child safety window guards

Hey guys,

I always seem to come here with questions! Hope you don't mind.

Anywho... so I have these wonderful over the top rusted "child safety" window guards in my living room and want to remove them from one window so I can install an A/C. They're held in by one-way screws and I've called my super like 5 times now to get someone to come remove the thing. I don't have kids, am going to be living in the apartment for two more years (at least), and just want the things out so I don't die this summer.

Any tips/ideas on what I can do about this?

Thanks!

Take a Grinder to the screws. Or if you are ok with damaging the wood, a pry bar.

If you still need the service next week, I'll bring my grinder over and cut it off.

Sounds like a 15 min, $20 job.

whynot_31 wrote: Take a Grinder to the screws. Or if you are ok with damaging the wood, a pry bar.

If you still need the service next week, I'll bring my grinder over and cut it off.

Sounds like a 15 min, $20 job.

Will definitely let you know! Considering how long it takes for anyone to get back to me, might happen!

Take a flathead screwdriver, or a small chisel, position it just behind the screw head and whack it as hard as you can with a hammer. The head of the screw should just pop right off. Remove the rest of the screw with needle nose pliers. Just keep turning until you get the rest of the screw out of there. Then remove the window guard. But keep it if you ever need to re-install it - maybe friends/family come for a visit after AC season. In that case, just get some 1 inch drywall screws and put it back in. Should be fine.

the one way screws are to prevent the parents from removing them, not the kids. Unfortunately there are many parents who could care less about this type of safety device for their children and they are frequently removed, despite the one way screws.

If you have no kids in the apt you can usually get your super to take them out for you but as a practice they are not removed when the tenant with kids moves out. It's just too much of a pain in the ass.

In apparent defiance of common sense, it is the building owner who is held legally liable if window guards are removed. Common sense tells you that it's the tenant that who removes the window guards, not the landlord. The landlord may well not even know if the window guards have been removed. But if an accident occurs, it's the landlord, not the tenant, who gets taken to court and fined.
Hence the one way screws, to prevent the tenant from removing the guards without the owners knowledge or permission. That at least makes sense.

good points.

I will still never forgive the one way screws for the day of my life they ruined when I tried to remove them.