AV8OR
Well-known member
One of the fixes is to get a nylon tie wrap and secure the emergency release.
Breaking into A Garage In Only Six Seconds
- Thread starter AV8OR
- Start date
One of the fixes is to get a nylon tie wrap and secure the emergency release.
Nylon tie-wrap same as a zip tie?
reb162
Active member
Or don't have a garage door with windows...pretty sure that task is near impossible without windows to see.
Teken
Well-known member
This is one of many reasons why I went with a Liftmaster 3800 jack shaft unit. I don't really worry about that kind of thing considering how the door is locked down, and the ballards in place . . .
southernfriedcj
Well-known member
Nope. I was locked out of a spec home I built (no garage windows) and I just went to the center of the door and fished around for about 10 seconds and snagged the string. I never heard of this method prior to that. I thought I invented it.
southernfriedcj
Well-known member
Yep. If you know an HVAC guy he can give you a heavy duty zip tie.
last place i lived we were robbed 2 times. each time they just used a pipe wrench and spun the dead bolts and door knobs. the neibors they grabbed the release rope on the opener. 2 houses down they got in the vehicle and used there remote in the visor. theifs have many ways.
My dad's an HVAC guy. I have a package of those gigantic zip ties used for securing flexible duct. Those things are strong as heck.
southernfriedcj
Well-known member
They work great for tying up the Old Lady...or so I've heard.
They are also great for putting around a newb's driveshaft.
nolatoolguy
Banned
I seriously wonder why youtube lets them post that.
Even then if you do get caught in one of my barns unwanted Ile just handle it with a big bang and some lead. LOL, "my house is protected by the good lord and a gun" josh tompson
Even then if you do get caught in one of my barns unwanted Ile just handle it with a big bang and some lead. LOL, "my house is protected by the good lord and a gun" josh tompson
Full Size 66
Well-known member
REALY BAD IDEA, considering some folks I know still shoot first. Rule one, NO windows, it's an advertisment. Rule two be aware of your neighborhood. Get to realy know your neighbors, weather by face and name, or just where they live and what they drive, schedules ETC. Remember you could be seeing them get robbed too. YOUTUBE has got balls to allow that to be posted, but I see some awfull **** on there... To show how to comit a crime? 
. YOUTUBE has got balls to allow that to be posted, but I see some awfull **** on there... To show how to comit a crime?
Dont think of it as showing how to commit a crime but more like letting you know how vulnerable your garage is and enabling you to take action to prevent you becming a victim.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
There are all kinds of B&E vids on YouTube. 
For the most part normal people don't go looking for that kind of stuff. So it really does not serve as a heads up unless someone posts a link like the OP. It is the thieves and gang bangers out there that love those extra free ideas for their criminal minds.
For the most part normal people don't go looking for that kind of stuff. So it really does not serve as a heads up unless someone posts a link like the OP. It is the thieves and gang bangers out there that love those extra free ideas for their criminal minds.
Cryptic1911
Well-known member
thats one of the reasons that I have NO windows in my garage or the doors, and I have liftmasters off to the side
TheShrine
Well-known member
"No windows" scream......What is he obviously hiding!
No windows + 3800 = more damage! to get to what you are hiding.
Answer =
haugy
Well-known member
Yep, zip tie it with industrial tie. They won't get it open. We tried.
This is why my detached shop will have a motion detector in it. When I'm out on the boat, it won't be on so I can just back right in. But when everything is "locked down" at night, motion on.
This is why my detached shop will have a motion detector in it. When I'm out on the boat, it won't be on so I can just back right in. But when everything is "locked down" at night, motion on.
28HopUp
Well-known member
There are all kinds of B&E vids on YouTube.
For the most part normal people don't go looking for that kind of stuff. So it really does not serve as a heads up unless someone posts a link like the OP. It is the thieves and gang bangers out there that love those extra free ideas for their criminal minds.
Thanks for posting the video. When I get home tonight I will use a zip-tie to secure the latch on my garage door.
