Garage Security Help

[dmw16]

I will be moving a nice piece of hardware into my garage in a few weeks and given the dollar value I am starting to think about security in my garage. I live in a nice area and don't worry about safety or break-ins much, but just the same...

I am thinking of this is a 3 prong thing. First is making sure said item is properly insured. Second is physical security of the garage door. Third is expanding my alarm system to watch the garage.

So physical security: are there garage door openers that have some sort of physical lockout when the door is closed? I worry that with a regular automatic opener they could be forced open. And along with that, are some external keypads and garage door remotes more secure than others?

With alarms, I'm assuming a camera, motion sensor, and a glass break sensor (there's a window in my garage) should cover me. But what I don't want is for the alarm to go off if we enter the house thru the garage.

What have others done here?

 

[ovilla]

Look at shaft drive openers from Liftmaster. They all come with electric deadbolts that you install in your tracks, which prevent your door from being opened. I'd also just put a motion detector up high in a corner of your garage and then get a wireless alarm keyfob to add to your cars key chain. Or, just add an alarm key pad inside your garage. Plus add a door open sensor to the door between the garage and house - if you don't already have one.

Finally the best theft deterrent is to literally bolt whatever you can to the floor or wall and try to always keep your garage door closed from prying eyes.

 

[cpttuna]

IF someone is able to break into your garage, make it difficult for them to exit with stolen property. for instance, a generator could be chained to a workbench

 

[slip knot]

I've got a security system on my detached shop. We ran a zone expander out to it and set it up as its own system just tied in with the house. I have 4 doors and two samll windows. the doors are all monitored but the windows weren't. They are 3X2 window 4ft off the ground so not much can go out thru the windows. All the doors are monitored so anything big will have to out thru the doors and will set the alarm off. My installer didn't want to put motions in the shop, he said the heat would cause lots of false alarms same with the smoke detector, We installed the smoke but it was a pita so its not online anymore.

 

[dmw16]

Look at shaft drive openers from Liftmaster. They all come with electric deadbolts that you install in your tracks, which prevent your door from being opened. I'd also just put a motion detector up high in a corner of your garage and then get a wireless alarm keyfob to add to your cars key chain. Or, just add an alarm key pad inside your garage. Plus add a door open sensor to the door between the garage and house - if you don't already have one.

Finally the best theft deterrent is to literally bolt whatever you can to the floor or wall and try to always keep your garage door closed from prying eyes.

Thanks! On those lift masters...are they something you can install yourself? I'm pretty capable with tools.

I did look at the 8500 some time ago and it seemed like it needed space adjacent to the door and my door is kind of in a recess. Are there lift master dealers I can contact or something?

Said item can't be bolted down easily. It's a race car. But purpose built so car insurance doesn't cover.

 

[matt_i]

I turned my open pushbutton into an allen Bradley keyed switch some years back. While it is not super sophisticated, it would take a person longer to figure out what to do next. My methods just add to the PITA factor.

Also use some kind of window treatment, even if its just a sheet of fitted white paper.

My best idea for a security system is an actuator which discharges a can of pepper spray into the shop. Still working on the details, but that oughtta be a deterrent

 

[MFolks]

For quite a while, thieves were gaining access to garages,by forcing a hook through the top of the garage door/building interface,and pulling the manual release,then raising the door. When we went to McAllen Texas a few years ago,I made up blocks that went into the tracks,so the door could not be raised.They went in the day we left,and returned about 7 months later, with no attempts of prying the door.

 

[barks]

Be careful of anything like a booby trap. They are highly illegal in most jurisdictions.

 

[ovilla]

Yes you can install a shaft drive opener - takes about 15 min to mount to the torsion bar and then an L bracket attaches to the unit and also the wall.

The safest way I've seen of securing a race car is to keep it loaded onto a trailer and then convert the trailers normal ball coupler to a Max Coupler unit. I'd also put an anchor into the concrete floor so you can chain the trailer to your anchor.

 

[Capt Crash]

There are companies out there that will insure racecars specifically.
Brian

 

[InsanePyro]

A car? Just disable the car? For the longest time my bronco had a messed up column where it was stuck in accessory mode and I didn't have the time to tear apart the column so I left it and disconnected the battery where ever I went. How did I prevent theft? Took the fuel pump relay with me wherever I went. Theres a million and half ways to secure a car. Even a purpose built one

 

[theoldwizard1]

Put the door opener on a switched circuit and side the switch. A padlock through a hole in the side rail will prevent the door from being raised even if they disconnect the opener arm.

Windows need bars or better yet, glass block.

Motion detector lights on all 4 sides of the garage.

 

[Kaizen]

think about drilling and epoxy some large eye bolts into the floor. then use a security cable or two to literally lock it down through the axle or pull hook. There are also sensors you can put on the car itself that would send you an alert if it moves. i'm envisioning a flat bed or trailer would be used to steal it. so last line is making them spend time cutting it free so they can't just pull it out. there is a million of them out there now.

 

[muncie21]

Paint the car 'Ford Blue'; no one will want to jack it then The burgs might even leave some sympathy $$

Well on the more serious side, I would agree with the gent that suggested putting a lock on the garage door rails. Either the would-be thieves cut lock or tear down the door. Hopefully it's a sturdy lock and they move on.

 

[InsanePyro]

You guys are too worried about the doors. Heres why

I work at a Chevy dealership. Few months ago they broke in and stole a handful of Corvettes. How you ask? They drove them right through the door.

Secure the car, then the garage

 

[bdbecker]

Put the door opener on a switched circuit and side the switch. A padlock through a hole in the side rail will prevent the door from being raised even if they disconnect the opener arm.

Windows need bars or better yet, glass block.

Motion detector lights on all 4 sides of the garage.

+1

The only thing I would add is to make sure there is a deadbolt on the man door. If you didn't want to put in glass block or have bars on the windows, you might consider frosted safety film at the very least. Frosted to keep prying eyes from seeing what you have, and the safety part might slow them down.

Turning your place into too much of a fortress can also attract attention.

Also, I see you don't have your location entered into your profile... could you tell us EXACTLY where you live, you know, so we can give you better advice?