Sarah Lero / Tuesday, January 25, 2022

How to specify school security windows and stay cost-effective?

Bulletproof glass can get expensive quickly. Is there a solution to keep intruders out and not break the bank?

Which window is best for schools?

When it comes to school windows, we need to protect them from intruders, give students and teachers the ability to egress, and provide fresh air opportunities. There are many different options, and it can get confusing just what will give you the most benefits for the most cost-effective price.

How to keep intruders out?

There has been an idea within the school window industry that you need bulletproof fixed windows to keep intruders out. Bulletproof so that intruders cannot shoot the glass out, and fixed windows so there is no hinge mechanism which could be considered a weak point. If the goal is to keep intruders out until help arrives, you need glass and a window that could withstand bullets and potential blows for 11 minutes, 11 minutes being the national average response time for law enforcement.

A scenario we have tested internally instead of utilizing expensive bulletproof glass is to use laminated hurricane glass in classroom windows to make it hard for an intruder to get in before help could arrive. Laminated glass will not stop bullets from coming in through the glass, but the laminated layers will make it hard for someone to get through the glass into the building. Around doors and main entrances where intruders are more likely to try to enter the building, we do still recommend choosing bulletproof security glazing.

How to safely give students and teachers the ability to egress?

Being able to escape in an emergency is crucial to keeping everyone safe in schools. In the past, there used to be one designated window to egress through with the intention of only one window opening fully, with the rest limited for fall protection and child safety. It may sound like a long shot, but what if something happened to the one egress window and it wouldn't open? Would you feel safer if there was more than one option to escape in a classroom? Utilizing an inswing casement window with a releasable limit will give you the ability to egress out of every window while keeping the windows limited daily to 4" for fall protection and child safety. Gaining the ability to egress and limit window opening gives the best of both worlds. Below is a video demonstrating how the releasable limit works on inswing casement windows.

How does fresh air play a role in classroom safety?

The recent pandemic has shed a role on the importance of indoor air quality. According to the EPA, adding fresh air to a confined area can help reduce the number of air contaminants. Students and teachers need to be in the classroom learning and teaching, which cannot happen if the whole class is continually getting sick. While HVAC systems come with filters to reduce contaminants, you could enhance the benefits by adding fresh outdoor air. The choice comes back to utilizing an inswing casement window with a releasable limit to give you fresh air daily and egress capabilities when needed.

Besides security and fresh air, there are many other options to consider when choosing windows for schools including, antimicrobial powder finish, co-extruded accessories for replacement scenarios, and overall aesthetics. We have an entire team dedicated to helping you choose which product will be suitable for your project.

For help choosing what is best for your school, contact your area Representative.