Goochie

Not wishing to hijack the "youth of today" thread, but it got me thinking. WHat is the best way to secure a garage? Ours is at the front of the house with a pitched, tiled roof and no internal door to the house, the main door is a standard up-and-over affair.

Without putting massive bolts/locks at each top corbner, is there anything I can do to increase it's security?

There seems to be a gap at the top when the door is closed that could be used to tamper with the catch (possiblly) so I was thinking of adding another bit of wood to the frame to close this.

judgejules

TBH I would say there's not much point mate, if they want in, they'll get in.

However, you could either install an eletronic door opener on it and remove the locking method. If you mount it nicely, they'll have hell of a problem forcing the door open against the gears/chain etc.

Or you could install another locking system (dunno where from) which rotates in the center at the front of the door and pushes two large bolts out at the side.

Or alarm the garage so you and the whole street know if someone's getting in?

J

messiah

A big floodlight over the door and a citroen ax to block it shut. Works for me.

Iwan

Is there power in the garage?

If there is, you could stick a baby monitor in there and have the other one in your bedroom. At least then you'll hear them messing around with the door and you can "release the hounds" or do whetever seems appropriate.

I'm going to do exactly that when i get round to visiting Argos/Mothercare etc.

MJW

An internally mounted galvanised steel roller shutter door with remote opening would be the best bet. Also any sort of cheapy PIR alarm just to let you know if by some miracle someone has broken in.

richiewong

http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/doorlocks.shtml

Forgot to say, we have some type of 'staged' PIR in the garage linked to the main house alarm.
This flashes green when movement is detected then lets all hell break loose if the movement continues, stops any false alarms in a draughty garage

Goochie

hmmm..... I could set up a PIR sensor inside the garage to operate a 230V klaxon in the garage! No way they'll want to hang around in there with that! Simple to put a switch in the house to turn it on and off - or better still run it on a time clock

David_Wallis

richiewong.. they are called 'pulse counting'

Leslie

Put a hasp with a good padlock on it. The nuisance factor is worth the extra security. At least it would slow them down and maybe put them off.

Les

richs2891

agree with the others, if got electricity in garage, a cheap alarm with 2x bell boxes in, one for the outside to awake the neighbours and one for inside the house to wake you up.
The garage defender that can be got from most decent locksmiths (can see pics at http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/doorlocks.shtml are very good
I've got one painted it the same colour as garage door so does not stand out as much - can be a bit of a pain if its slashing it down though !!

Richard

ScoobyDriverWannabe

get the doors electrofied, the screams will defo wake every 1 in the street up.

PiNkEyE69

Goochie, After my garage was done I went to B&Q and bought a wacking big bolt and a yale padlock.
I then drilled a hole in the concrete base, deep enough for the bolt to easily go into the ground, then attached it to bottom of the garage door with those screws with no actual screw bits on it ot fit a screwdriver (can't remember what they were called now)

As I came home yesterday the bloke who's garage was broken into the other night with the bike in it was doing the same thing (but with a smaller bolt).

Jamescsti

Speaking from an experienced point of view that is one of the easiest ways to secure your garage, the standard locks on them are crap and easily opened, or if you want to go further fit a security pole in front of garage door so even if they unlock door it won't open

RichWalk

anti personnel mines?

gsm1

There is this device:

http://www.insurancesecurity.co.uk/defender.htm

Nick

For an up & over door, the security pole is the way to go, the minus point is it advertises that there's something valuable in the garage. If there is a door into the garage from your garden for instance, you could consider metal bars fixed behind the door, then add an alarm (fix a bellbox at the front of the garage for visability - many thieves will assume that the garage is not alarmed) & get a CCTV system. After an attempted ramraid on my garage last year, this is what I've fitted... plus a little surprise or 2.... You could note that good wooden doors seem to protect better than a regular metal door. In the ramraid, my wooden doors gave about 6" on each attack, but sprung back each time. Then even though the bolts had sheared, they couldn't open the doors as they had jammed stuck against each other.

chiark

Alarm the garage.

Fix auxiliary locks - autolok stoppas are cheap, easy to install and work IMHO.

super_si

For a vauxhall, just leave the garage open. It'll be safe

PiNkEyE69

LOL @ Si!!!

When my garage was broken into I informed the council (they own the row of garages), their reply was rather blunt
Me: Thieves broke into garage, stole my wheels
Council: I see, is the lock damaged
Me: No, the picked it with, I assume, a screwdriver
Council: so it still locks?
Me: Yes.
Council: And the doors not damaged?
Me: No
Council: Well there's not a problem, you shouldn't be keeping stuff in the garage you're nor prepared to lose

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mad_dr

One thing to think about:

If you're a thief and you see a load or whacking big locks on a garage door, your (the thief's) stupid, mal-formed brain thinks:

"Hmmm - I wonder what's in that garage...?"

Sometimes it's best not to draw attention...

pugoetru

I agree with mad dr sometimes you make things too secure they are more likely to try because their tiny mind works on the logic that big locks mean big prizes

Nick

Exactly, hence my suggestion of bars BEHIND the door.

hedgehog

Perhaps a little note (assuming they can read) to hang inside the garage along with a copy of the following web page:

http://www.accuratereloading.com/700ne.html

Dear Criminal Element,

I regret to inform you that you have been unlucky enough to break into my garage. Please see the attached sheet which outlines the extent of your misfortune. It is unlikely you are aware of some of the finer points of big game hunting but an elephant has around 2.5 feet of bone between the front of it's head and it's brain. Despite this the round pictured works every time.

Within the next few seconds I will be dispatching several of these rounds in your general direction at about 2000 feet per second and, I regret to inform you, this will just about wrap things up for you.

On a positive note it will be nice to see you removed from the gene pool.

It is also with regret that I have to inform you that, upon impact, there are unlikely to be enough bits of you left to fill a jam jar. With this in mind your body will not be available for burial however I hope you told some of your relatives where you were intending to go tonight as, when they arrive, I will be asking them to tidy up after you. It seems only fair and the last person I shot in my garage left such a mess that I really don't want to go through all that again.

Due to the nature of this publication I have no interest in whether the information was helpful to you or if you found it useful. Please do not take offence at this. Have a nice day.

Leslie

You have to assume that he can read all that though Hedgehog.

Les

hedgehog

If he can't then it will just add to the surprise I suppose.

If there was any law and order in this country then this would be a totally reasonable approach to security. Once I get into power people who eliminate criminals will get medals and bigger guns with a higher rate of fire.

Anyone want to vote for me? :-)

sparkykev

A hasp and eye in the middle of the door, with one half fixed in the concrete, fitted to the inside or outside of the garage door, with a good quality padlock.

Vonzack

Especially for you Hedgehog

http://www.military.cz/usa/navy/weap...phalanx_en.htm

hedgehog

Yeah, that would be acceptable as well. Probably only in high risk areas though due to the risk of damage to surrounding property and the noise pollution factor.

Perhaps instead of investing in speed cameras police could invest in one of these installed in a van and positioned outside property that is getting broken into on a regular basis? Would do amazing things when it comes to restoring the public image of the police.

screwdriver

The gun pic reminds me you can get a device with shotgun cartridges fitted to a tripwire. What's it called, poachers alarm or somesuch. Think they are legal. Scare the bejesus out of anyone setting it off...

Screwd.