Home security remains a top priority for households across the UK. But with the range of home security systems available, from CCTV to alarm systems, where do physical security barriers like bollards fit in?
We compare the benefits of bollards to other popular residential security measures and explain why reinforcing your property’s perimeter with bollards provides protection that cameras and alarms alone cannot.
What Benefits Do Bollards Have Over Security Cameras?
Security cameras are a popular choice for monitoring perimeters but often have limitations. While they can record activity, they cannot physically deter and prevent intrusions. This is where bollards step in, offering a solution that complements and even surpasses cameras in several key ways:
Passive vs Active Deterrents
Cameras passively record events, leaving intruders free to act. On the other hand, Bollards act as active barriers, physically preventing unauthorised access and sending a clear message: “Stop here.”
Blind Spots
Cameras can struggle with limited visibility at night or due to obstructions. Bollards, standing tall 24/7, maintain clear boundaries regardless of lighting or weather conditions.
Privacy Concerns
Continuous camera footage raises privacy concerns and potential regulatory issues. Bollards avoid this entirely, respecting privacy while enhancing security.
Preventing Damage and Loss
Cameras can help identify criminals after a break-in, but the damage and losses are already done. Bollards aim to prevent these incidents, saving you the financial and emotional toll of break-ins.
What Are Bollards’ Advantages Compared to Alarms?
Alarm systems detect and alert households to unauthorised entry, but also have common downsides:
Risk of Being Disabled
Exposed alarm panels can be quickly disabled, leaving your property vulnerable. Strategically placed and often submerged, bollards present a physical obstacle that’s difficult to tamper with or avoid.
Delayed Reactions
Alarms activate only after a breach, giving intruders precious seconds to act. On the other hand, bollards physically prevent unauthorised access entirely, stopping problems before they begin.
False Alarms
Frequent false alarms lead to desensitisation, causing neighbours and even authorities to ignore them. Bollards offer reliable physical deterrence without noise or false positives.
Limited Coverage
Alarms typically focus on doors and windows, leaving other vulnerable entry points like gates, garages and yards exposed. Bollards can be strategically placed to secure your entire perimeter, eliminating those blind spots.
How Bollards Augment Monitoring Systems
Modern video surveillance and home alarm systems integrate powerful artificial intelligence to detect threats. Linking these with automated bollards that instantly deploy when alarms are triggered creates an ultimate smart security barrier.
Key features of integrated automated bollard systems include:
- Alarm-activated deployment – Bollards immediately raise within seconds whenever on-site alarms detect a likely security breach. This restricts intruder vehicles.
- CCTV camera monitoring – If cameras spot unauthorised activity around property perimeters, this triggers automated bollard deployment to block potential threats.
- 24/7 protection – Scheduled and reactive automation ensures bollards remain raised outside daylight hours or during homeowner absences, removing reliance on manual operation.
- Rapid response – Integrated systems vastly shorten reaction times compared to relying on homeowner activation or monitoring company notification. Threats can be obstructed in seconds before harm is done.
This fusion of smart digital systems with formidable physical barriers creates a potent home security solution.
The Advantage of Bollards Over Fences
Fencing forms another typical perimeter security option. However, bollards maintain vital advantages:
- Custom coverage – Unlike the rigid lines of a fence, bollards offer flexible placement. This allows you to strategically protect vulnerable access points like driveways, walkways and loading zones, while leaving sightlines clear and aesthetics undisturbed.
- Stops ramming – A lightweight fence is no match for a determined driver. Bollards are engineered to withstand significant impacts, providing a formidable physical barrier that halts unauthorised vehicles.
- Automation – Bollards offer the advantage of automatic retraction or removal when authorised, unlike fences that create permanent barriers.
- Long-term value – Well-installed steel bollards are a durable investment, requiring only occasional maintenance. Traditional timber or wire fencing requires frequent repairs and often complete replacement every 10-15 years, making it a less cost-effective option in the long run.
Enhance Your Home Security With Macs Bollards
With perimeter threats rising, homes need protection that goes beyond old-fashioned fences and ornamental gates. Bollards and monitoring systems work hand-in-hand to protect sites against unauthorised intrusion.
Bollards provide the physical resistance that gives video analytics and homeowners time to respond and intercept threats. Monitoring alone ultimately relies on violators respecting alerts and warnings — an uncertain bet.
Turn to trusted bollard installation specialists like Macs Bollards to incorporate tailored bollard security into your residential protection plan. Contact us at 0161 320 6463 or enquiries@macs-bollards.com](mailto:enquiries@macs-bollards.com to discuss options matching your risk profile.
Macs Automated Bollard Systems Ltd specialise in the nationwide supply of automatic rising bollards. Our experts keep the Macs Bollards blog updated with all the latest bollard news!