Garage Security - Am I missing something?

danlikesbikes

House move is progressing well & the bikes are being relegated to the garage. Though after my upgrades to security it should be sound & the flooring is getting a lick of paint to so should make life a bit easier.

The garage is not integral to the property but does link the house to next doors so the only access is from the front up/over door & a front side door.

The property currently has an alarm (just finding out what it is) but understood to be a bells only with PIR in the garage.

I am looking to upgrade the physicals myself to include;
Wall racks
A) Anchor points (for when the bikes are on the racks)
Garage door locks - something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asec-AS1997-Gar ... S2KKT4OM8O as they seem to get good reviews. I do understand the argument of adding more security might make a thief think "WOW their is something in there and I want it" so was looking at these locks are they are internal fit & can paint the bolt head & key cover the same white as the garage door (which does need a good paint) it wont hid it completely but will make it harder to see
C) Same as above for the side entrance door
D) Good quality chain & lock - has to be approved for home insurance & already have 2 sets

My question is am I missing something? I don't think the above is overkill in anyway as the cost is minimal, to me anyway, compared with getting the bike stolen plus the anchors, lock and chain are a requirement of my home insurance.

The only thing I could think of was fitting a locking bar to the top current door lock only has a floor bolt & not that great IMHO against an attack, as my current neighbours had their garage door opened with a crow bar and a car jack pushing the door up and and pulling the bottom bolt out of the floor.

diy

Always found PIR's in the garage a bit of a pain unless they are zone 1. Should be able to put a remote code entry in there fairly easily. Otherwise you can't arm and disarm the alarm from the garage.
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danlikesbikes

According to the details we have it has not been serviced for a few years & I know someone that can do it for me (they owe me a favour)

Happy to spend a bit to get it up to scratch though, but I do know that the control unit has it on its own zone currently as the owner keeps a trailer and a his bobcat digger in there

BigJimmyB

Why not put some mechanism on the inside to lock out the front door, restricting external access to side?

I have two flat bars of steel bolted in the top of the frame above the door and I spin it into/out of position, when vertical, it acts as a lock as the up-and-over door cannot be opened.

You can add one to either side too, so if the lock gets cracked, they still won't be able to open it, unless they come via the side door and open from inside.

smidsy

If you are going to beef up the up and over door security, do it internally, as putting stuff on the outside makes the scumbags think there is deffo something worth stealing.

danlikesbikes

BigJimmyB wrote:

Why not put some mechanism on the inside to lock out the front door, restricting external access to side?

I have two flat bars of steel bolted in the top of the frame above the door and I spin it into/out of position, when vertical, it acts as a lock as the up-and-over door cannot be opened.

You can add one to either side too, so if the lock gets cracked, they still won't be able to open it, unless they come via the side door and open from inside.

Did consider it my brother is a metal worker and could knock me something up quite easily as he has on his own garage at home.

The top of the door is my only area of concern so I could extend and put 2 sets of locks up top and at the bottom? The the top is bolted but still easy to open albeit using 4 locks but I understand from the manufacturer that you can use 1 key for more than 1 lock

As ideally I would like to make the access as easy as possible as we still could be putting a car in or the motorbike and the side door has a step up so a struggle for the motorbike.

If I were to lock the garage internally and basically make it safe I would go with something like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271156504561? ... 1438.l2648 bolted & padlocked internally - but not sure if its a bit OTT and the other half might complain as its not that easy to use, though in this discussion the bikes come first over ease of use.

slowbike

I just use simple bolts on the inside of the main door - once in place the only access is via the internal door - unless they manage to fold the garage door in half ... and in our neighbourhood of curtain twitchers they'd get disturbed pretty quickly!

danlikesbikes

smidsy wrote:

If you are going to beef up the up and over door security, do it internally, as putting stuff on the outside makes the scumbags think there is deffo something worth stealing.

Totally agree and thats why I like the look of the internal door bolts, got onto them by a BR search and think a member put up this Youtube video of them being fitted - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5qd-_1JC8

They look simple enough and a lick of paint on the bolts/key covers should be subtle enough.

danlikesbikes

Slowbike wrote:

I just use simple bolts on the inside of the main door - once in place the only access is via the internal door - unless they manage to fold the garage door in half ... and in our neighbourhood of curtain twitchers they'd get disturbed pretty quickly!

Yeah I think our new neighbours (to the right) are retired and opposite might also be so quite happy with the extra curtain twitching measures

smidsy

Slowbike wrote:

and in our neighbourhood of curtain twitchers they'd get disturbed pretty quickly!

Well tell the neighbours to put some clothes on before twitching then

smidsy

Slowbike wrote:

I just use simple bolts on the inside of the main door - once in place the only access is via the internal door - unless they manage to fold the garage door in half

Bolts in the centre and bottom of each side will make this quite difficult.

triquin

I think the addition of a steel plate say 5mm thick as large as you could fit behind each lock would help. Reckon you could cut round these with a large pair of tin snips? :shock:

Pete

danlikesbikes

Triquin wrote:

I think the addition of a steel plate say 5mm thick as large as you could fit behind each lock would help. Reckon you could cut round these with a large pair of tin snips? :shock:

Pete

I'd not thought of that but it would help to strengthen up the door I guess

spadve71

Just get yourself a big doberman,scumbags hate them as i have found out

Slo Mo Jones

You sound paranoid.

