Most people fit grilles to keep burglars out, and for a holiday home left empty for part of the year that's a fair worry. The question to ask at the same time is how you get out if there's a fire at night. A house with every window grille fixed shut and the front door locked has almost no other way out. So Rong always asks which rooms people sleep in, and recommends that at least some grilles open from the inside.
On site he checks whether the window frames are timber, aluminium or concrete, whether the surrounding wall is clay brick, concrete block or solid concrete (which decides how the grille is fixed), whether the windows open outwards or slide, whether the grille should go inside or outside, and how close you are to the sea. Grilles sit right against the window and take driving rain and salt air head-on.
Common mistakes: anchor bolts sunk into thin render that can be levered straight out, grilles fitted outside outward-opening windows so the windows can never open again, and paint only on the side you can see. Send photos of each window from inside and outside, rough sizes and your location pin on LINE, and Rong will give you an initial approach before the survey.
If you rent, get the landlord's written approval before fitting grilles, and check any village or condo rules on the look of the building.
- Jobs start from
- 10,000 THB
- Team experience
- 30+ years
- Site survey
- Free
- Steel grade
- Your choice
Designs and options
Fixed grilles
Strongest and easiest on the budget. Fine for bathrooms, storerooms and small vent windows nobody needs to climb through. We don't recommend fixing every bedroom window shut, as that removes the window as an escape route.
Hinged grilles that lock from inside
The grille swings open, with a bolt or lock on the inside. Right for bedrooms and rooms used by children or elderly parents. Keep the key close to the window, somewhere everyone in the house knows but that can't be reached from outside. A locked grille with a lost key is no better than a fixed one.
Steel security doors, front or back
Fitted in front of your existing door, so you can open the timber or glass door for the breeze while the steel door stays locked. Rong checks which way the existing door swings, the frame and the threshold, so the two don't clash.
Simple or decorative patterns
Straight bars or a grid are quicker to make, easier to repaint and collect less dust and salt. Curly decorative patterns look nice but have lots of tight corners that are hard to paint properly, and near the sea those corners are where rust starts first.
Materials: the honest pros and cons
Painted box-section or solid bar steel
Near the sea: depends on specPros
- Affordable, and works for most patterns
- Easy to repair and repaint
Worth knowing
- Every weld and the face against the wall must be primed
- Chips must be touched up or rust spreads
You choose the steel grade, section size and rust-protection system. Rong explains the pros and cons first and writes your choice into the quotation.
Galvanised steel
Near the sea: depends on specPros
- Factory zinc coating against rust
- Copes with humidity better than plain black steel
Worth knowing
- Costs more than black steel
- Cutting and welding removes the coating, so joints need touching up
Better than black steel near the coast, but grilles have a lot of welds. If they aren't treated, much of the coating's benefit is lost.
Wall anchors and screws
Not recommended near the seaPros
- Can be matched to the type of wall
- Hold firmly when set into sound material
Worth knowing
- Concrete block and thick render grip anchors less well than solid concrete
- Screw heads exposed to rain rust before the grille does
Near the sea, ask Rong about the anchor type and sealing the screw heads. If the wall is weak, he may suggest fixing into a concrete frame or column instead.
How the price is worked out
Window grilles start from 10,000 THB, but there is no fixed price and we can't give a real figure in advance. It depends on the number and size of windows, the pattern, fixed or opening grilles, locks, the condition of the walls, and steel prices at the time. Rong does a free site survey first, then writes an itemised quotation based on material prices at that time. Remote or boat-access areas such as Ko Lanta and Ko Phi Phi carry a travel fee, which is shown in the quotation before you agree to anything.
There is no fixed price. It depends on your site and on steel and material prices at the time. The site survey is free.
Included
- Site survey measuring each window and door, and checking frames and walls
- Help planning which grilles should open for emergency escape
- Itemised written quotation
- Fabricating grilles to the agreed pattern with primer and top coat
- Fixing to the wall or frame, with hinges and locks on opening grilles
- Clearing offcuts and debris when the job is done
Not included
- Materials, if you choose a labour-only contract
- Repairing or replacing existing window frames or windows
- Patching and repainting the wall around fixing points, unless listed in the quotation
- Alarm systems or any electrical security equipment
How a job with us runs
- 1
Send photos on LINE
Photos plus a location pin. Rong tells you early if the idea is realistic.
- 2
Free site survey
He checks the walls, the ground and where the rain will go — the things photos can’t show.
- 3
Written, itemised quote
Full contract (labour + materials) or labour-only. Nothing hidden in a lump sum.
- 4
30% deposit, then work starts
Only once you have agreed the design and price. Payment is by cash bill, no VAT invoice.
- 5
Walk-through before handover
We check every point with you. 1-year warranty under the conditions in the quote.
How long it takes
It depends on the number of windows, how detailed the pattern is and the state of the walls. Grilles are usually made first and then fitted on site. If you are living in the house, Rong plans the order of work to cause as little disruption as possible. He gives a timeline after the survey and it goes in the quote.
1-year warranty: what it covers
One year, under the site-specific conditions written into your quotation.
Covered
- Fixings, hinges and locks (workmanship)
- 1-year warranty under the site-specific conditions written in your quotation
Not covered
- Damage from break-ins, impact or later modifications
- Anything the quotation does not list as covered
Window Grilles & Security Doors: questions we get asked
Our villa is empty half the year. Should every window have a fixed grille?
It can be done, but we don't recommend it for bedrooms or rooms people use. In a fire or if the hallway fills with smoke, a window may be the only way out. Fit hinged grilles that lock from inside in the rooms people sleep in, and keep the key where everyone knows.
Inside or outside the window: which is better?
It depends on the window. Outward-opening windows usually need the grille inside, or you can't open them. Outside grilles take the sun, rain and salt directly and need more rust care, but take up no room inside. Rong decides after seeing the actual windows.
I rent my house. Can I still fit grilles?
Only with your landlord's written approval, as grilles are drilled into the structure. Many landlords agree if they see the plan, so send photos and the quotation to them before work starts. Also check any village or condo rules.
Will grilles rust quickly near the beach?
Faster than inland, because they take driving rain and sea air full on. Choose a pattern without many tight corners, prime every face including the side against the wall, consider coated steel, and rinse off salt with fresh water and touch up chips.
My old grilles are rusty. Can they be sanded and repainted?
Ask on LINE with close-up photos of the worst rust and the wall fixings. Surface rust can often be cleaned and repainted. If the steel has thinned or the fixings are loose, paint won't restore the strength.
How does payment work? Do you issue a tax invoice?
We take a 30% deposit before work starts, and the balance is paid as set out in the quotation. You get a cash bill; we do not charge VAT and cannot issue a tax invoice, so if your company needs one, tell us at the start.
Read this before you build
Stopping Rust on Steel Near the Sea in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Ko LantaWhy steel rusts fast in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Ko Lanta, and how to choose steel, coatings and details that stop it. Plus a simple maintenance routine.
Hiring a Contractor in Krabi as a Foreigner: A Practical GuideA practical guide for foreigners hiring a contractor in Krabi: comparable quotes, deposits, cash bills vs VAT invoices, warranties and working in English.
Labour-Only vs Full Contract for Home Projects in ThailandLabour-only or full contract for a home project in Thailand? Who buys materials, where the savings are real, the risks, and how we handle both options.
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