Burglar bars do not have to look like a cage. Burglar bar designs range from plain vertical bars to Spanish scrolls, cottage pane grids and slim modern frames that almost vanish against the window. The style changes how the house looks from the street far more than the steel does. Choose a pattern, send us the window sizes and where you are, and fabricators who make the design you want quote you directly.
Popular styles
Most fabricators work from a handful of patterns and will adapt each to your window:
- Plain verticals: round or square bars at 100 to 115 mm, the cheapest and the most discreet.
- Spanish or scroll: curled steel in diamonds and loops, suited to plastered houses with arched or square windows.
- Cottage pane: a grid of horizontal and vertical flat bars that echoes old steel windows.
- Modern slim frames: thin flat bar or tube in a plain rectangle, usually in black or charcoal.
Matching bars to the house
Look at the roofline, the window frames and any existing gates. Cottage pane looks right on face brick and older houses with steel windows. Clean modern frames suit new plastered homes and townhouses, where a scroll pattern can look fussy. A body corporate may restrict colour and pattern, so check the rules before ordering. Match the pattern on every window facing the street, and carry the same style onto door burglar bars so the house looks planned.
Looks and strength
A decorative design should never be weaker than a plain one. Ask the fabricator to confirm bar thickness, how the scroll sections are welded into the frame and how many fixing points the frame has. Pretty curls that are only tack welded can come loose over time. Ask to see a finished sample or a photo of a recent job in the same pattern, and check that the scroll ends are closed rather than open, because open ends snag clothes and curtains and collect dirt. Also consider the glass behind: a busy pattern over a small window can darken a room, so keep the bar spacing generous where light matters. A frame of 20 x 20 mm tube with 12 mm bars in the pattern, welded all round and bolted into the masonry, is a sound minimum. Decorative bars usually cost 20 to 50 percent more than plain ones, because of the extra work in shaping and welding.
Finish, colour and maintenance
Powder coat in black is the safe choice and hides small marks. White and charcoal suit modern facades. Near the coast ask for hot-dip galvanising under the coat, because the curves of a scroll trap salt and rust from the inside out. Wash bars with water and a soft cloth every few months and touch up chips quickly. See window burglar bars for sizes and fixing, or clear burglar bars for a style that keeps the view.
What to include in your request
- The style you like: plain, scroll, cottage pane or modern
- Width and height of each window in mm
- Colour and any body corporate rules
- Which windows need an opening section
- Wall type and whether you are near the sea
Burglar Bar Designs for different properties
- Houses: scroll or cottage pane bars on the street-facing windows, plain bars at the back
- Townhouses and complexes: slim modern frames in the colour the complex allows
- Flats and apartments: simple, light designs that do not block the view or fire escape
- Farms and smallholdings: strong plain or cottage pane bars suited to farmhouse windows
- Shops and restaurants: slim frames or clear bars that keep the display visible
- Offices and practices: tidy modern frames that match the building
- Factories and warehouses: plain heavy bars for offices and workshops in a yard
- Schools, clinics and churches: durable plain designs specified for schools and clinics
Frequently asked questions
How much do decorative burglar bars cost?
Are decorative bars as safe as plain bars?
Can I have a custom design made?
Can burglar bars still open for escape?
Burglar Bar Designs by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg