BajaNomad

baja bars

mulege marv - 8-20-2007 at 03:27 AM

i was just wondering how many of you have the bars on your windows ? until recently i was totally against them, but could understand it for those who left for part of the year and needed to secure the home while away. you thought i meant cantinas didnt you ! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

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Bob and Susan - 8-20-2007 at 05:35 AM

you know marv...

i went to "minnows" house in ensenada right after he was broken into and his truck stolen...

the bars were set into the concrete not just bolted on...

they were really secure and the robbers still got them off

if someone wants in...they're in

oh yea...they're ULGY too...

:light:get a "housesitter" while you're away:light:

there's plenty of locals that would stay there while you're "on vacation"

DianaT - 8-20-2007 at 09:48 AM

HATE bars, but we are having them built and installed. Most of them will be removable for when we are there.

Yes, I know that if someone wants in, they will get in, but this is just to slow down the opportunists. When we have more neighbors, we will probably get rid of them, but right now we are a little isolated and out of view of most of the town and we will be gone for long periods.

We still were not going to do this, but our neighbor---several lots away on the other side of the road, is only there a few times during the year. She never had a problem before, but this last time she was gone, someone backed up a truck and cleaned her out---beds, furniture, everything---

The Pro can get in anywhere----just slowing people down. And yes, once our guest room is complete, we will probably use local housesitters.

Diane

bajalera - 8-20-2007 at 02:57 PM

Those are called protecciones [sp?] for good reason.

DENNIS - 8-20-2007 at 03:54 PM

If you're going to use them, use good ones. Unfortunatly, the better they are, stronger, the uglier they are. I've seen them spread apart with a bottle jack.
If my property was vacant and vulnerable for an extended period, I would shutter the openings from the inside using heavy material. They could be taken down and stored when the house is occupied.
Nothing is fool-proof but you have to give security your best effort or disaster may well find you.

bajajudy - 8-20-2007 at 04:07 PM

We call it the San Quintin look...not after the city in BC.

As for removable ones...if you can remove them why cant the thieves? I would love to hear your design plans.

The bars over my kitchen window go up and are secured in the roof of the porch when we are here so I can pass food, dishes etc through to the porch. When they come down, we then put 3 extra heavy duty padlocks on them.....I feel that they are the weak link in our thief defense. BTW, we used to be in the pinball business so these locks are the hardest steel you can get.

But as our contractor said as they put the last of our bars on...if they want to get in they will.

DENNIS - 8-20-2007 at 04:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy

As for removable ones...if you can remove them why cant the thieves? I would love to hear your design plans.


Like I said, Judy, they are mounted on the inside of the house. If the vermin get close enough to mess with them, it's too late.

roundtuit - 8-20-2007 at 05:55 PM

My place they have to remove plywood, break window, then try to remove bars. the plwood and bars are are removable when I am there. Also have a neighbor who watches over area. Right Jim :bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

bajajudy - 8-20-2007 at 05:55 PM

Dennis
So they wouldnt be bars?

DENNIS - 8-20-2007 at 05:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by roundtuit
My place they have to remove plywood, break window, then try to remove bars. the plwood and bars are are removable when I am there. Also have a neighbor who watches over area. Right Jim :bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

That's about all you can do.

DENNIS - 8-20-2007 at 06:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
Dennis
So they wouldnt be bars?

Not my application. I have used 2x6 lumber, built much like a door or gate, bolted to secure brackets in the wall. Most all of the aperatus could be removed with no trouble, leaving a clean look. Not beautiful but not bad when done right.
I build strong. Someone is more apt to enter through a wall than a window if I don't want them in the house. I havn't decided how to go on the house I'm building now. Plus the fact, I hope, that insurance is getting better.

David K - 8-20-2007 at 07:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jdtrotter
HATE bars, but we are having them built and installed. Most of them will be removable for when we are there.

Yes, I know that if someone wants in, they will get in, but this is just to slow down the opportunists. When we have more neighbors, we will probably get rid of them, but right now we are a little isolated and out of view of most of the town and we will be gone for long periods.

We still were not going to do this, but our neighbor---several lots away on the other side of the road, is only there a few times during the year. She never had a problem before, but this last time she was gone, someone backed up a truck and cleaned her out---beds, furniture, everything---

The Pro can get in anywhere----just slowing people down. And yes, once our guest room is complete, we will probably use local housesitters.

Diane


Wow, this sounds like Ensenada and what's happening there...?

Shari, maybe the local policia can do a few daily drive bys in their nice trucks around Asuncion... 'police patrols'? Neighborhood watch if the neighbors have a way of calling the police would work too...

Bars on windows and broken glass on the top of walls has been the scene in Mexico for many years... What would some say was the need for this?:wow::light:

DianaT - 8-20-2007 at 07:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Quote:
Originally posted by jdtrotter
HATE bars, but we are having them built and installed. Most of them will be removable for when we are there.

