Doors get all the attention and windows get almost none, which is backwards on a lot of houses. Window lock safety is worth thinking about on two fronts at once: keeping people from getting in, and making sure the people inside can get out. Those two goals pull against each other if you are not careful.
Know What Your Windows Actually Have
Most double-hung windows use a cam lock, the small lever that pulls the two sashes together. It is a closure device more than a security device, and on older wood windows decades of paint and settling often mean it barely engages at all. Sliders usually have a similar latch with the same limitation.
Go around the house and actually operate each one. You will probably find a few that do not latch, a few painted shut, and at least one nobody has opened in years. Sort them into those three categories before buying anything.
Practical Upgrades for Window Lock Safety
Sash pins and keyed sash locks add a second engagement point that a cam lock cannot provide on its own. Ventilation locks are the more useful option for most people, because they let a window open a few inches for air while blocking it from opening far enough for someone to climb through. That matters most on ground-floor bedrooms in summer.
For sliding windows, the same track-blocking idea that works on patio doors works here. A cut dowel or an adjustable track lock is inexpensive and hard to defeat from outside.
Also look at the glass surround rather than only the latch. A window next to a door is a different risk than a window on its own, since reaching through means reaching the deadbolt. That is a case where a bolt without an interior keyhole plus security film is the safer combination.
Never Lock Yourself In
This is the part that gets overlooked. Bedroom windows are escape routes, and anything that requires a key, a tool, or two hands to open from inside is a problem in a fire. Children and older adults should be able to work the release without help or explanation.
If you use keyed window locks, keep the keys somewhere consistent and known to everyone in the house, not hidden. And never screw a window permanently shut in a bedroom, no matter how little you use it.
Check Them Before Cold Weather
Early fall is a good time for this walk-around, since windows have been open all summer and are about to be shut for months. A latch that does not close properly is also a draft you will pay for in January. Older homes around Porter often have original wood windows where a small hardware adjustment fixes both problems at once.
Need a Hand With Yours?
Jacob’s Lock and Key is a licensed mobile locksmith serving Gary and Northwest Indiana, including Hammond, Merrillville, Crown Point, Griffith, Dyer, Munster, Schererville, Hobart, Portage, Saint John, Whiting, Lake Station, and Chesterton. Open 7 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. Call Jacob at (219) 342-5595.
Last updated: 09/05/2026