Would you put smart tech on every window or just stick with doors?

I’ve gone back and forth on this myself. The logic behind prioritizing ground floor and basement windows is sound—statistically, that’s where most break-ins happen. Still, I get what you’re saying about upstairs access.

I’ve seen enough stories about break-ins through upper windows (fire escapes, balconies, whatever) that I’d rather overdo it than underdo it.

The seasonal swelling is a pain, though. Every spring, like clockwork, a few contacts go out of alignment and start giving false alarms. I tried switching to the slim magnetic sensors—they seem less sensitive to minor shifts, but nothing’s perfect if the wood expands too much. At least they’re easy to re-stick.

Glass break sensors are hit or miss in my experience too. In my dining room (lots of echo), they’d trigger if someone dropped a plate. In the bedrooms, they barely picked up anything unless it was right next to the sensor. I mostly rely on contact sensors for peace of mind—like you said, you know for sure if something’s open.

One thing I wish I’d done differently: budgeted for the extra sensors from the start. Adding them piecemeal was more expensive in the long run, especially with wireless models. But I do sleep better knowing every potential entry point is covered, even if it means crawling around with a screwdriver every spring.

If you can live with a little maintenance hassle and higher upfront cost, covering more windows isn’t overkill—especially if your house has easy upper-level access points. For folks in newer builds without balconies or fire escapes, maybe it’s less of an issue... but for me, it’s worth it.

I think you made the right call covering those second-floor windows, especially with an external staircase and ledges involved. I’ve lost count of how many homeowners assume upstairs windows are “safe,” only to find out the hard way that a determined person can get creative—balconies, overhangs, even stacked trash bins... you’d be surprised. The peace of mind is worth a little extra work in my book.

Seasonal swelling is one of those things people rarely mention until it’s driving them nuts. I’ve seen it plenty—old wood frames just don’t play nice with rigid sensors. The slim magnetic ones are a good workaround, though they’re not foolproof if the window shifts too much. I’ve also seen folks use a dab of silicone to give the magnet a bit of flex, but that gets messy fast if you need to adjust every year.

Your point about budgeting for the full setup from the start is spot on. It’s always more expensive (and honestly, more annoying) to add sensors one at a time. When I help people plan out new installs, I try to get them thinking about future access points—even if they seem out of reach now. It usually saves headaches later.

I do think glass break sensors have their place, but yeah... they’re finicky in real-world settings. Too many false alarms in echoey rooms, not enough sensitivity elsewhere. Contact sensors are just simpler—you know what’s open and what isn’t. I’d rather deal with the occasional misaligned magnet than jump out of my skin every time someone drops a mug.

For folks with newer homes—tight seals, no weird ledges, no external stairs—I can see why they’d skip the second floor. But if you’ve got those quirks or rentals upstairs, it’s not overkill at all. Sometimes “overdoing it” just means sleeping better and avoiding regret down the line.

You nailed it—peace of mind is worth the hassle, especially if your home isn’t a cookie-cutter setup. I’ve had neighbors who thought their second floor was untouchable, only for someone to shimmy up a drainpipe during a rash of break-ins. It’s way less stressful knowing you covered those oddball access points, even if it meant wrestling with stubborn old windows. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut, even if others think you’re being “paranoid.” Better safe than sorry, right?

I totally get what you mean about those weird access points—my place has a sunroom with old-school crank windows, and I used to think, “Who’s really going to mess with those?” But after hearing stories like your neighbor’s, I started second-guessing it. Honestly, I think the “paranoid” label gets thrown around too easily. If you’ve ever had a break-in nearby, you know it’s not just about the obvious entryways.

That said, I’m still on the fence about putting smart sensors on every single window. For me, it comes down to which windows are actually reachable without a ladder or some serious effort. First floor? Definitely. Basement? Absolutely. But the attic dormers? Not so much. There’s also the cost—those sensors aren’t cheap if you’ve got a lot of windows.

I do wonder if sometimes we overthink it, though. Like, is someone really going to scale my rose trellis just for an awkward window? Maybe. Maybe not. But I’d rather patch up the oddball spots than regret it later... even if I have to wrestle with ancient sash locks in the process.

- Gotta admit, I’m way more lazy than cautious—I just stuck sensors on the doors and called it a day.
- My thinking: if someone’s determined enough to climb up to my second floor bathroom window, maybe they deserve the TV.
- Also, those old windows barely open anyway. If a burglar can get one unstuck, respect.
- I figure most break-ins happen through doors or basement windows, so that’s where I focused. The rest… eh, fingers crossed.

- Gotta admit, I’m way more lazy than cautious—I just stuck sensors on the doors and called it a day.

- Love the “if someone’s determined enough to climb up to my second floor bathroom window, maybe they deserve the TV” logic.
- I’m just starting out with this stuff—does anyone actually put sensors on every single window? Or is that mostly for new builds?
- My windows are old too, and honestly, half of them barely budge.
- Is there a real risk with skipping the upstairs ones, or am I just being paranoid?

Is there a real risk with skipping the upstairs ones, or am I just being paranoid?

I wondered about this too when I started. Statistically, most break-ins happen through doors or ground-level windows, not the upper floors. I only put sensors on the basement and first floor windows that actually open. My upstairs windows are old like yours—some are painted shut—so I figured if someone’s scaling the siding to get in, they’ve earned it. Unless you’ve got a balcony or easy roof access, I’d say you’re probably fine focusing on the main entry points.

- Seen this debate a lot, and honestly, I’ve gone both ways depending on the house.
- In my last place (old colonial, three stories), I only bothered with sensors on the first floor and basement windows. Never had an issue, but those upper windows were basically glued shut from decades of paint anyway.
- Current home’s a split-level, and the back “second floor” windows are right over the porch roof. Had a client once who got hit that way—someone just hopped up from the deck railing. That made me rethink things a bit.
- If you’ve got any easy access points upstairs—like a low roof, tree branches, or a fire escape—I’d at least consider putting sensors there. Otherwise, for most setups, first floor + doors covers 95% of the risk.
- I get the urge to go all-in with tech, but honestly, more sensors = more stuff to maintain. Batteries, false alarms... it adds up.
- One thing I do: if a window’s painted shut or can’t open, I skip it. If it’s got an AC unit (like in summer), I’ll throw a sensor on just for peace of mind.
- Not saying someone couldn’t Mission Impossible their way through an upstairs window, but in 20+ years doing installs, I’ve seen that maybe twice. And both times, there was a balcony or something similar.

Long story short: check your own layout. If there’s a “ladder” to a window, maybe cover it. Otherwise, don’t lose sleep over the attic sash.

I get where you’re coming from, but I’m a bit more paranoid after we had someone try to pry open a second-story window during a remodel. The ladder was left out, which was our mistake, but it made me rethink skipping upstairs sensors. It’s a pain to keep up with batteries, but the peace of mind’s worth it for me—especially when we’re out of town. Maybe I’m just overly cautious, but I’d rather deal with the hassle than regret it later.

That makes total sense to me. After living in the same place for over 20 years, I’ve learned it’s usually the one thing you skip that comes back to bite you. I used to only have sensors on the main floor, but after a neighbor had a break-in through an upstairs window (they used their own ladder, believe it or not), I added a few more. Sure, swapping batteries is annoying, but like you said, it’s a small price for peace of mind. Better safe than sorry, right?