"Robert A. Barr" Not.for.@harvest wrote in message
...
john wrote:

We have a victorian house in which the third floor attic has been
finished and is a large fourth bedroom. The dormer windows on the
front and back of the room are lower than normal, and we don't want a
kid accidently falling though a screen. Do you know of any protective
devices that we can put in the windows that look nice (not bars),
would prevent someone from falling through, and still let air through?

thanks,

John


Hardware cloth?

Any place that sells wrought iron, especially old wrought iron, can fix you
up with decorative panels that don't look like bars. Did you want this on
the inside or outside? Just for laughs, check with your local inspector
and/or fire department regarding how they feel about window grates. The guy
on the top of the ladder may HAVE to get in, and they get cranky at hardened
steel lag bolted into studs or brick. If this is just kid-proofing, some
sort of child-proof catch system and hinges on the other side may be enough,
but still allow the firefighter to open it without significant delay from
the outside.

Cheap alternative for kidproofing, if you have deep sills on the inside- a
sheet of thick plexiglas with holes drilled through it, screwed to inside of
window casing. Only cover bottom half of window, and pin the top half with a
locking catch or hidden screw. You can still open the window for air (if it
works smoothly), but rugrats can't hang out. And fire dept can pop the plexi
with one twist of their entry tool. If the plexi is several inches back from
center bar, plenty of air will still get in even with solid plexi. And it is
invisible from street.

aem sends...