I cruised some of the other security videos, and one commented on the fact that many 'break-ins' occur by the intruder walking into the house because the overhead garage door was left open. How many of us keep the inside door to the house from the garage locked? We have a pool in the backyard, and could easily be distracted out back while a person walks into our house through the garage. Rather than keeping the inside door deadbolted all the time (inconvenient), I installed an electronic keypad lock on that door, like one of these -
http://consumer.schlage.com/electronics/default.asp
I also recognized a few other vulnerable areas in my home security that I need to fix. Thanks for posting this thread!
Last edited:
tdkkart
Well-known member
Walls, doors and locks only keep the honest people out.
If you really want through someone's garage door simply drive through it, not hard at all.
Want through a walk in door, a pipe wrench or a hammer on the knob, or if you're really serious, a 40lb post pounder will waste most locks.
A cordless circular saw and/or sawzall will go through almost any wall.
Probably the NUMBER ONE mistake I see people make is showing off everything they own to anybody that drives by. Drive through any residential neighborhood on a weekday evening or on a weekend and you will be amazed at how many garage doors are open, and even more amazed at what is on display for the world to see.
Harleys, quads, jet ski's, boats, garden tractors, tool boxes, jacks, jackstands, welders, torches, log splitters, powerwashers, lawn mowers, snowblowers, you name it, you'll see it if you look at all. If you see it on a casual drive-by, how much does one see if they're on a mission to steal something?? How many people that come through the neighborhood on garage sale day are actually looking at the garage sale items?? What else are they looking for??
I've built entire vehicles in my residential garage, driven them out after working on them for 2 years, and all but my closest neighbors asked where I got that from?? They had no clue because they'd never seen it before.
Am I paranoid???
Hell no, in fact unless I'm gone for a long weekend or on vacation I don't lock any of my doors and the keys to anything on the place are within easy reach.
BUT I don't advertise either.
If you really want through someone's garage door simply drive through it, not hard at all.
Want through a walk in door, a pipe wrench or a hammer on the knob, or if you're really serious, a 40lb post pounder will waste most locks.
A cordless circular saw and/or sawzall will go through almost any wall.
Probably the NUMBER ONE mistake I see people make is showing off everything they own to anybody that drives by. Drive through any residential neighborhood on a weekday evening or on a weekend and you will be amazed at how many garage doors are open, and even more amazed at what is on display for the world to see.
Harleys, quads, jet ski's, boats, garden tractors, tool boxes, jacks, jackstands, welders, torches, log splitters, powerwashers, lawn mowers, snowblowers, you name it, you'll see it if you look at all. If you see it on a casual drive-by, how much does one see if they're on a mission to steal something?? How many people that come through the neighborhood on garage sale day are actually looking at the garage sale items?? What else are they looking for??
I've built entire vehicles in my residential garage, driven them out after working on them for 2 years, and all but my closest neighbors asked where I got that from?? They had no clue because they'd never seen it before.
Am I paranoid???
Hell no, in fact unless I'm gone for a long weekend or on vacation I don't lock any of my doors and the keys to anything on the place are within easy reach.
BUT I don't advertise either.
leftyz
Well-known member
If only there were some sort of way to lock your garage door closed!
HMMMM
HMMMM
Mine has a slide lock on it... but no opener right now. You could always come up with a magnetic remote switch that worked on the opener remote to open a slide lock. I don't think that would be too hard for somebody with brains (not me).
Falcon67
Well-known member
No opener, no windows, and the latch cross bar is locked outside the guide rails.
leftyz
Well-known member
You can also put a padlock IN the guide rail, just above one of the wheels, if you don't have a slide lock.
Indy_500
Well-known member
smart robbers broke into my dads truck, well not really since he left the doors open. They threw everything that was in it outside but my dad didn't leave anything in there. they weren't smart enough to use the garage door opener on his visor and steal all my tools!
tdkkart
Well-known member
If any of us ever get hit by thieves with brains we 'll probably not notice for weeks..............
southernfriedcj
Well-known member
If you don't like YouTube posting the garage door video, check out the videos for "lock bumping" and combination lock hacking.
