Deadbolts

[Bevis]

where can I find a good heavy duty type deadbolt?? It's for a steel door that will lead into my tool room/ enclosed shop area.

 

[ephotrod]

Good to your local lock smith they tend to sell higher quality items. Here in El Paso we have a military base, due to that some lock smiths who service the base have very good/expesive deadbolt locks. Ask your lock smith questions and if they don't have it, ask who does.
Josh

 

[ddawg16]

Don't forget, the door bolt is only as good as the door frame it goes into.

 

[e-tek]

I've been trying to decide on going to a keyless deadbolt of some kind. Either a combination lock-type, or the cool new "fingerprint" type. Schlage and others sell it and its the same/not much more than the combo-type. Because I have two young boys, I always lock my shop, even if I'm just going in side for a while and it'd be a lot easier without a key in every pocket!

 

[boiler7904]

Don't forget, the door bolt is only as good as the door frame it goes into.

Very True.

A door, frame, and lockset act as a paired system. If one link is weak, they are all weak.

To the OP, a lot of commercial door hardware suppliers will sell a deadbolt intended for hollow metal steel commercial doors. Depending on the keying system, many are patented so you can only get replacement and duplicate keys from them too. I can almost guarantee that the deadbolt would have a different type of key different from your normal residential lock which is probably what you want to limit access.

 

[rsanter]

I would go for the industrial Schlage.
you will also want to watch which way the door swings. if it swings out then the door hinges can be knocked out to remove the door
there are ways to stop that by pins in the door that go into the fframe when the door is closed and there are special hinges that interlock and do not allow that to happen

bob

 

[phy6]

I've been trying to decide on going to a keyless deadbolt of some kind. Either a combination lock-type, or the cool new "fingerprint" type. Schlage and others sell it and its the same/not much more than the combo-type. Because I have two young boys, I always lock my shop, even if I'm just going in side for a while and it'd be a lot easier without a key in every pocket!

I've been looking at "Lockey" brand mechanical push button locks, which come in deadbolt and other styles. (Spring latch, sliding door, etc)
I'm going to use these all around my house and garage.

They are keyless == Bump/Pick Proof
They are mechanical == no batteries to replace or die
Easily re-coded

There is a store on eBay that sells these, AAA Industrial Supply

They also come in a good enough selection of finishes. The spring latch versions are good for garage doors, so you never have to wonder if you locked it.

Plus in an emergency, you can give a relative the code over the phone or email, versus sending them your thumb.

I've bumped my way back into houses and even on my Fiero. Some of the newer, more $$ locks claim to be pick/bump proof. Unless you are as smart as the average lock smith I guess.

 

[tatra]

buddy of mine intalls doors and locks for a living and when i asked him about locks he basically said the difference in most cases tends to be two kicks or three..............as others have said, frame is important....................and forgetfullness once is more damaging than a cheap lock always used..........damhikt......................

 

[Bevis]

Don't forget, the door bolt is only as good as the door frame it goes into.

Door and door frame are steel, then the frame is thru bolted (2 each side) into and through a 6x6 pole on either side of the door.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[fattogatto]

With the plethora of cordless cutting tools available locks can easily be bypassed by cutting through the walls, including 2x4 studs in a matter of minutes. (Hopefully the jerks will hit an electrical wire!). I assume all have their shops fully alarmed and monitored.

 

[FunfDreisig]

With the plethora of cordless cutting tools available locks can easily be bypassed by cutting through the walls, including 2x4 studs in a matter of minutes. ...

Which is why it is just as important to make it as difficult to go out a door/window as in it -- e.g. a dead bolt that requires a key on both the inside and outside.

FWIW the most vulnerable part of most garages is the shingle roof. There is very little chance of hitting wiring, plumbing, a heavy tool box, etc. while cutting though the roof deck with that handy battery powered sawsall. Once inside, most garages have at least one door or window that is easy to open (from the inside) to get the good stuff out.

Funf Dreisig

 

[fattogatto]

Excellent point. Unfortunately most garages/shops have at least one overhead door. These are much harder to secure in an attempt to make it difficult for the crooks to get bigger things out. I agree that the structure should be as anti-crook as possible. However, I still believe a fully functioning and monitored alarm is required.

 

[FunfDreisig]

Excellent point. Unfortunately most garages/shops have at least one overhead door. These are much harder to secure in an attempt to make it difficult for the crooks to get bigger things out. I agree that the structure should be as anti-crook as possible. However, I still believe a fully functioning and monitored alarm is required.

That was my point exactly. Almost every garage I've seen on this site is vulnerable to a two person team with a sawsall and a van/panel truck that looks vaguely like a plumbing/AC contractor's truck. Thief #1 cuts his way in through the roof and assembles all the "good stuff" right by the garage door. Then thief #2 backs the van/panel truck up the the garage door. They quickly load up the "good stuff" and drive off after hitting the door closer. The only outward evidence of the theft is a small hole in the roof which is probably not very visible except by the neighbor(s). Besides right next to the hole is an empty turbine vent box he took up there in case someone heard/saw him cutting his way in.

Making doors/windows secure from the inside and a functioning&monitored alarm will help deter/reduce theft. But in the end, just like in all real estate, it boils down to location, location, location.

Funf Dreisig

 

[fattogatto]

And, make sure your home insurance covers the contents of the shop, including all vehicles and tools. Yes, you'll probably have to add a rider and it will cost a bit, but . . . . . . . . . .it is worth it.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Biometrics scmyoyometrics. Photocopy that is licked.

If someone else wants your stuff bad enough, they will find a way.

 

[rsanter]

I knew a guy that had a shop where someone broke in by breaking through a skylight and dropping down into the shop
they did not steal any toolboxes but it appears they took all the tools and dumped them into one of the customers cars (toolboxes were there but empty) and took anything else that would fit in the car and then drove the car through the locked garage door when they wanted out.
the car was recovered the next day

bob

 

[FunfDreisig]

....then drove the car through the locked garage door when they wanted out....

Well there you go. I can now claim my non-running cars aren't junk, they're part of my ultra-sophisticated security system

Funf Dreisig

 

[rsanter]

on another note
a friend that installs alarm systems has a nice method of protecting skylights

he criss-crosses some very fine high strenth wire across the opening and has the ends connected to the alarm system.
if someone or something drops through the skylight it will break the wire and trip the alarm

cheap and reliable

another friend had his truck that parks outside connected with his home alarm
he ran an extension cord under the garage door and had a plug on the car that pluged into it.
it looked like a connection for a block heater. if someone unplugged it

bob

 

[clutch47]

Yo,
obviously some careful placement of almost any kind of steel would really deter the "boot meets door frame" entry...
Almost nothing beats this....

I am telling you from experience...these work.
Clutch47