OT/MISC Garage door security

[kyrsyan]

This is something that has been on my mind for a while because of some of the neighbors I have. I have a two car detached garage. It gets way too much attention from a certain segment of the population living in the apartment complex. I have taken to keeping the doors closed and locked even when I'm working out of the garage. I have a lot of easily pawnable tools.
The doors have a standard hand lock with a 12" bar attached. No garage door opener. When I'm not going to be opening them for a while, I add a padlock through the hole at the end of the bar.
Adding a double sided rolling door lock would require replacing a panel in each door. That's not a practical thing for me. But the current lock would support the addition of another bar to the opposite side. Problem I see is the other bar would be 5 to 6 foot long. So there would need to be some type of additional support to hold the bar at least somewhat level when the door is unlocked. I can't do rivets so I would have to use a bolt for attaching. And lastly, it would have to be a flat bar, not a folded bar. A folded bar would end up rubbing against the pillars built into the door panels.
But I've never done something like this, so if anyone has suggestions please share them. I would like to get this done over the summer so it's not a worry going forward. Alternate suggestions are welcome as well. (I am going to add an alarm so that if the doors get opened, I hear it.) The link below is to one that is as close to my existing lock as I could find. Garage Door Lock Set 1 Car Door Extension Spring - - Amazon.com

 

[packyderms_wife]

How easy would it be to cut through the walls of your garage with a saws-all? Cause that's how a lot of crooks are doing it these days.

 

[Millwright]

Drill a hole in the track, right above one of the rollers. Put a padlock through it.

 

[kyrsyan]

How easy would it be to cut through the walls of your garage with a saws-all? Cause that's how a lot of crooks are doing it these days.

No. It's concrete block. The sawzall might start but it would alert the entire neighborhood right quick. And the regular door is behind a locked and chained gate. Same for trying through the doors themselves. The sawzall would work there, but they are steel and it would make a world of noise. Nosy neighbors are good for some things.

Drill a hole in the track, right above one of the rollers. Put a padlock through it.

Thank you. I knew I was missing something simple. I wanted something that couldn't be seen or touched from the outside. I don't even have to put a padlock through that. A good sturdy U bolt would work as well. Heck, I can do that as soon as I venture back out into the world. If I don't already have some in the tool box. And I can put those opposite the regular locks just to balance a bit.
The padlocks on the bar of the regular locks will keep the bars from dropping out even if the thieves manage to completely knock the locks off. And actually, with the lock design, breaking out the key lock won't take out the bar mechanism. So the bar stays with the torsion spring holding it tight between the padlock, through the frame, and to the mechanism. You have to get the padlock off to get the bar off. My main worry was that it was only secure in one spot on that one side.
Add on a few high decibel alarms, an interior wifi camera, and the garage will be pretty secure.

 

[Snyper]

I don't even have to put a padlock through that. A good sturdy U bolt would work as well.

Anything you can stick in there that won't fall out will work.

 

[bw]

Drill a hole in the track, right above one of the rollers. Put a padlock through it.

Or even simpler, put a C clamp on it. The clamp jaw goes on the flat side of the track, and the swiveling foot on the threaded shaft goes into the channel.

 

[Millwright]

If you put a lock through it and someone does get in, at least they can't back up to the bay door to load.

 

[Ravenwatch]

I just use a pair of welding channel locks above the roller, works great, quick to unlock.

 

[Housecarl]

I'd also suggest getting a lockable "box" for the high end/difficult to replace tools and bolt it to the floor or wall. Door contact alarms and CCTV/DVR set ups are pretty cost effective these days as well.

 

[kyrsyan]

I'd also suggest getting a lockable "box" for the high end/difficult to replace tools and bolt it to the floor or wall. Door contact alarms and CCTV/DVR set ups are pretty cost effective these days as well.

I can't bolt to the floor. Everything is actually up on bricks. The garage can flood during strong rains if the towns system is backed up. It is annoying as heck and caused some damage before I realized what was happening.
Most of the would be thieves are cowards that want to snatch and grab. If determined and thinking they could do it quickly, they'll crack a garage lock. If it is more than snatch and grab thief, well, then it will give me time to make them regret their actions.
But, honestly, neither my garage or house contain items which should tempt higher quality thieves. I don't have that type of money.

 

[bw]

If you put a lock through it and someone does get in, at least they can't back up to the bay door to load.

Correct. It all depends on how you see the risks. A lock is better, a clamp is quick-and-dirty.

 

[Knight_Loring]

Excellent suggestions kyrsyan, which sounds best to your situation?
I think any of the above would work, and I would add a good trail cam if the thieves are successful you could at least have them prosecuted.

 

[kyrsyan]

Excellent suggestions kyrsyan, which sounds best to your situation?
I think any of the above would work, and I would add a good trail cam if the thieves are successful you could at least have them prosecuted.

For immediate, I have 3" c clamps. For soon, drilling holes and putting in u bolts. I already have a set of wireless cams, a gift from family member. Or I can use an old camera monitor system I have.
And some very, very hugh decibel alarms to alert me if the doors are opened. But also to scare the thieves off.
All of which is much more affordable and practical then my original thoughts. Sometimes you can't see the trees for the forest.

