EXTERNAL WALLS & ROOFS

The walls of any building provide its strength. Stonework and brick usually provide adequate security if they are kept in good condition.

However, it is not unheard of for criminals to remove the external brickwork of a building in order to gain access. This has been done when extensive valuable stock or equipment is situated next to outer wall, on the inside. This is worth considering when deciding where to position valuable items or stock inside the building.

Some modern prefabricated construction methods may produce buildings which are vulnerable to criminal attack. The main shell of these buildings is very strong usually consisting of a steel girder frame and infill panels. The infill panel may be a combination of concrete blocks, single brick, metal, plywood or plastic panels. In some cases it may be mainly glass.

Experience has shown that if certain crime prevention measures are taken then the risk to these types of building can be reduced. This is known as 'target hardening' and these techniques can be applied to all types of construction but this is a specialist field in itself.

Roofs can also be vulnerable to attack. Their security may be improved by the use of anti-scaling measures, such as cacti spikes and anti-climb paint. In extreme cases it may be worth lining the inside of the roof void with weld mesh panels.

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