When many homeowners think of security doors and windows, they often think of big, heavy, wrought iron bars that are installed over the glass, ruining the aesthetics of their carefully designed home, and blocking the view they paid so much for. They simply don’t fit in when installed on a luxury home.
While wrought iron has its place in luxury and grandeur (like a fence surrounding your property), that aesthetic is somehow not the same when the wrought iron is placed over your doors and windows. This is a look you expect to find on first floor apartments in busy cities — not spacious luxury homes in upscale neighborhoods.
Obviously, the point of them is to protect the residents. Even if someone were to break the glass, they wouldn’t be able to squeeze past the iron bars. A screen door made of wrought iron theoretically prevents someone from breaking down the front door (of course, they could always just take it off its hinges).
The most common discussion we have with our clients is this exact issue — they need security doors and windows, but they don’t want their luxury home’s façade to be ruined by ugly wrought iron bars.
Fortunately, we have a solution for you. We can build you security doors and windows without any ugly bars getting in the way of your fantastic view, and still keep you completely safe at home. Here’s how FBS is revolutionizing home security.
Wrought Iron Security Doors and Windows
We’ve all seen the stereotypical wrought iron security door and the bars covering windows. They’re relatively inexpensive (compared to higher quality products), easy to install, and a general deterrent for people looking to hit easy marks. For the most part, they accomplish that goal. 
While we often think of eye sores when we think of wrought iron security doors and windows, even we have to admit that they’ve come a long way. There are some legitimately beautiful security doors made of wrought iron. They aren’t made of bold lines with no design aesthetic anymore. They’re not what we’re used to seeing on middle class homes from television shows set in Queens in the early 2000s. They’re more ornate now and come in many different design patterns, including twining wrought iron to create vines, flowers, or delicate-looking swirls. But no matter how well-designed they become, they will still look out of place on a luxury home, and they will still not protect you and your family from determined intruders.
Wrought Iron Failure Points
Wrought iron security doors and windows have three major failure points that are of the utmost importance to consider. Provided that security is so important to you (which we will assume based on the fact that you’re reading this), the wrought iron you want to put in place is there to protect you and your family. To that end, you need to understand the potential weak points.
- The door comes off the hinges. If you have a wrought iron security door on the exterior of your home, it may deter petty criminals, but it will not stop someone who is deliberately trying to break into your home. It’s not that difficult to remove the door from its hinges and rip it out of the frame. Once the wrought iron door is gone, all they have to do is pick the lock of your front door, or kick it in.
- The lock can be picked. Locks are more of a psychological salve in a similar way that you put a cute character bandaid onto a minor scrape that didn’t even break the toddler’s skin — they make us feel better. It may be disheartening to hear that most locks can be picked rather easily with either a pick set or a bump key, both of which can be purchased on the internet and aren’t difficult to figure out with practice. And of course, once the lock is picked, your home is compromised and your family is in danger.
- The bars can be removed. The wrought iron security bars that go on windows can be removed easily enough with either a saw or a screwdriver (depending on how they’re installed). The biggest obstacle for an intruder would actually be the weight of the wrought iron, but with a partner in crime, this would be more manageable.
The point is, a determined criminal will find their way through your wrought iron security doors and windows. In order to truly protect your home and your family, you must eliminate failure points — more on that later.
Feels Like a Prison Cell
Perhaps the most significant issue with wrought iron security windows is that they make you feel like you’re in a prison cell when you’re standing in your own home, just trying to look out the window and enjoy the view. Why in the world would you want your luxury home — your own little slice of paradise that you’ve poured your heart and soul into — to feel like a prison?
Luxury homes are meant to be stately and flawless. You’re paying too much money to compromise on the design aesthetic of your home, and we’re certain your architect and your interior designer wouldn’t want their hard work tainted by iron bars. You don’t have to make a choice here. You can get completely secure windows and doors without having to make compromises. You can have the security you require and you can also have the luxury home of your dreams.
