Imporving the security on a prefab garage - suggestions please!

Daniel_B

Hello all,

just about to complete on a lovely new house, which has a double prefab garage in the back garden.

Double width Up and over door: key lost, so will be changing the lock, also planning on screwing 4 blocks of wood to the inside of the door, screwing through from the outside, and drilling the heads out, so they can't be removed, then fitting big bolts on the inside, and drilling down into the floor.
This will, I hope, make the door more difficult to lever out.

Side door: poorly constructed wooden door, has a lock but no key, so is only locked via a hasp and padlock (Changed by me) on the outside.
not 100% sure what to do with this one at present, thinking about a few more hasps and locks maybe!

Windows: unfortunately it has several windows :rolleyes: and these are old wooden frame, single pane varieties, so these strike me as a fairly large weekpoint.
Has anyone fitted bars across the inside to make them less vulnerable?
Or would I be best just to bolt wood/mdf over them from the inside, so there is nothing too see?
None of the windows are designed to open, which is something I guess.

I am also thinking about either fitting a PIR from the home alarm system, or a standalone system.

The reason I am keen to get the security beefed up, is that myself and my gf have some nice, reasonably expensive bicycles, and until I'm happy with the security, they will be living in the house!

I'll wait for the suggestions to come flooding in :beer:

Dan

missile

Suggest you visit your local motorcycle dealer who should be able to supply you with some very effective security devices>

Up and over garage doors are easy to force. You can get a door guard - a T bar which fits in front, plus it is a vissible deterant.
see http://www.insurancesecurity.co.uk/cart/item-view.php?II=64

You need a sold secure lock and a ground anchor fixed to the garage floor.

You can get a stand alone battery alarm to fit in your garage.

You are right to be concerned. After a few bicycles were stolen where I live, I was shocked to discover just how many robberies are commited every week. Check on line for details of the robberies in your own area.

scbk

As above get a door guard thingie that bolts into the ground

For the windows - if you're not bothed about a lack of daylight, board them up on the inside
If you like having the daylight then fit a grill. You could also tint/mirror film the windows, which would let light in but keep prying eyes away

For the side door - swap for a solid wood or PVC one. The PVC ones are very secure as they have the lock barrel things all the way down the side
If you get a wooden door, fit a 5 lever deadlock, and maybe a Yale lock aswell.

Fit a ground anchor inside where the bikes will be kept. The best ones are cemented into the ground but unfortunatly this aint usually possible inside a garage, so you'd have to go for a "bolt in" type. Put it behind where the bike would stand so it's even harder to tamper with.
Then put a decent lock & chain/cable through this and round the bikes a few times.


Then maybe think about an alarm aswell

Daniel_B

Thanks both, good food for thought there. As luck may have it, we may have a spare UPVC door, if an extension goes ahead, so that might fit the bill nicely. Up until then, I will see what i can do with regards to the other suggestions.

Quite fancy the Shed shackle from these people: http://www.torc-anchors.com/

Dan

hollydays

Seee if you can hold of the product "smartwater"-like DNa for marking equipment. I scrounged some free off my local police-have a look at the smartwater website-its a very high tech product.

amarg

I have a garage on a garage site and people have tried to break in several times.

As for the main big door you can secure this from inside using anything suitable, I have a large bolt that goes in the floor and one that goes above the door. These can only be opened from inside! Always use the smaller door for entry and never the larger door, which is harder to secure from outside.

You can get a steel side door, make sure you fit some good quality locks and protect the hinges, if they are visable externally.

If you need the light from the windows you can fit tinted perspex, or just board them from the inside.

Be very careful with the roof, this is an easy entry point. If the roof is asbestos or cement fibre then it can easily be smashed. Scum bags get on the roof with a large stone and smash one of the sheets and then climb in and rob your garage. I put a corrugated steel roof on my garage to protect it.

Be careful with the roofing sheets incase they are Asbestos

scottn

how about a dummy alarm box for the exterior - you can buy them on ebay.

also a large piece of chain and a padlock round your bicycles locking them together...permanently or on a temporary basis until you get extra security sorted and so you don't trip over them in the kitchen.

you could tint the windows with a mirrored film or hang some net curtains.

will depend on the location in the garden etc, but using plant protection such as thorny shrubs below vulnerable windows could be solution.

good luck