Garage opening on alley

[CreekRat]

This COVID thing has my garage plans on hold until I'm more confident the layoff hammer isn't going to fall on me. Since the building is on hold I'm rethinking the layout.

The garage will be behind my house, double lot so enough room. I had originally planned on having the doors open toward the the center of the yard to keep an eye on doors but the best layout to keep the yard from being filled with gravel is to have them opening toward the alley.

Any comments or cautionary tales on a garage doors opening out of direct view? Best way to secure the building, alarm, cameras, spikes?

 

[klassenl]

Mine open into the alley, of course I live in town and I didn't have any other choice. In a general sense we don't worry about crime. The doors get locked.

We all know that if they want in, they will get in.

 

[CoogarXR]

I used to live in the ghetto with a garage on the alley. It was always getting vandalized. Graffiti on the door, broken windows, surprise visitors waiting when I opened the door, etc. Good times.

 

[CreekRat]

I'm not it the ghetto, small town in a rural county, but a surprising amount of property crime outside of town.

Anybody use cameras or some other method to monitor the doors? My big fear would be for them to be left open overnight. 20/80 I'd be picked over by morning.

 

[Red 17]

I would rather have the doors face the house. Do you have a driveway out the front of your property?

 

[jchetty]

I’m getting ready to redo my garage. One of the most over-due items is an alarm. I’m using Ring. Simplisafe, Nest, and many others are available at very reasonable prices. The options are endless if you add cameras. Great & easy way to add peace of mind.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

I'm not it the ghetto, small town in a rural county, but a surprising amount of property crime outside of town.

Anybody use cameras or some other method to monitor the doors? My big fear would be for them to be left open overnight. 20/80 I'd be picked over by morning.

Get in the habit of staying and watching the door FULLY close and stay down for a second before you leave.

I used to have to do this when i lived at my apartment with a garage


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[58Yeoman]

I lived in a town of 5500 for 10 years, and built a 2 car garage facing the alley. No problems, other than building it too close to the alley. I thought one car length would be enough. It wasn't.

 

[SALIV8]

Get in the habit of staying and watching the door FULLY close and stay down for a second before you leave.

I used to have to do this when i lived at my apartment with a garage


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. Plus I have cameras that also see the garage door. They have myQ plug ins available for chamberlain and lift master doors that allow you to monitor, open and close the garage door also.

 

[CreekRat]

That's a good point about being far enough away from the alley. I just eyeballed it planting flags but both trucks are 20' long so I should have enough room for one car length maybe 1.5 but more than that pushes the building up more than I planned.

I didn't mention it but the building will be 30x40 with the doors on the short end.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

If your lot is wide enough, consider placing the door 90 degrees from the alley. You can see traffic in front of the door that way, place the garage right at the rear of the lot, and have driveway space in front of the doors. The only concern becomes turning in from the alley.
My two garages shown in the picture below. Note the garage on the right opens to the driveway just to the left of it, and the alley is behind. (The second garage on the right opens toward the front).

 

[u2slow]

My 40x50 3-bay shop faces the alley.

Can't drive past the house from the front. 10' setbacks and an 80' wide lot. I hugged it to one side so I could still drive past it into the yard.

 

[nadogail]

My detached garage has the car door facing the alley, and the man door facing the house.

I live in a small city in a major metropolitan area. Our city cops are great, they once called me in the dark of night to inform me that my garage door was open, then stood by until I came down to close it and asked me if I was missing anything.

All graffiti is prosecuted, even on garage doors. Yes my neighbors live close, but the best protection you can have is a nosy neighbor that knows what is going on in the neighborhood and has the decency to speak up.

P.S. Yes, I have an alarm on the garage with off site monitoring and police/fire notification.

 

[matt_i]

If you ever had a trailer with a machine (etc) that had to be backed in at a right angle it would be a lot of trial and error (and probably need a spotter) and thus a pain.

Closest analogy I can think of is is trying to back my gooseneck trailer into the driveway perpendicular to the road with two ditches to catch "over-runners". I haven't gotten stuck and I don't do it often enough to have a good knack for it. If there was a brick wall on the other side of the street I don't think I could do it. There's only grass and a little overshoot there isn't a deadly sin. You could have a shorter truck and receiver hitch trailer which acts a little bit more linearly. Maybe you have none of that But it could be an issue.

 

[kbs2244]

In any security discussion, remember that cameras only document what has happened.
Other than the fear factor, they are not preventive.

 

[Ilikeike]

My garage door opener alerts me on the phone app when it opens,fairly quikly also.
Of course I have cameras and and alarm also.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I live in the inner city and my garage door faces the alley. I've had I think two separate graffiti events, but that's over the span of 36 years. Other than that, no issues. It also means my driveway is very short, which is an advantage when having to shovel snow in the winter. I long ago got in the habit of never leaving or going into the house without waiting for the door to close, so it never gets left open accidentally.

 

[CreekRat]

Thanks guys!! I'm glad to hear this shouldn't be a problem with the right simple precautions.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Here is a better picture of my garage perpendicular to the alley. This orientation does allow me to see across the door from the house.
Note that the lot is 50' wide, and the garage goes right up to 1' from the lot line (this is allowed here because the building is a garage and isn't habitable).
Pulling in and out is delicate, it would be hard to use both spaces in it for cars. But one car in is no problem, and I use the the building for hobbies, not just car storage.
Note, if the lot is wider, pulling in and out is much easier.
I also have a powered sliding gate for security.

 

[wes73]

1200 sq foot, 30 feet off ally with a 20 ft door facing alley and a 10 ft door facing house. I can see straight through with both open. LiftMaster doors with the MyQ app. Can get notified when doors open or close. Can open or close remotely. I have my outside lights on the MyQ light switches and have them scheduled on and off. Gotta remember, if someone wants in, they will get in no matter how many cameras, lights or other means of deterrent.