Ben123456789

I have just started renting a lock-up garage I'm planning to undertake various projects over the next year or so, but first of all I want to make it as secure as is practical before leaving any tools / car parts in there.

Does anybody have any good methods that have proved successful in the past?

My initial thoughts are a garage defender (sits at the bottom on the outside) and a dead bolt in every corner. The owner doesn't mind me drilling into walls / the floor to fit extra locks, so I can do pretty much what I want.

GC8

What sort of door? The problem is that when you strengthen one weak point you move the problem elsewhere... A decent shrouded lock bolted through with spreader plates will be a good start.

richs2891

Garage defenders are good but only as strong as the base its fitting into. At my old house used / had one - I cut in into the concrete base to make it a little more secure and painted it the same colour as the garage door so it blended in a bit more. Can be a real pain in the winter when it rains / snows etc.
I use these now http://www.discountlocks.co.uk/Asec-...KduOMWmEfG4fYx
Instead of the metal sleaves bolted 2mm chequer plates to the floor at the edge and it bolts through that into the concreate.


Richard

The Zohan

Yup, does the garage have any other points of access as well???

Leslie

I used a strong vertical pole with the bottom in the floor and the top with a very good padlock placed in the middle of the door on my boat. Never had a break in and they do try that on regularly on boats.

Les

spider

iTrader: (1)

I used to rent a lock up in a council block when I SORNed my Golf GTi - I added a couple of extra bolts to the bottom of the doors and painted them to blend in. They worked for a while but the local light fingered had a good go and eventually bust the door out of the tracks. For some reason they left the car alone so maybe it was just "what's in there then/" curiosity.

Council replaced the door (this happened often on theses garages even though overlooked by housing)

I hadn't considered the roof - which was the old wriggly asbestos sheets - and a few of the garages had the local little ******* stamp the roofs in. What a shame that the Golf had gone by then so they ended up looking at my dad's old Montego instead!

stilover

I have to big padlocks fitted to mine. Fitted to a plate that is bolted to the floor on the inside of the Garage.

Coffin Dodger

Dope factory

Ben123456789

Thanks for the advice guys, I have a few ideas now. To answer the questions:

It's a standard single up and over type door, and that is the only acces point.

And Coffin dodger, I'm thinking more like rebuilding an engine to have as a spare, and a few other car related projects!

Luckily it's in a fairly good area and not near any estates. I probably won't be keeping all my tools in there, but it would be good to leave things in there overnight without worrying too much.

GC8

A hasp and staple at the top with a reasonable lock might be better. Youll have to use conventional parts, unfortunately, but if you use good quality kit then itll be hard to defeat.

If it was my garage Id go to Wickes and buy a quantity of studding timber and reinforce the up and overdoor by adding an internal frame with a 'noughts & crosses' type centre. This will greatly increase the doors strength/rigidity but outwardly the door will look unaltered. With a proper padlock and a hardened hasp and staple through bolted itll be hard to break in to, but not attract attention.

WRXBOB

The bottom corners of "up N over" type doors can be bent outwards for theiving scumbags to gain access. Have seen it done to a mates garage before so make sure the corners are secured.

As the doors are thin steel, you will need to reinforce and locking points with steel plates on the inside.
Steel angle iron can be used to reinforce the runners so the door can't be forced inwards off the runners!

a1b

garage defenders arent that good, you can take the plastic caps off and put a bar through to lever them off... for up and over doors, fit a big bar of wood along the bottom edge to strengthen it and stop it being bent in.
these are good: http://www.locksonline.co.uk/acatalo...Door_Lock.html
plus an infra red battery alarm. the other option is an alarm mine

I put on two of those locks with the alarm and spent a while strengthening the whole door with bigger rivets etc. if someone wants in now theyll have to make a racket!

urban

iTrader: (1)

Ultimately if they want in, then they'll get in.
After all, its just thin steel and it wouldn't take a lot to get through it.

richs2891

Nice old thread revival !

Richard

urban

iTrader: (1)

So it is

Anyway, perhaps the OP can tell us how he got on.

RA Dunk

So how exactly do you open it from the outside if its padlocked on the inside?

Thinking about beefing up the security on my workshop and was looking at options.