TheGrooveking
Well-known member
Door roller rails drilled and a padlock installed in each rail. Each lock is keyed differently. It's a pain in the ***, but as that I am the only person who goes into the garage, it's my pain in the *** that I'll keep enjoying.
TheGrooveking
TheGrooveking
from experience of being robbed, you guys should take video or pics of your homes and garages every month or 2 for reference. we had things that were stolen and couldnt remember what was sitting in the space. they cleaned everything off of the workbenches, you could see the dusty/clean outlines from where things sat, but with not using the stuff everyday you forget what actually was there. inventory your stuff with pics and video, it only helps when its time to make the claim with the insurance company.
nate379
Banned
I have so much mess in my garage I don't think anyone would be able to even find my toolbox or most of the tools... cause I sure as hell can't!
crewchief888
Well-known member
i see this kinda stuff happening all the time, some bonehead who wants all his neighbors to see that shiny new harley, the garage full of new lawn equipment and tools, or the boomin' new car stereo.
i keep my overhead door closed all the time, unless i'm in the garage working, even then theres a vehicle blocking the view from the street.
i keep my toolboxes against the back wall, with my truck parked in front of them, my harley stays against the back wall too surrounded by more **** than any thief would want to move.
want my late 60's monkey wards lawnmower?
please take it, the key is in it !!!
my back door is seldom locked either, i do lock up the wifes car in the driveway, my pickup is locked, as is my service truck, both parked in the street. and theres usually somebody here all the time, and the dog dont tolerate anyone in the back yard or driveway.
one of my neighbors is always home, he's disabled, (to a point), and has a view of my garage from his back door. he's not above asking anyone WTF are you doing here.
i did this at my last house, neither vehicle we had would clear the door anyway, all that was in the garage were my harleys, my reloading bench, and a few tools. the only way into the garage was through the overhead door, or through the house. the steel service door was welded to the door jamb.
Iroc-Z
Well-known member
I call them "Racing Straps" They hold race cars together.
Same here. If the garage door is up 98% of the time the truck with the giant capper/boxes is blocking it. The other 2% is split between my wifes car blocking it, or nothing in front of it, because I am just ducking under the door and closing it behind me.
My garage is locked with the sliders through the rails, and a padlock. When we moved it I put frosted privacy tint on the windows.
Take no chances! And I don't really even have anything that nice in there.
slip knot
Well-known member
I had an alarm system put in my garage. Feel a lot more secure knowing that even if someone breaks in the siren going off will drive them crazy and the phone ringing off the wall will hopefully chase the thieves off before they can get too much out.
After having a chance to check the system out and get to understand its methods of operaton there is a lot of versatility in what can be done with electronics in a garage security situation. I'm looking at ways to improve the methods of " retaliation" if the wrong person opens the door W/O the proper code. I'm thinking auto dialer, IP camera and loud speaker where I can get on the phone and talk with them while they are breaking in.
After having a chance to check the system out and get to understand its methods of operaton there is a lot of versatility in what can be done with electronics in a garage security situation. I'm looking at ways to improve the methods of " retaliation" if the wrong person opens the door W/O the proper code. I'm thinking auto dialer, IP camera and loud speaker where I can get on the phone and talk with them while they are breaking in.
Keep
Well-known member
Cool, after watching this I went and fixed mine. Zip tie will have to do until I get my liftmaster.
rwhite692
Well-known member
I don't have those types of openers, but a friend of mine does.
I told him about the youtube video and he says "Yeah I got that covered" and sends me this from his phone. (He does this when he's out of town).
I told him about the youtube video and he says "Yeah I got that covered" and sends me this from his phone. (He does this when he's out of town).
Last edited:
GeorgiaHybrid
Well-known member
Most of these breakins are done by kids for the thrill or to get something to sell to feed their habit. They don't care if something on your house gets broke, in fact, it makes it more fun for them if they do trash your house. They are using battery powered tools to cut the dash out of cars for the head unit, cutting garage doors, man doors, wall, etc. They will drive a truck through the door or put a few holes in it with a drill, put some eye bolts through the holes, attach a chain to them and pull the entire door from the house.
