a parcel and let the breeze in, with the gate still locked.
We make them to fit the frame and to suit the house, so they look like they were meant to be there.
A gate made for its frame closes tight, with no space for a bar to get behind it.
Burglar bars made for your windows
A burglar bar from a shop fits a window the shop imagined. Ours fits yours. We measure every window on site and make the bars to fit the frame.
Bars can be plain or patterned. We can match bars you already have, so the house doesn't end up with three different designs.
They let you leave a window open on a summer night and sleep through it.
Bars made for the window sit inside the frame, square and tight. Shop bars sit on top of it, with fixings anyone can see. The difference shows from the street.
Getting out in an emergency
Bars keeping people out can also keep you in. In a fire, a bedroom window may be the second way out.
That is why we make removable burglar bars, so a bedroom window can still be a way out. We talk about escape routes on the site visit. At least one window or door in each sleeping area should open from the inside, with the key kept close by.
Children and guests don't know where the key is kept. Put it where anyone can find it in the dark, but out of reach from the window.
Security gates for doors and patios
Sliding patio doors are the widest openings in most houses. A security gate across them lets you open the glass on a hot afternoon and keep the house closed.
We make security gates for front doors, back doors, patio doors and kitchen doors, each one made for its frame.
A gate locking clean gets locked every night. A sticking gate gets left open "for now".
See our work →Burglar bars and security gates: our gallery
We offer service level agreements and finance for your burglar bars and security gates. Each one is a service contract with 24-hour support at night and on weekends.
Planning your security from the start? Read our home and business security guide, covering gates, access control, cameras, alarms and fencing.
Frequently asked questions
Can burglar bars open in an emergency?
Yes. We make burglar bars with a hinged or removable section, locked from the inside, so a bedroom window can still be a way out in a fire. Fixed bars on every window can trap a family inside, a risk most people only notice when it's too late. On the site visit, we talk through escape routes with you. At least one window or door in each sleeping area should open from the inside, with the key kept close by, somewhere everyone in the room knows and an intruder can't reach from outside. Children should know how to use it. The opening section is made as strong as the rest, so it doesn't become the weak point. Bars keeping people out shouldn't trap you in.
Do you fit security gates to front doors?
Yes. We make and fit security gates for front doors, back doors, patio doors and kitchen doors, measured on site and made for the frame. A security gate lets you open the door and still keep the entrance locked. You can talk to a visitor, sign for a parcel or let the breeze in on a hot afternoon, with steel between you and the outside. In many houses, it's the most used lock in the house. We make hinged gates and sliding gates for wider openings, in plain or decorative designs to match your burglar bars. Each gate is fixed firmly into the frame or wall, with a good lock and hinges made to resist being forced. The written quotation sets out the design, the lock and the fitting.
Can you match my existing burglar bars?
Yes, in most cases. We measure and photograph the burglar bars you already have, then make new ones to the same pattern, spacing and profile. Matching bars keep the house looking like one design, instead of a mix collected over the years. This helps most when you're adding bars to a new window, replacing a damaged set or extending the house. Older and ornate patterns can take more work to copy, but our workshop can usually reproduce them. We also match the finish and colour, so the new bars don't stand out. If your existing bars are in poor condition, we may suggest replacing a few more at the same time. Before we start, we confirm the design with you, and the written quotation sets out the cost.
Do burglar bars have to look like a cage?
No. Burglar bars can be plain, patterned or made to match your gates, security gates and other ironwork. Made to fit the frame, they sit neatly inside the window and don't look like an afterthought. Bars bought in standard sizes and bolted across the outside are what make a house look like a cage. Custom bars can follow the lines of the window, use a modern pattern, or include laser-cut detail. Fitted inside the frame, they're harder to see from the street and harder to remove. Some designs are barely noticed until someone looks for them. A good set of bars lets you sleep with the window open without feeling locked in. The aim is a house you live in, not one you look out of through bars.
Where we work
Our teams work from our Kya Sands workshop, for homes, estates and businesses in Randburg, Fourways, Sandton, Midrand, Waterfall, Centurion, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Bedfordview, Edenvale and the West Rand. See all the areas we serve.
Talk to us about your home and business security needs
You shouldn't have to sit at the bottom of your own driveway, wondering whether the gate will close. With Paul's Gates you won't. Send us a message or chat on WhatsApp, and we will come and look.