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Rollup door locks- Padlock or cylinder lock?

apeters62

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Jan 6, 2020
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North Carolina
Just had a new metal building installed and it came with Trac-Rite roll up doors that have a slide lock on the outside. They make a cylinder lock that goes into the slide for a cleaner look. The problem I see is that to open the door, you pull the whole cylinder lock out so then you have to put it somewhere. I could see it being easily misplaced. The other option is your basic padlock which doesn't look as nice and you still have to put it somewhere while the door is open. Also, not sure if one is more secure than the other. Obviously you could get into both. Below is the link for the Spaceguard cylinder locks that go with the door. Just looking for thoughts and experiences. I'll probably add additional slide to the inside bottom of the door as well. Thanks
 
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Spud McGee

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You can open those cylinder locks with a ball point pen.

Then again, we are living in the age of battery powered angle grinders. You can get into just about any shed or gun safe in seconds or minutes. A decent padlock will put up more of a fight and slow the thieves down a little longer than the cylinder lock. If they want in, they're gonna get in.

As far as putting the lock somewhere while the door is open, I always hang the lock from the door or right inside the door.
 
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apeters62

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You can open those cylinder locks with a ball point pen.

Then again, we are living in the age of battery powered angle grinders. You can get into just about any shed or gun safe in seconds or minutes. A decent padlock will put up more of a fight and slow the thieves down a little longer than the cylinger lock. If they want in, they're gonna get in.
My thought was most people around here(not that it's been a problem) probably aren't going to be picking locks. They'd have bolt cutters or a grinder. But, being able to pick a lock with a pen is kinda next level easy I suppose.
 

dougf

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Either is fine, as they offer little to no protection from a thief with a pair of bolt cutters or whatnot. The biggest problem is retaining control of the lock as you roll it up as you said. Maybe a small shelf inside each door and make it a habbit to place the locks on them after rolling up the doors. Have you thought about moving the latches to the inside to make it a little more secure (not by much)?
 

rancherbill

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You can open those cylinder locks with a ball point pen.

Then again, we are living in the age of battery powered angle grinders. You can get into just about any shed or gun safe in seconds or minutes. A decent padlock will put up more of a fight and slow the thieves down a little longer than the cylinder lock. If they want in, they're gonna get in.
I agree with you, but any padlock you get at HD is under 15 seconds to open.
 
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apeters62

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Either is fine, as they offer little to no protection from a thief with a pair of bolt cutters or whatnot. The biggest problem is retaining control of the lock as you roll it up as you said. Maybe a small shelf inside each door and make it a habbit to place the locks on them after rolling up the doors. Have you thought about moving the latches to the inside to make it a little more secure (not by much)?
I haven't looked into that and was honestly surprised they were on the outside. I'll see if that's a possibility. But yeah, retaining control of the lock is my big thing. Mostly worried my son will lose one but it could happen to me too lol.
 

Spud McGee

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I haven't looked into that and was honestly surprised they were on the outside. I'll see if that's a possibility. But yeah, retaining control of the lock is my big thing. Mostly worried my son will lose one but it could happen to me too lol.
If you're that worried, mount a lock hasp right inside the door. Then when you unlock your door, you lock the lock on the other hasp. It will only ever exist in those 2 locations - locking the door or on the extra home you made for it.
 

nadogail

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Exposed shackles on padlocks are easily cut with bolt cutters or an angle grinder. IMHO, concealed shackle locks are more secure.
 

rayra

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Escaped from Los Angeles
You put a shelf or cup right inside the door jamb and put the loose lock there EVERY time. It's not difficult. If you randomly put things down odd places, no wonder you lose things.
 
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larry_g

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oregon
How many doors do you have? Only one has to have an outside lock. If three doors then lock two both inside and outside, and the last one only on the outside and that one being the most visible one. The thief is going to try the door where he is most hidden first.

lg
no neat sig line
 

whateg01

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I think in reality, people who are breaking into places are less likely to have the skills to pick a lock than they are to operate a bfh. This is like the discussion about the best dead bolt to put on a door next to a floor to ceiling window. The only time people are picking locks is in the movies.
 

ycgoat

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I have a pad lock on 1 roll up door, the others I drilled a hole in the slide latch on the inside and just put a scaffolding retaining pin through the hole after its slid through the interior door track. I also have a cellular trail cam looking
 

Pate

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I would look at the shrouded padlocks. The Master Pro Series holds up to the weather and they make versions that can be keyed to your house locks if needed.
 

Spud McGee

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I would look at the shrouded padlocks. The Master Pro Series holds up to the weather and they make versions that can be keyed to your house locks if needed.
For most of these buildings, it doesn't matter how tough or hard to pick your padlock is. They are locking through a hole in some stamped sheet metal. You dont have to defeat the lock if you can just cut through some soft stamped steel.
 

Pate

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Obviously, but that wasn’t the advice he was asking for. I’ve been in the lock business my entire career and all you are doing is buying time. Everything will fail with enough time and tools.

You also have to take into account access. You cut some jagged hole in the side and climb in, then that‘s also your exit. Hard for a methhead to get anything that pawnable out quickly. It’s not like once there inside they can open the door and have free access. They are looking for a quick easy score. The real goal is to make your security more difficult to defeat than the guy down the road.
 
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mogandave

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Bangkok
I have a pad lock on 1 roll up door, the others I drilled a hole in the slide latch on the inside and just put a scaffolding retaining pin through the hole after its slid through the interior door track. I also have a cellular trail cam looking


Yeah, bolt the rollups from inside and go put the man door.
 
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