You can't stop them from getting in if they want to. You can limit how much time they can spend with a good alarm system however. Make sure you alarm the garage with motion and door openers as well as glass breaks. Always lock the door into your house (this will slow them down long enough for the alarm to go off. Make sure you test it once a month (including fire, glass break, door switches and the motion detectors.
Get a monitored system, keep the backup battery in good shape and pay for cell service to call the alarm company. Even tweeked out, wanna be crooks know to cut the phone lines and some will even pull the meter to kill power. They will also knock the siren or horn off of the wall once they get into the house. By killing power, phone and the noise maker, they think they are home free until the cops show up from the cell phone call.
Make sure you video everything in the house so yo will limit the arguements with the insurance company. If you are home, have the alarm company set "zones" that can be alarmed and keep a dog to keep them wondering if the mutt will bite them. If you live in a free state and not one of the People's Republiks, learn to use a good handgun or combat shotgun and help rid the world of its problems one shot at a time.....
You can't stop them from getting in if they want to. You can limit how much time they can spend with a good alarm system however. Make sure you alarm the garage with motion and door openers as well as glass breaks. Always lock the door into your house (this will slow them down long enough for the alarm to go off. Make sure you test it once a month (including fire, glass break, door switches and the motion detectors.
Get a monitored system, keep the backup battery in good shape and pay for cell service to call the alarm company. Even tweeked out, wanna be crooks know to cut the phone lines and some will even pull the meter to kill power. They will also knock the siren or horn off of the wall once they get into the house. By killing power, phone and the noise maker, they think they are home free until the cops show up from the cell phone call.
Make sure you video everything in the house so yo will limit the arguements with the insurance company. If you are home, have the alarm company set "zones" that can be alarmed and keep a dog to keep them wondering if the mutt will bite them. If you live in a free state and not one of the People's Republiks, learn to use a good handgun or combat shotgun and help rid the world of its problems one shot at a time.....
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
I agree with Georgia, It is mainly kids and they don't care what they trash. They just smash and grab. The pros can get in anywhere. Alarms don't do a whole lot of good with a smash and grab tho.
I have a clip thru my opener release. I turn the power off when I leave town and I throw bolts thru the rails or C-clamps, depending on which is handy. I have had my opener for 30 years and it has only opened once due to RF interference which happened just recently. Right now the power is off unless I need to open it.
I have a clip thru my opener release. I turn the power off when I leave town and I throw bolts thru the rails or C-clamps, depending on which is handy. I have had my opener for 30 years and it has only opened once due to RF interference which happened just recently. Right now the power is off unless I need to open it.
Wingnut65
Well-known member
Thanks AV8OR for posting this video and starting this thread. It is scary to see how easy it is to get thru our front door. My back door is hooked to our house alarm, but since we park in the garage, we don't have motions in there, yet. And, since we are in Central Florida, one of the lightning capitol's of the world, I don't see how I can cable-tie the latch closed and still have the capability to pull the cord to open the door when the power is out. I can just hear the call at 8:30 as my wife panics to get the kids to school...
So, the engineer in me looked at my opener and the door to see what can be done on a limited budget...
POSSIBLE IDEA... A piece of sheet metal can be notched and mounted to the truck to hang down in front of the pull latch to prevent anything from outside being able to reach the latch. I am thinking of notching it so it fits over the truck and still goes up to mount to the flat of the horizontal part. It may need to be secured with a screw in a drilled and tapped hole. I will try this over the weekend and post pix.
And another thought... The problem is that access is provided in the gap at the top of the door, allowing a coat hanger to reach in to the mechanism. If something were installed at the top of the door - wood, angle, something - it could prevent the coat hanger from being able to reach the latch. Or it should divert it another way to prevent access. It would have to be designed to coordinate with the door operation to keep it from hitting the track while opening.
I will look at both these ideas over the weekend to see if there is a relatively easy security device we can build to keep the thugs out.
So, the engineer in me looked at my opener and the door to see what can be done on a limited budget...