You are very unlikely to be burgled. Lock the garage and stop panicking.

smidsy

spadve71 wrote:

Just get yourself a big doberman,scumbags hate them as i have found out

You do realise that makes you sound like the scumbag :shock:

spadve71

smidsy wrote:

spadve71 wrote:

Just get yourself a big doberman,scumbags hate them as i have found out

You do realise that makes you sound like the scumbag :shock:

lol it does.They are the best alarm there is as i have two of them.
Now were did i put the cillit bang

danlikesbikes

spadve71 wrote:

Just get yourself a big doberman,scumbags hate them as i have found out

Mate would love to get a dog or two and the bigger the better, but the other half has put the line in the sand and its a no go. TBF she has a point as we are both out 5 days a week & when I'm not at work my spare time gets used on the bike or out for a run.

danlikesbikes

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

You sound paranoid.

You are very unlikely to be burgled. Lock the garage and stop panicking.

Happy to agree that from a statistically point of view the crime rate is acceptably low for where we are going. However statistics are no good if your the 1 in 100 properties that gets broken into.

As for paranoid who told you that, did they tell you that?

Just asking a fair question I thought really. The alarm is already there so no big thing. The anchor points, chain and locks are we have currently and are an insurance requirement. So its only the door locks & as its an up and over garage with the standard centre lock and small floor bot down from it even I could break into it with a crow bar and I'm not a big guy by any means.

spadve71

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

You sound paranoid.

You are very unlikely to be burgled. Lock the garage and stop panicking.

Happy to agree that from a statistically point of view the crime rate is acceptably low for where we are going. However statistics are no good if your the 1 in 100 properties that gets broken into.

As for paranoid who told you that, did they tell you that?

Just asking a fair question I thought really. The alarm is already there so no big thing. The anchor points, chain and locks are we have currently and are an insurance requirement. So its only the door locks & as its an up and over garage with the standard centre lock and small floor bot down from it even I could break into it with a crow bar and I'm not a big guy by any means.

Just do what you have to do to keep them out.If your happy with fitting new locks,anchor points just do it.prevention is better than cure and no your not paranoid

ThatBikeGuy

Couldn't you park a car in front of the door? Although if all cars are in use that could be an issue...

smidsy

If you are not actually intending to put a car in there you could always fit all the bolts etc. to secure the garage door, and then put up a plasterboard/stud wall inside to make it more of an internal space.

You then just use the side entrance. Just a thought.

danlikesbikes

Currently have 2 cars but moving to a one car family as when by the time we move the new TT bike thats on order should be ready

danlikesbikes

smidsy wrote:

If you are not actually intending to put a car in there you could always fit all the bolts etc. to secure the garage door, and then put up a plasterboard/stud wall inside to make it more of an internal space.

You then just use the side entrance. Just a thought.

Did think about it but was discounted as we would like to still use it occasionally for the car & the dimensions are OK for the bikes to be locked on the wall, the car to fit & the motorbike too. The only issue with the side door is a step up which is no issue for the bikes but the motorbike well lets just say I'm no Steve McQueen

diy

Don't assume you need any kind of specialist skills to fit an alarm system. Its also pretty easy to upgrade the control unit.

I use these guys for stuff. Site poor, but prices pretty good.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/ ... index.html

danlikesbikes

diy wrote:

Don't assume you need any kind of specialist skills to fit an alarm system. Its also pretty easy to upgrade the control unit.

I use these guys for stuff. Site poor, but prices pretty good.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/ ... index.html

Cheers for the link.

Have just found that the system is bells only but was only installed 3 years ago. Needs 2 new PIR's & as one of them is in the garage was thinking of putting 2 in there.

Happy doing the wiring myself but mate is a sparky & fits alarms. Plus he's does owe me a favour for some work I did in his place so quite happy really.

diy

Phone dialer is pretty cheap.

saprkzz

My mate is installin gthese at the moment:

http://www.smoke-screen.co.uk/loss-prevention/strobe.php

Mixed with smoke, and the intruder isnt going any further into your garage

diy

hot debate going on regarding the status of a personal injury claim in the event of injury following such "active" security.

I think you may need to warn them of the risk to have a defence of "volenti non fit injuria".

If I filled the garage with smoke, you'd never get out alive. Far to many things to fall over.

danlikesbikes

diy wrote:

hot debate going on regarding the status of a personal injury claim in the event of injury following such "active" security.

I think you may need to warn them of the risk to have a defence of "volenti non fit injuria".

If I filled the garage with smoke, you'd never get out alive. Far to many things to fall over.

On the grounds of my day job so...... well don't need to say any more but I do know there have been a few cases of late, hopefully they won't get anywhere and create a needless precedent.

smidsy

Danlikesbikes wrote:

On the grounds of my day job so...... well don't need to say any more but I do know there have been a few cases of late, hopefully they won't get anywhere and create a needless precedent.

Oh good. At least we do not need to explain "volenti non fit injuria".