Aluminium Burglar Bars: When They Make Sense

Updated September 2026 by Meghan Ristea, Procurement Manager.

Aluminium burglar bars make sense within 500 metres of the sea, in coastal suburbs and on aluminium window frames. Robo Door's Alu-Deluxe Fixture carries a ten-year manufacturing warranty and does not rust. Inland and sheltered, steel Deluxe Fixture costs less and adds the five-year Break-In Repair Guarantee, which the aluminium product does not carry.

What the aluminium product is

Alu-Deluxe Fixture Burglar Bars are the aluminium version of Robo Door's fixture-fitted window barrier: channels and uprights made to the measured window and fixed to the frame or surround, powder coated in the colour you choose. Alu-Deluxe Fixture Lite is the lighter variant. Both carry a ten-year manufacturing warranty. Burglar bars start from R1,000.

When aluminium is the right call

Within 500 m of the sea. Steel rust warranties fall to one to three years here. Aluminium removes the problem.
Coastal suburbs. Aluminium or hot-dip galvanised steel; aluminium needs less maintenance.
Aluminium window frames. Same metal, no galvanic corrosion at the fixing.
Sprinkler overspray and pool chemicals. Fully exposed openings, where steel paint warranties drop.

When steel is the better buy

Inland and under cover, steel Deluxe Fixture carries the same ten-year manufacturing warranty plus the Break-In Repair Guarantee: if a confirmed forced-entry attempt damages Robo Door-made components within five years, Robo Door repairs or replaces them. Aluminium does not carry that cover. Econo Fixture and DuPlus Fixture, at five years, are the budget steel options.

What aluminium is not

It is not immune to corrosion. Aluminium can pit where salt sits in a joint or where it touches steel fasteners without isolation. Robo Door specifies the fasteners and the isolation, and the maintenance rule is the same as for steel: wash with mild soapy water twice a year, rinse off chlorine and fertiliser within 24 hours.

Fixed bars and escape routes

Alu-Deluxe Fixture does not open. Bedrooms and escape-route windows need a plan, which is part of the site visit. Where a window must open, the Alu-Deluxe Trellis Door gives the same corrosion resistance in a retractable product.

What to compare

Product line, window dimensions, finish, fixing method, the zone and exposure assumed for your site, and the named warranty. Two quotations that both say "aluminium bars" are not comparable until those six lines match.

Next step

If your windows face the sea, ask for Alu-Deluxe Fixture; inland, steel fixture bars cost less. Request a free quote, WhatsApp +27 82 888 1919 or call 082 888 1919.