POSSIBLE IDEA... A piece of sheet metal can be notched and mounted to the truck to hang down in front of the pull latch to prevent anything from outside being able to reach the latch. I am thinking of notching it so it fits over the truck and still goes up to mount to the flat of the horizontal part. It may need to be secured with a screw in a drilled and tapped hole. I will try this over the weekend and post pix.
And another thought... The problem is that access is provided in the gap at the top of the door, allowing a coat hanger to reach in to the mechanism. If something were installed at the top of the door - wood, angle, something - it could prevent the coat hanger from being able to reach the latch. Or it should divert it another way to prevent access. It would have to be designed to coordinate with the door operation to keep it from hitting the track while opening.
I will look at both these ideas over the weekend to see if there is a relatively easy security device we can build to keep the thugs out.
dirttracker18
Well-known member
I don't have those types of openers, but a friend of mine does.
I told him about the youtube video and he says "Yeah I got that covered" and sends me this from his phone. (He does this when he's out of town).
Wouldn't it be easier to just put a lock through one or both of the rails?
My garage is slightly behind my house and has a 500w motion light at the peak (15' up, don't want someone to just remove the bulb. The only way in is through the front so the light will turn on. If I am not going to be home at night I put the lock in the rail. I leave it hanging right there.
However, if someone wants in that bad there is not much I can do. Just deter the oppportuntists.
Heavy Metal Doctor
Well-known member
AGREED, 100%!
All of my projects / stuff is inside the shed / workshop as much as possible at the back of the back yard with a couple acres behind that. The place is fenced and the other day when a neighbors kid was looking for his dog I asked why he didn't just walk back there - he then explained to me that I have gotten the reputation of "don't go on his property without knocking on the door or you could get shot" - I don't know where that came from, but I guess there's worse reputations one could get.
As for locking garage doors -- we have new electric openers at work that have electric slide bolt locks on the tracks that lock automaticly. We can also add padlocks through the tracks if there is any doubt that's enough.
Last edited:
onewaydave
Well-known member
Not trying to steal the thread, just a step off the path. Watching that video was de ja vu for me.
This week the LOML locked the keys in her Yukon and I couldn't find the spare anywhere. So I called the local locksmith. Walt looked the vehicle up in his book and tried for 30 minutes to slide the back door lock lever from the outside window. Kind of like the old Chevy slim jims. Didn't work.
Then he goes to the wedge block, like the OP's video, and tries to bump the unlock switch on the door. But the computer disables the switch some how. Didn't work. Of course I didn't tell Walt that I had already tried that, having grown up a little hoodlum in the 60's.
But then he surprised me. Using a close hanger-like wire thru the same wegde, he sharpened and angled the end to pulled the door lock button up. On the Yukon, they are shaped in a smooth curved way to cause such a device to slip off the beveled edge, but Walt's sharpened end had enough "bite" into the plastic to circumvent this. Just like the GD video it worked.
I'm not trying to tell you how to break into a newerish Gov motors vehicle, I making a statement that 1960's (or earlier) low tech trumps 200X ish high tech with just the right application. This just can't be said enough.
Dave, just pay's his insurance premiums.
This week the LOML locked the keys in her Yukon and I couldn't find the spare anywhere. So I called the local locksmith. Walt looked the vehicle up in his book and tried for 30 minutes to slide the back door lock lever from the outside window. Kind of like the old Chevy slim jims. Didn't work.
Then he goes to the wedge block, like the OP's video, and tries to bump the unlock switch on the door. But the computer disables the switch some how. Didn't work. Of course I didn't tell Walt that I had already tried that, having grown up a little hoodlum in the 60's.
But then he surprised me. Using a close hanger-like wire thru the same wegde, he sharpened and angled the end to pulled the door lock button up. On the Yukon, they are shaped in a smooth curved way to cause such a device to slip off the beveled edge, but Walt's sharpened end had enough "bite" into the plastic to circumvent this. Just like the GD video it worked.
I'm not trying to tell you how to break into a newerish Gov motors vehicle, I making a statement that 1960's (or earlier) low tech trumps 200X ish high tech with just the right application. This just can't be said enough.
Dave, just pay's his insurance premiums.