There are two factors that drive the popularity of communal living in South Africa - the natural beauty of our country that provides ample opportunities for lifestyle living and the increasing need for security of one’s person and one’s private property. If you are living in a sectional title complex or lifestyle estate, it’s important to determine if the existing safety elements are adequate and understand the process of adding and improving safety features. Ensuring that your house or unit is safe and that your family enjoy the requisite privacy is not always the responsibility of the estate management or body corporate.

Karina Palmer of AMERICAN shutters says “The security and lifestyle benefits of estate living are obvious, but one potential drawback is the loss of privacy. Although the community concept of estate living allows residents free and safe access to the shared areas and facilities of the estate, it also puts homes and residents in close proximity of one another and this impacts on personal privacy. Installing shutters will protect your privacy because with a simple tilt of the louvres homeowners can obstruct sight lines into their homes without losing views, natural light and fresh air.”

Individual vs Communal security Security estates usually implement a combination of security measures, but individual owners are still responsible to ensure the safety of their own homes and possessions and install additional security features that they deem necessary to their exclusive use areas. Owners can install additional security features to ensure privacy and provide an additional layer of protection if the body corporate approves the manner of installation and if it complements the aesthetic objectives of the complex.  

Security shutters vs burglar bars The benefits of security shutters over burglar bars are numerous. The shutters comprise of horizontal adjustable slats set in solid frames and are installed in window or door reveals. The shutters by comparison are aesthetically pleasing and offer the same protection against violent intrusion, if not more. The frame and louvres are powder coated for a corrosion resistant finish presenting a simple elegance that is not obtrusive and can be installed outside or inside homes or units.   

Security gates and grilles Sliding glass doors are a popular feature for creating a seamless indoor / outdoor flow. However, they are also a favourite target for criminals to get into houses. Retractable security grilles offer no privacy and do nothing to prevent snoopers with ulterior motives to discern the movements in your house. Security shutters with operable aluminium louvres maintain security and privacy by closing flush against each other. The shutters are usually installed on the inside of the glass doors which facilitates the tilting of the louvres to check on noises or audible movements outside, keeping residents safe at all times.  

Security film Security film can add another weapon in your layered security arsenal, but should not be considered as a replacement for security shutters or gates. Although it offers some protection against smashing, burglars can cut through it with the same tools that glass can be cut with.  

Clear Burglar Bars While clear burglar bars can offer the same respite from feeling trapped in your own home as security shutters, but these are worryingly susceptible to burning through with ordinary butane lighters. The bars look unattractive when scratched and become cloudy when coming into contact with common household cleaners that contain ammonia or are slightly abrasive.   

A case study : American shutters Decowood™  at Val de Vie  An example of how shutters can provide extra security, enable effective light and ventilation control and ensure privacy in a lifestyle estate is American Shutters’ recent installation of custom-made Decowood™ shutters at a home in the Val de Vie Estate in Paarl in the Western Cape. The shutters, installed in the bedrooms, bathrooms and  living areas perfectly complement the interiors of the home and make the utmost of the natural surroundings. The shutter panels slide out of view  inside a wall cavity when opened, allowing an unobstructed view of the  estate.  

Communal living can be safer and allow South Africans to be more at ease when enjoying the natural characteristics of their residential environment. However, individual homeowners need to ascertain if their individual needs for security are met and implement measures to make sure their own house or unit is safe. After all, we can only control our own actions and not those of our neighbours. If security features installed in your exclusive use area are unobtrusive and don’t impugn on the enjoyment of the common areas by community members, the body corporate are much more likely to allow these security improvements to be carried out on units in sectional title estates.  

A perfectly good starting point when evaluating what measures an owner of a sectional title property can take to secure his own home is to consider how the windows, doors and openings with large surface areas, such as sliding doors, can be secured. What type of materials should be used and what to expect in terms of durability. When living on a communal estate, aesthetics become an unavoidable part of the equation.  Security shutters  is one product that is hard to beat when it comes to a combination of security with the lifestyle expectations of beauty, durability and value.