Yes, I know that if someone wants in, they will get in, but this is just to slow down the opportunists. When we have more neighbors, we will probably get rid of them, but right now we are a little isolated and out of view of most of the town and we will be gone for long periods.

We still were not going to do this, but our neighbor---several lots away on the other side of the road, is only there a few times during the year. She never had a problem before, but this last time she was gone, someone backed up a truck and cleaned her out---beds, furniture, everything---

The Pro can get in anywhere----just slowing people down. And yes, once our guest room is complete, we will probably use local housesitters.

Diane


Wow, this sounds like Ensenada and what's happening there...?

Shari, maybe the local policia can do a few daily drive bys in their nice trucks around Asuncion... 'police patrols'? Neighborhood watch if the neighbors have a way of calling the police would work too...

Bars on windows and broken glass on the top of walls has been the scene in Mexico for many years... What would some say was the need for this?:wow::light:


Very naive David, very naive. Shari, Juan, and their favorite worker, Efrain all suggested bars for the reasons we listed, and we resisted. Juan, who might just know a little about the area STRONGLY suggested bars. Still, we resisted

It was not until we talked with Sophia, the really nice lady from Tijuana who owns the house closest to us that we gave into the idea. She was CLEANED out.

Yes, once we have neighbors it will be different, but don't be so naive. I would trust almost everyone in that village, but people from outside visit there, and there is drug problem through-out the Vizcaino area. Like it or not, as gringos we are targets, rather isolated at this point, and everyone knows when we leave town.

Oh, one local suggested that since we don't have bars, we take as much as we could to their place for safe keeping---we declined, but we will have solid core doors and bars. It is the LOCALS who have pushed us along with our neighbor. Maybe the locals know just a little more about the area than do you?

Don't appreciate your sarcasm and you need to get a grip on reality.

Diane and John



[Edited on 8-21-2007 by jdtrotter]

bajalou - 8-20-2007 at 07:47 PM

My question is "If the local Mexicans put bars on their windows and use security doors, why would an American, who is perceived as "rich" by most locals, not want to follow their lead?"

DianaT - 8-20-2007 at 07:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
My question is "If the local Mexicans put bars on their windows and use security doors, why would an American, who is perceived as "rich" by most locals, not want to follow their lead?"


In our area only a few of the nicer homes have bars, but most of the homes are in town and close to other homes---they all look out for each other----sometime in the future, we too will have neighbors.

You, however, are correct. Seems like the wise thing to do is listen to and follow the locals.

Diane and John

toneart - 8-20-2007 at 08:08 PM

The answer maybe?
Quote:
Originally posted by BMG


Minnow - 8-20-2007 at 09:51 PM

If you leave your home in Baja for extended periods and don't have someone staying there full time, you WILL be robbed. The degree may vary, but it will happen. The Meth problem all over baja has gotten so bad that theft is unavoidable. Picture thousands of unemployed young men with no money, no job, and an insatiable drug habit that keeps them up all night when everybody else is sleeping. I am an insomniac so I can only sleep about 3 hours at a stretch. MANY nights/early mornings I would sit on my porch a my house in Baja. The amount of these people wandering around and looking in yards was frightening. Like ants carrying off any speck of food, they were in search of anything that could fetch them a few pesos. As for the bars they broke through to get into my house, the new ones are even more secure by the way, they brought in a 10 metal post filled with concrete to pry them open.

David K - 8-20-2007 at 10:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jdtrotter
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Quote:
Originally posted by jdtrotter
HATE bars, but we are having them built and installed. Most of them will be removable for when we are there.

Yes, I know that if someone wants in, they will get in, but this is just to slow down the opportunists. When we have more neighbors, we will probably get rid of them, but right now we are a little isolated and out of view of most of the town and we will be gone for long periods.

We still were not going to do this, but our neighbor---several lots away on the other side of the road, is only there a few times during the year. She never had a problem before, but this last time she was gone, someone backed up a truck and cleaned her out---beds, furniture, everything---

The Pro can get in anywhere----just slowing people down. And yes, once our guest room is complete, we will probably use local housesitters.

Diane


Wow, this sounds like Ensenada and what's happening there...?

Shari, maybe the local policia can do a few daily drive bys in their nice trucks around Asuncion... 'police patrols'? Neighborhood watch if the neighbors have a way of calling the police would work too...

Bars on windows and broken glass on the top of walls has been the scene in Mexico for many years... What would some say was the need for this?:wow::light:


Very naive David, very naive. Shari, Juan, and their favorite worker, Efrain all suggested bars for the reasons we listed, and we resisted. Juan, who might just know a little about the area STRONGLY suggested bars. Still, we resisted

It was not until we talked with Sophia, the really nice lady from Tijuana who owns the house closest to us that we gave into the idea. She was CLEANED out.

Yes, once we have neighbors it will be different, but don't be so naive. I would trust almost everyone in that village, but people from outside visit there, and there is drug problem through-out the Vizcaino area. Like it or not, as gringos we are targets, rather isolated at this point, and everyone knows when we leave town.

