Effective burglary protection at home is essential, despite falling burglary figures: anyone who has ever had thieves break into their home will never forget it. A truly secure home requires more than just good locks – a certified burglar-resistant door in accordance with DIN EN 1627, burglar-resistant windows and a vigilant neighbourhood are crucial. With almost 320 residential burglaries every day in Germany alone, it is worth knowing the right measures to take.
- The biggest burglary risks and how to assess them
- what really matters when it comes to a certified burglar-resistant door (RC 2–RC 4)
- how you can retrofit existing doors – and what it costs
- Current funding opportunities for burglar-resistant front doors
1. burglary risks: Is my home at risk of burglary?
Situation, situation, situation: Unfortunately, it’s also a key factor when it comes to the burglary risk. Quiet, secluded locations aren’t only attractive on the property market; they also have a magnetic pull on thieves. That’s because they can get on with their work undisturbed. And it’s often in these places that they cause the most damage.
Here are the top 5 burglary risks:
- is close to the motorway. Burglars also appreciate good transport links: they can be on location quickly – and be gone again just as fast.
- is in a secluded location, without neighbours or amenities.
- is overgrown, hidden behind tight hedges, in a park or surrounded by green spaces. Shielded from the outside in this way, only the residents enjoy peace and quiet. Burglars also have all the time in the world to enter the house completely undisturbed.
- has a poorly lit and/or concealed basement door: Burglars also like to work in secret here.
- has no professionally assembled burglary protection.
2. can burglars also break open locked doors?
If nobody hears windows splintering or door frames bursting for miles around, then the damage is all the greater in these high-risk locations. This is because burglars can often use brute force to smash, break open and chisel away any obstacles without haste. The police therefore advise installing windows and doors with a higher security class. In addition, residents should definitely install a modern alarm system (or have one installed).
Incidentally, burglary professionals can break doors or windows out of their frames in under a minute. If they don't have to be quiet, it's even quicker. Have you bought your doors and windows cheaply on the internet and not had them professionally installed? Then burglars have an easy game! Even if such a door is "locked" ...
3. What really protects against burglary? Certification, locking systems and lighting.
A reliable burglar-resistant door is not a single component, but a certified system: the door leaf, frame, hinges, security lock and security fittings must all be certified as a complete unit in accordance with DIN EN 1627. Only the interaction of all these components – combined with professional installation – meets the standard. From resistance class RC 2 onwards, police authorities also refer to this as ‘good burglary protection’. Anyone wishing to retrofit existing doors and windows should refer to DIN 18104 (Parts 1 and 2) for retrofit systems.
In addition, good external lighting and motion detectors, mounted out of reach of burglars, are helpful. Please note: dummy cameras do not deter professional burglars – they can immediately tell whether a system is operational.
4 Which flat entrance door is burglar-proof?
High-quality burglar-resistant doors are tested and certified in accordance with DIN EN 1627. Burglar-resistant entrance doors for homes are only awarded the security certificate if they are manufactured strictly in accordance with the standardised design specifications. Each individual door model undergoes a vulnerability analysis – the door leaf, frame, hinges, lock and fittings must function as a single system. Certified doors can be identified by a permanently affixed identification plate in the rebate on the hinge side.
Arbonia offers tested burglar-resistant doors in resistance classes RC 2 to RC 4 – for residential buildings, apartment blocks and commercial properties. All models are tested as a system with the corresponding frame.
5 How do I prevent a break-in?
- Maintaining good contact with neighbours also helps to keep your home safe. Attentive neighbours have thwarted many a burglary attempt.
- Give your keys to a trusted person while you are on holiday. This will not only ensure that your letterbox is always empty, but also that there is movement in and around your home.
- The front door key must not be left under the door mat or under the flower pot. Because every burglar knows these hiding places!
- If you are travelling for a longer period of time, you should never leave messages on your answering machine with holiday information.
- Facebook posts from your holiday are also a bad idea. Because thieves are just as active on social media.
- Don't forget: Always lock everything when you leave your home! Windows, flat and front doors.
6 Who pays for burglary protection at home?
There is currently no statutory minimum standard for private burglary protection. Instead, tenants make a voluntary commitment if they want to invest in the security of their home. The landlord is not obliged to do so. The good news is that landlords can apply for a subsidy if they want to make their home burglar-proof. For example, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) will cover up to 20 per cent of the costs for a new, burglar-resistant entrance door.
7. what does a burglary protection door cost?
Homeowners are keen to invest in an attractive designer door – yet burglary protection is often given low priority. Yet certified burglar-resistant doors are available from around €1,000: the Arbonia range includes models ranging from sturdy standard doors to bespoke designer doors in various resistance classes – offering the right solution for every budget and every type of building.
Added to this are the costs of professional installation, without which even a high-quality door cannot provide the protection it is designed for. On request, burglar-resistant doors can be fitted with additional features – such as sound insulation, smoke protection or climate stability (climate class 3).
Link list burglary protection at home
- The figures for residential burglaries are falling, as shown by the crime statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which are published here every spring:
- Private burglary protection is the tenant’s responsibility. Funding options are available here:
- Certified burglar-proof doors from Arbonia with a police seal of approval and DIN CERTCO certification:
Burglary protection for your home – tested and certified.
Arbonia offers burglar-resistant doors compliant with DIN EN 1627 in resistance classes RC 2 to RC 4 – for detached houses, apartment blocks and commercial buildings. Discover our wide range of models and find the right solution for your project.