Balconies are a great way to provide outdoor space and natural light to any apartment or condominium. However, balconies – especially first and second floor ones – do come with an additional concern: balcony security. If you live in an apartment or condo and you want to make sure that your balcony–and family–are safe and secure, consider the following balcony security ideas.
6 Balcony Security Tips
1. Always lock your balcony door
First and foremost, if you want to have solid balcony security then you need to make sure to always lock your balcony door when you are not outside on the balcony. Keep your balcony locked during the daytime and especially at night. Special note: If you have children in the home, use a key lock on the balcony in order to prevent children from accessing the balcony on their own, which is a safety risk.
2. Install a camera above your balcony
Modern security cameras are a staple of any balcony security plan. At least one camera should be installed outdoors, ideally high enough that you can get a good vantage point of the entire balcony. If possible, aim an indoor security camera towards the balcony from the inside or your apartment or condo as well. If possible, opt for a camera with a connected app so that you can be altered if someone is potentially on your balcony and so that you can access footage if necessary. It’s also important to get a camera with night vision like this one. Remember to consider the camera placement before you install!
3. Place an alarm on your balcony door
Balcony security is about prevention, deterring and alerting. You can both deter potential break-ins and ensure that you are alerted to a potential-break in by installing an alarm on your balcony door. Studies have shown that potential burglaries can be deterred by the presence of a loud alarm, which indicates that the crime will not go unnoticed.
There are many different alarms on the market today that are ideal for balcony security. Some of them can be easily installed on glass, while others may need to be installed on the frame. Make sure to consult with the building manager if you do not own the apartment or otherwise need approval for modifications. If possible, opt for an alarm that connects to your phone or even one that connects to the authorities.
4. Consider extra locks in addition to your apartment/condo locks
Most balconies come with pre-installed locks that are designed to keep the balcony door shut, but which do not necessarily provide a high level of security. These pre-installed locks could potentially be broken and rendered unusable. One way to increase the security of your balcony is to install extra locks in addition to the pre-installed locks that came with your apartment or condominium.
There are many different types of additional locks out there, ranging from chain locks to deadbolts and more; which locks you choose will depend on the type of balcony door, as well as your budget and what you are allowed to do in regards to installing new features or making modifications to the apartment.
5. Secure your furniture
Furniture theft from an easily accessible balcony is definitely a thing, especially for higher priced items like grills or smaller furniture items. There are a couple of things you can do to make theft a lot more difficult:
- Bring furniture inside: not the easiest option – and surely a hassle – but you can move items indoors when not in use.
- Use a cable lock (works similar to a bike lock) to secure your furniture or valuable items to a railing or other permanent structure on your balcony
- If there’s nothing to secure a cable lock to, you can always link your furniture together via a cable wire. This would make it a lot more difficult to steal anything because all of your items would be linked together as one piece.
6. Use a Privacy Screen
Balcony security is always going to be increased any time you can make it harder to access from the outside, and certain types of privacy screens provide an extra layer of protection beyond the obvious cosmetic and privacy benefits. Metal screens, thick plants/trees, trellises and taller bamboo screens are often taller than a balcony railing, making the balcony itself a lot more difficult to access from the outside. Balcony enclosures even go a step further.
Final Thoughts
Balcony security isn’t something anyone enjoys thinking about, but it’s important for any space, particularly ones that are most accessible on the ground floor and second floor. Hopefully, we’ve provided you with some good security tips and ideas for your space.