Improving security of up and over garage door

daniel_b

womack said:

daniel_b said:

When I had an up and over, I removed the handle altogether, and blanked it off.

Bolted 6 bits of wood (drilled the screw heads after tightening so a scrote could not simply undo them - 4 per piece of wood) on to the inside, one on each side that took a big chunky slide bolt, and then the 4 on the bottom of the front door, which also took bolts, and for which I drilled down into the concrete.

Means you can't simply open it from outside, but it was a double, and quite the mission anyway.
Switched to an electric roller door a couple of years ago, and it's night and day. So much more usable, much more space inside, and much more secure.

Daniel. Looking at going electric roller door myself. Interested in the part you say more secure.

Do they have multipoint locks on them, is that how they are more secure?

Total novice to electric doors so any tips you may have gratefully received.

Hi Womack, I don't know 'all' the details, but for one there is no handle, or easy access point, as the door (depending on how you have it fitted) sits behind the brick part of your garage frontage, so nothing can be wedged in there to lever anything out of the way - plus it sits deep into the runners, so they will prevent movement.
It also butts up solidly to the floor, and as long as you let it shut fully (and there's no real reason why you would not) the interlocking segments make it really very strong, so no easy way to wedge something under it, and even if you do, I don't believe the mechanism would yield anything as I understand that most (you'd need to ask the question) garage door motors are designed to push the door down until activated by the switch or a remote - so if someone did try and lever it up, it should just force it down again.
*I have not tried this, as don't want to roger the rubber seal at the base of the door!

The old up and overs (single doors anyway) I have been told can fairly easily be levered off their runners, and then after that point, they don't care, they just need a way in.

Thinking about it, and due to the design (No alternative) my up and over had a gap at the bottom, top and sides, so plenty of options.

The new one has none.

Allegedly the only way through one of these is to cut your way through, which is of course noisy.


To the OP - as I now realise it's your only way in, then maybe a garage defender is the only option until you can replace the door?
Maybe combined with those locks @veronese68 has posted - which are not ones I have seen before I must be honest, but look excellent, and is pretty much what I achieved with my long bolts secured to pieces of wood, but only because I had the option of side door access.

@joeyhalloran - what area of the country are you in?

joeyhalloran

I'm in Cambridgeshire. Our garage door has gaps around it at the moment so it would be pretty easy to gain access to the bolts.

We also don't own a car so that option is our. Bit of a dilemma spending money on security, easy to skimp and then regret it. We aren't even keep much of value in there compared to some bikes/motorbikes in other garages.

£800 for new door vs £30 for some extra bolts

david37

joeyhalloran said:

Just got a quote of £800 to replace it with a four-point locking garage door.

So my options are:
1) add locks to existing door and/or and anchor points (which only helps store things which can be locked down, i.e. bikes)
2) try and find a second hand door and fit it myself (I don't have much time as we have a 4 month old), probably ~£150-200 for the door perhaps?
3) pay £800

£800 is unfortunately relatively cheap. best to do the job properly, or just use lots of locks.
Cheap doors are cheap for a reason and that reason is cheap thin materials, poor welds, cheap finish etc . A wobbly door is barely a door

have you looked at the heavier duty rolling doors? they look very smart, are available in any colour you want and are the most space effective maximising your working / useable space in your garage.

the electric ones are convienient