How To Install Window Locks

One effective window locking option doesn’t involve using a lock. Drive a screw into the top of the upper track to keep intruders from lifting a gliding window out of its track. To keep the window from sliding, drive a screw horizontally through the track. 

Several companies make locks for sliding windows. A stop on this lock slips over the window track. Most of these types of window locks can be inserted over the tracks without the need for screws or other hardware.  

Turn the lever one way to lock the window and turn it the other way to allow it to slide. Other locks use a thumbscrew instead of a lever. 

A key track stop is a window lock that you can attach anywhere on the track. Position it on the track to lock the window shut or open it slightly to enable ventilation and maintain safety.  

You can install a locking pin attached to a chain to secure double-hung windows. To install, drill a hole for the pin into the sash. Attach the bracket on the other end of the chain to the window frame. Some locking pins drive in and out using a special key. 

Ventilating locks screw to the side of the top sash about an inch above the meeting rail. When the pin is positioned, it allows you to open the window until the pin strikes a plate screwed into the other sash. Slide the pin around the corner and you can raise the window fully. 

A hinged wedge lock prevents a double-hung window from being raised. Some versions are made of plastic, but metal wedge locks are the most secure. 

Choose a position for the wedge that lets you open the window enough to get fresh air, then drill the wedge into the window track. When the lock is in place, the window can only be opened as far as the wedge. When the wedge is swung out of the way, the window opens freely to any height. 

A keyed turnbuckle can replace the normal window latch, and you’ll need a key to open the window. A squeeze of the lever allows you to open the window latch when it is unlocked.