A Better Alternative: Luxury Security Doors
We believe that the front door of your luxury home sets the tone for the whole space. In fact, the front door has been a symbol of wealth and power for centuries. You’ll see on government buildings that there are usually large double doors. The same goes for churches (especially cathedrals), and it’s not simply a matter of crowd control and safety — although that’s certainly part of it.At FBS, we create custom security doors built with steel frames and finished in almost anything you can imagine. We solve all of the failure points of wrought iron security doors and improve upon their design limitations tenfold. Our locks are triple safe and cannot be picked (we know because we had a third generation locksmith try). Criminals will not be able to get our doors off their hinges. And as far as breaking it down? Well, the intruder is more likely to break a bone trying.
Custom to Fit Your Style
Our security doors can be done in a number of different models, including regular hinge doors, double doors, arched doors, and pivot doors. Furthermore, we can make french doors or sliding doors for your patio that are entirely secure. Custom finishes range from essential to extravagant, giving you the option of wood veneer, real hardwood, marble or Italian gres, glass, leather, or even precious stones. We’ll help you determine which coverings and style details will work best for your home’s location, as not all materials will work well in all climates.
Structural and Technology Upgrades
You can also choose from a list of structural upgrades that include features like auto-closing hinges (so the door is never left ajar) and automatic locks (so the door can never be accidentally left unlocked). Furthermore, we can motorize your security doors so they open hands-free.Pairing a motorized door with our state-of-the-art facial recognition software is one of the most luxurious and convenient ways to upgrade your luxury home. Imagine coming home after a long day with your hands full and your door just… opens for you. It scans your face, it knows who you are, and you didn’t have to lift a finger.Facial recognition is by far the most secure method of identification because your face cannot be replicated. These scanners are accurate and fast. They will not mistake someone else for you, and they will not leave you standing outside while it figures out who you are.
Custom Security Windows from the Inside Out
We aren’t fans of the term “custom windows” because technically every window is custom. In order to create a window, someone has to measure the opening and then the window is made to fit exactly that frame. However, most businesses aren’t making custom windows in the same way we are.Our windows are made to fit each homeowner’s needs. We make three types of windows: security, hurricane, and ballistic. In order to do this, we use various types of glass and polycarbonate to reinforce the window’s integrity. To that end, the size of the window is most important because it impacts the certification we can achieve.For example, hurricane windows can be certified as such when made with a specific glass composition, special sealants, and proper drainage. The size of the window will affect the glass composition. We’ve written a complete guide to hurricane, security, and ballistic windows that should provide more detail and help you gain a better understanding of exactly how our windows are different from the cheap security window you’d buy at a big box store.Our clients are sometimes surprised at the cost of our windows, but then again, they’re used to seeing prices for cheap windows made with aluminum. Our windows are built with steel frames (just like our doors) in order to ensure the safety of our clients — and steel will always be more expensive than aluminum because it’s heavier and higher quality.
When our clients ask us what we can do, the answer is simple: we can do whatever you want. It’s always a matter of need and cost — what level of security you need and whether or not you have a need for hurricane certification. Regardless of the answers, we can figure something out for you, and the finished product will be flawless. Your view will be unobstructed, you’ll feel safe in your home, and you won’t have to worry about any of the failure points that the wrought iron bars leave open. We’ll close every single one of them so you can rest easier at night.
Designing Your Luxury Security Doors and Windows
After we meet with a new client (or an existing client on a new property), we perform a comprehensive security assessment with our friends over at LionHeart International. This elite team of former military, police, and Secret Service agents will work with your existing security team to help identify weak spots, determine exit strategies during emergencies, and even assist with data protection. By partnering with these extraordinarily talented individuals, we’re able to provide peace of mind to our clients and their families.Above all else, we value integrity. At no point will we try to sell you dozens of doors and insist that you must replace every single window in your home with a custom security window through FBS. It’s our top priority to make sure you’re getting the products and services that will help you the most. Our recommendations will be based upon your concerns, your unique security needs, and the anticipated threat level.Our headquarters is based in Boca Raton, Florida, but our doors and windows are made in Italy and ship worldwide. No matter where your luxury home is located — even if it’s still under construction — we can deliver your custom security doors and windows straight to you. For our part, we won’t abandon you as soon as the design is finished and your custom security doors or windows are under production. We always have an experienced technician present at the time of installation to make sure that everything is done properly. If you’ve chosen facial recognition or any kind of automation, we’ll also show your house manager how it all works — but to be honest, our interfaces are so intuitive, you shouldn’t need any tutorials. If you’re ready to discuss your luxury home door or window needs, feel free to contact us today!