 

[Knight_Loring]

U-bolts. Cheap and easy to install / uninstall.
Personally I like the idea of locks in the tracks, but that means extra cost.

Sounds like you have a good plan to me especially coupled with the alarms and cameras.

 

[Publius]

Sounds like you have done all you can and if they are really determined to get at your stuff they are going to make a try at it and more than likely by using a large pry-bar on the side door.

 

[bw]

add a good trail cam if the thieves are successful you could at least have them prosecuted.

When the dust settles, I expect all looting to be forgiven under the blanket excuse of being necessary for survival.

 

[kyrsyan]

Sounds like you have done all you can and if they are really determined to get at your stuff they are going to make a try at it and more than likely by using a large pry-bar on the side door.

Getting to that side door is harder than it would be to attempt to go in the roll ups. It's in the backyard which is highly secure to protect my son because of issues with his disabilities. They would have to bypass several much sturdier systems. And, at the moment, a giant pile of wood chip. And it is actually put in pretty securely. There are advantages to the skill sets my brothers have. A lot of very long screws deep into the block and security hinges. They'd have better luck getting into the shed with my canning and cleaning storage.
Up and over is not practical because I've allowed some rather thorny unpleasant vines to live. They aren't a danger to my son but they sure are unpleasant to trim and weed out. I have a fondness for using painful plant life as security. This year stinging nettle is going in under the bedroom windows where roses won't grow.
There is actually a way to bypass the doors, or to get inside where you could disable all locks and open them, but you would have to be really good or have been inside my garage to know it. It is not an easily accessible or noticeable route. And you would be noticed if trying it in the daytime. Or nighttime now that I have a dusk to dawn light out there.
The main reason I asked here is because I knew that I was missing something simple. I just couldn't figure out what it was. I figured folks here would have good ideas. And if I asked family... yeah, didn't really want to do that right now. They already think I'm nuts enough. You should have heard the ruckus when I mentioned replacing the broken small windows with Lexan - because I have pieces of Lexan on had that are almost that size not security. (Those windows are too small to be a security risk.) And the disdain when I suggested that they may want to make sure the pantry is full.
Right now, there are better and easier targets than me, especially with the additions. When there aren't, well those plans and devices exist.

 

[Millwright]

When the dust settles, I expect all looting to be forgiven under the blanket excuse of being necessary for survival.

Amnesty for surviving looters?

What about negating any fallout for shooting looters?

Got backhoe?

 

[kyrsyan]

Amnesty for surviving looters?

What about negating any fallout for shooting looters?

Got backhoe?

As I have told several youngsters that are awake but not quite fully there yet, SSS.

I got a laugh today. I put in place the extra measures on one of my good days last week. Today a friend was helping by hitting the grocery stores that it would not be good to take my son in, for a whole variety of reasons. He got here and headed straight to the garage to dump the frozen stuff - and couldn't get the doors open. So he comes through the house, out the back, in the side door. About 5 minutes later he appears with the most flabbergasted look on his face. "You could have told me you put extra security measures on the garage." He found the first one, the extra locks on the flats. I had to show him the second one.

 

[ivantherussian03]

I use Adt signage on my property, no problems... Knock on wood.

 

[kyrsyan]

I use Adt signage on my property, no problems... Knock on wood.

I hate to tell you but it's only a mild deterrent. Enough that your normal snatch and grabs don't want to mess with you.
But it tells more skilled ones that you may have something the would be interested in. Fortunately, unless you live in a high dollar neighborhood that, in and off itself, is not typically enough to get their attention.

 

[crossbowboy]

Shotgun, string, duct tape, creativity, discretion.

Assembly instructions may vary according to structure.

Booby traps may be illegal, but accidents happen all the time in messy garages...

 

[byronandkathy2003]

the one thing no one has mentioned is a big pissed off dog hey they need to eat too..

 

[Terrwyn]

How easy would it be to cut through the walls of your garage with a saws-all? Cause that's how a lot of crooks are doing it these days.

This! That is how they broke into my desert cabin before I sold it. We had bolted shutters steel door the whole nine yards. They simply cut a hole in the side of the building. They also tried it with the metal building on present property.
What stopped them was the perimeter alarm system when one of them tried for main house.

 

[kyrsyan]

the one thing no one has mentioned is a big pissed off dog hey they need to eat too..

Have one. Okay, an ancient, gray muzzled black lab that was my son's service dog. But no new dogs until he passes. And he has more than earned his retirement.
But I learned a long time ago that dogs were a fabulous deterrent.

 

[kyrsyan]

This! That is how they broke into my desert cabin before I sold it. We had bolted shutters steel door the whole nine yards. They simply cut a hole in the side of the building. They also tried it with the metal building on present property.
What stopped them was the perimeter alarm system when one of them tried for main house.

Concrete. They could do it through the doors. But either way they are going to make a serious racket. And the police station is only about 5 blocks away. (Bonus of small town.)