Oh, one local suggested that since we don't have bars, we take as much as we could to their place for safe keeping---we declined, but we will have solid core doors and bars. It is the LOCALS who have pushed us along with our neighbor. Maybe the locals know just a little more about the area than do you?

Don't appreciate your sarcasm and you need to get a grip on reality.

Diane and John



[Edited on 8-21-2007 by jdtrotter]


There was no sarcasm... you posted the above and I asked why not ask the local police to do patrols? I answered your u2u as well... I don't know how you misunderstood my suggestions and questions... but there was nothing sarcastic implied or intended... okay?

Bob and Susan - 8-21-2007 at 04:55 AM

if parents took more time and educated their kids on attitude and drugs in the first place this could stop...

education and spending quality time with children is the answer

flyfishinPam - 8-21-2007 at 10:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
if parents took more time and educated their kids on attitude and drugs in the first place this could stop...

education and spending quality time with children is the answer


Very true but according to some on this board this is exclusively a gringo problem :lol::lol:

the meth problem is HUGE and all that minnow says is true. I sleep very lightly and have woken up to the same vista as he has, chamacos wandering around in the night looking like walking skeletons. And this IS very much a LOCALS problem as it is an outsider problem. For years thievery in Loreto has been growing and the Loretanos are famous for blaming "the outsiders" but it is their sons and daughters that I see partying across from the radio towers all night when I depart to prepare the fishing boats in the early morning, and it is their sons and daugheters and themselves who are clients of the tiendita (drug store) which is a stone´s throw away from my house.

if you vacate your land for a season or two, your neighbors KNOW it best advice is to prepare and protect yourself.

when I lived in Switzerland all the houses had these roll up garage door looking things that they used when they vacated their land for a vacation or extended stay. I would think that kind of thing would work well and also serve for storm protection.

shari - 8-21-2007 at 10:13 AM

It is a hassle but bars work...I designed a nice sunrise design for ours at the beach house and I actually like them. Police patrols dont work as they only do it sporadically, but I always ask them to keep their eye on our place when we aren't home even though we have housesitters usually...then I bring them something they like too...generally petty thiefs wont try to hard to get in...and its very rare here even to break a window to get in but ya never know who is around...I'm glad trotters used my laundry on the line idea as I heard folks say oh yeah they're here, they have clothes on the line! But beware with local housesitters as I've had them steal stuff!! ONly go with those you REALLY trust and them treat them well or pay them something. It is something to keep in mind when building your homes...maybe fewer windows! and shutters are great. And if there is something really valuable, take it over to someones place for safekeeping too.

rob - 8-21-2007 at 10:45 AM

In South Africa, where break-ins are endemic (far worse than Baja, and with extreme violence thrown in if you have the misfortune to be home at the time), many (upmarket) beach homes have the roll-down shutters suggested by FlyfishinPam.

Most are manual, but the rich have electric roll-downs.

Would serve a dual purpose - when a hurricane threatened, simply put down your beer and press a button . .

rpleger - 8-21-2007 at 01:02 PM

Toneart has the right idea, Dogs. They don't eat that much and you can get a neighbor to feed when your gone.
Thieves don't like my dogs.... arf, arf, arf

Baja Bernie - 8-21-2007 at 10:13 PM

Not attempting to be naive but do you guys know what you are saying about the paradise that 'was' Baja.

I know it was years ago, but when we had been hit a few times and Lu Ann had been robbed at gun point I received this message.......you either made me feel secure or I won't come back to Baja with you. With that directive I hardened our place with bars over the windows and skylites and professional, from the states, according, case hardened roller bars over the sliders. It all cost an arm but then I 'was' motivated and we were never hit again. It helped that our neighbors never secured their places and meth heads go for the places that cause them the least work.

Funny aside.............I recommended to the community group that we follow the Mexicans lead and imbed glass on all walls AND it was totally rejected because the ladies felt that the cats would get cut when they climbed the walls. And we just could not have that...........even after a demonstration with a cat mincing her way through the glass with out a problem. And then it was they are ugly, don't you know.

Hardening a house is not done with the cheap bars you normaly find in Baja and the good ones need to be anchored 'through' the walls (not into them).

Oh! Yes, and then I had 3 rendundent alarms systems.....the kind if you cut the obvious wires the alarm woud sound at the cutting and still function with the hidden wires or the ones with radio type control......Like I said not cheap.

Oh! We did have one guy who got fed up with losing his good booze and ended up putting poison in a few bottles...never saw any bodies!

Painting he bars about 4 or 5 times a year because of the salt air was a pain.

[Edited on 8-22-2007 by Baja Bernie]

Bob and Susan - 8-22-2007 at 05:18 AM

much better idea and pretty:light:

help your neighbors out while you're gone:saint::saint:

http://www.hurricaneshuttersflorida.com/flashutter/rolldowns...


[Edited on 8-22-2007 by Bob and Susan]

rollingsmall3.jpg - 25kB

Pescador - 8-22-2007 at 06:28 AM

Thanks, Bob and Susan, those actually look great.:cool: