Glazing bead security upgrades in Kent

How much should I budget for glazing bead security upgrades in Kent?

Allow £54 to £114 including VAT (£45 to £95 plus VAT) per window for glazing bead security upgrades in Kent, with a minimum charge of £174 including VAT (£145 plus VAT) per visit. The price is confirmed before we attend.

A glazing bead security upgrade makes the glass much harder to remove from the outside of a window or door. On frames with external beads, a burglar can sometimes prise off the beads and lift the whole unit out quietly, and bonding the glass with security tape or fitting bead clips makes that route much harder.

Work we can carry out

Double-sided security glazing tape between unit and frame
No change to how the window looks
Concealed fixings for aluminium beads
Bead clips and bead locks for uPVC frames
Beads replaced where cracked or brittle
Checks for missing or loose beads and packers

Covering Kent

We can arrange glazing bead security upgrades anywhere in Kent, including Maidstone and Gillingham. Visit dates depend on installer availability. Choose your town below for local details.

Kent ranges from Canterbury's listed city centre and the Regency fronts of Tunbridge Wells to the Medway towns, Ashford's growth estates and coastal Margate and Folkestone.

Common situations:

Aluminium windows and doors with external beads
Rented homes where frames are staying
Glazed doors with external beads
Older uPVC windows with beads on the outside

Towns in Kent

Getting the best result

Brittle beads

Old beads can crack when removed. We bring replacements so they can be renewed rather than refitted damaged.

Tape, clips or both

Tape stops the unit being lifted out; clips make the beads harder to remove. Both together give the best result.

Consents and safety: England

England

Replacing glass in an existing frame

Replacing only the glass or sealed unit in an existing frame is generally treated as a repair in England rather than notifiable building work. Replacing a whole window or door is notifiable and is normally certified through a competent person scheme or approved by building control. Either way, new glass in a critical location should still be safety glass.

Safety glass in critical locations

In England, section 5 of Approved Document K treats glazing in doors and in side panels within 300 mm of a door edge, from floor level up to 1,500 mm, and any other glazing below 800 mm, as a critical location. Glass there should break safely, be robust, or be guarded. Laminated or toughened glass meeting BS EN 12600 class 3 is the usual answer, rising to class 2 for door and side-panel panes wider than 900 mm.

How it works

Send a photo of the bead side
Visit price agreed
Clips, tape or internal beads fitted
Record of anything else we noticed

Glazing bead security upgrades in Kent: questions

Which towns in Kent do you cover?

We can arrange work anywhere in Kent, including Maidstone, Gillingham, Chatham, Tunbridge Wells and Folkestone, and in other towns across the area.

Does the glass have to come out to fit security tape?

Yes. Each unit is removed, the tape is applied to the frame and the unit is refitted, so it is a good moment to swap in laminated glass if wanted.

How do I know if my beads are on the outside?

Look at the glass from outside. If you can see a separate clip-in strip around the edge of the glass, and the frame inside is plain, the beads are external.

Can you do this on aluminium windows?

Often, depending on the bead design. We check the profile when we confirm the price.

Other glazing in Kent

Send a photo and we will come back with a price.