garage security (tools).

[carl0s]

I have a basic double garage at my new house, as below:


At the moment it's unlocked all the time because I wasn't given keys for the locks. I've just ordered a couple of locks, but I don't think they're hard to bypass anyway.

I have a fairly expensive TIG welder, and various other tools, and am a little worried about their security. There's nobody home in the daytime usually.

I don't want to spend lots of money, but I have a few ideas, and wonder what thoughts and other ideas some of you might have.

Firstly, my TIG welder has a handle on it like a radio, so I'm thinking about a long-ish bicycle combination lock thing to attach it to either a heavy bolt that I put in the floor, or just around the workbench legs or something. Here's the welder, so you can see what I mean about the handle, which is pretty convenient:


Obviously most of my welding learning/practice means that the welder stays put on the end of the workbench, so this seems like not a bad start.

I do also have various other tools and things though so I need some general security ideas. Of course step 1 is to get working Cardale locks, and I'm onto that.
Another idea is that I get a PIR style floodlight in the back garden with a wireless beeper that goes in the house, so if anybody goes in the back yard while I'm home, I'll be alerted to it.
I am considering a camera, but it's expensive to get a decent one that also records constantly/consistently and properly.
A garage alarm? Is that a reasonable ideas? Something that goes off if the locks are tampered with or the doors opened without disarming the alarm?

any thoughts?
cheers,
Carl

Edited by carl0s on Thursday 15th March 19:13

[lyonspride]

Put a steel security door on the side of the garage and lock the main doors from the inside, chain them to ground anchors. That'll sort you out

[Bohally]

Lock as much of the stuff as you can in the boot of the car, covered.

[Bohally]

Failing that..

[traffman]

Nice garage .....im sure one day crims will be able to locate your garage , just from a photo like that .

No matter what you do if they want in theyll get in.

Locks and a barking dog sounder should be interesting.

[busta]

lyonspride said:

Put a steel security door on the side of the garage and lock the main doors from the inside, chain them to ground anchors. That'll sort you out

This is a very good idea. You can make the big doors very secure then, rather than having flimsy locks on the outside.

Once they are in they are in though, and assuming you also have a angle grinder in your workshop, chaining things to the workbench is a bit futile!

The other advantage of a side door is you don't have to open the main doors as often, reducing the chance of people seeing something worth stealing in the first place.

[elanfan]

Yes bolt chain as much as you can down but all that will do is buy you time.

It looks to me that the garage is of lightweight construction so if someone is determined they can come through walls or roof - if that is the case you want a hard wired alarm system - a couple of PIRs or preferably dual techs linked to a mains driven siren (Masterblaster) at 140 decibels they won't stay there long enough to unbolt anything.

Might ps off the neighbours though.

[West4x4]

Could you lock all your tools into a box that could be bolted to the floor? And yes to the lock main doors from inside and use a smaller access door. Garage doors are so easy to break into

[carl0s]

Some good ideas, thanks. There is already a wimpy wooden side door, so this is a good possibility for improvement.

The construction is pre-formed concrete sections, so I think it's quite sturdy, except the roof is not concrete, and there are some easily broken windows as well.

The welder is actually still in my grandparent's cellar, but I'm hoping to get all my stuff in here soon.

You can see the sort of construction here:

Edited by carl0s on Thursday 15th March 19:08

[carl0s]

lyonspride said:

Put a steel security door on the side of the garage and lock the main doors from the inside, chain them to ground anchors. That'll sort you out

I like this idea a lot. I'm wondering what the best and most straightforward way of locking the garage doors from the inside would be? I need something that when unlocked doesn't get in the way of cars driving in. The floor is concrete so I can drill recesses and things.

[buggalugs]

carl0s said:

lyonspride said:

Put a steel security door on the side of the garage and lock the main doors from the inside, chain them to ground anchors. That'll sort you out

I like this idea a lot. I'm wondering what the best and most straightforward way of locking the garage doors from the inside would be? I need something that when unlocked doesn't get in the way of cars driving in. The floor is concrete so I can drill recesses and things.

Weld some hasps on the bottom and put something to padlock them to into the concrete?

[carl0s]

buggalugs said:

Weld some hasps on the bottom and put something to padlock them to into the concrete?

Hmmm. Pleasantly straightforward! I was hoping to leave the ground free of obstructions, but I suppose it's not such a big deal really... I could also do something similar but with the centre post that's in-between the two doors.

[SEE YA]

Well garage alarm, if the main front doors open from both sides disconnect so it can only be opened from the inside. Also a tool vault would be a good idea to put your tools inside. Yale do a system that phones you up if it goes off?.

Edited by SEE YA on Thursday 15th March 20:08

[Matthen]

carl0s said:

Hmmm. Pleasantly straightforward! I was hoping to leave the ground free of obstructions, but I suppose it's not such a big deal really... I could also do something similar but with the centre post that's in-between the two doors.

Could just drill a hole in the floor, then bolt it down with an ordinary lock bolt - like this: http://www.diy.com/nav/build/doors-windows/door-fu...

Two on each door, should make the doors pretty sound.

[Carlique]

I have a similar concrete pre-fab type shed like your garage. I've put a steel door with two locks on it, however, I've found the roof to be pretty penetrable so I've bought a van vault like the one below and bolted it to the ground. I keep most of my valuable tools in there because sadly, if anyone want's to get in, they're going to get in.

[busta]

Get your welder out and weld a couple of THESE at the base of either door HORIZONTALLY going into the door frame. Because of the way an UP-and-over door opens, bolts vertically into the floor won't hold as well as horizontal ones.

[Gatefold]

Are they windows by the side and in front of the RX7? Get rid of them for a start... If not, then I'll leave the rest of the good suggestions to stockpile.

[carl0s]

Gatefold said:

Are they windows by the side and in front of the RX7? Get rid of them for a start... If not, then I'll leave the rest of the good suggestions to stockpile.

Yes they are, and they are quite a concern. What would I do? Just bolt some sort of steel sheet over the whole lot?

[Gatefold]

carl0s said:

Yes they are, and they are quite a concern. What would I do? Just bolt some sort of steel sheet over the whole lot?

That would probably be quite a good way of securing them; especially if you could put in a large picture of a desirable garage interior between the glass and the steel and then any opportunists who might break the glass would very shortly afterwards suffer a similar fate regarding their hands...

[Gatefold]

Or these, below the windows:



Might make parking a bit constricted though.