Garage Security: What Do You Use?

[magilla]

Let's talk about pole barn / detached garage security here.

Say you have a building with a few overhead doors, a mandoor, and a few windows. What do you use for security to assure that no one breaks in your building while you're sleeping in the house or while you're away. Or that your building doesnt accidentally catch fire.

I would think a monitored alarm system would be the best, but also the most expensive. Let's say your home already has a monitored alarm system installed (monitored means that when the alarm is tripped, an alarm monitoring services is automatically called, and when they call you to ask if all is OK and you dont answer, they call the local law enforcement to come out to check the property. Some also include smoke sensors that call the fire dept if they go off and the property owner doesnt answer the call). How expensive would it be to have the alarm installer add your detached building to the existing service?

A guard dog would be another option. A nice pit bull would certainly be a theft deterent.

A DVR video surveilance system might not be a bad option either. I suppose it would be somewhat of a deterent if a potential burglar actually noticed a video camera, but sometimes burglars arent the sharpest tools in the shed. So I see this as being more of a tool to assist in catching a burglar after he's stolen all your stuff rather than a theft-deterent. Personally, I'd rather deter a theft than have to watch a thief on video, especially when it's my STUFF being stolen!

And, of course, there's always firearms for the DIY owner!!

 

[jeffmoss26]

I'm guessing a separate alarm can be installed, with another phone line and monitoring account. Or they could run cables underground/overhead from the main panel to the detached barn.

 

[wadd1]

Rodney the killer Beagle on guard at all times

 

[butcherted]

I have my garage wired separately from the house so we can set the alarm to the garage with out setting the house also vice versa, also it is set up so it he garage alarm goes off it will set the alarm off in the house and that alarm will call the alarm company.
Another feature is to have a heat detector hooked to the alarm.

 

[Stuart in MN]

People will be posting photos of big dogs and guns here in a moment, but to answer the question a garage can be put on the same security system as the house - you just set it up as a separate zone. That way one or the other can be armed while the other is not, and if there is a problem the monitoring company will be able to tell if it's in the garage or the house.

I'd recommend including heat sensors in the garage for fire. Of course, the first line of defense is to keep the place locked - I was just reading the crime reports in the paper during lunch, and probably half of the burglaries happened in unlocked houses or garages.

edit: a security system isn't necessarily that expensive, when compared to the cost of having all your stuff stolen. There are the upfront costs for buying and installing the equipment, but some security companies give a big discount for that if you buy their monitoring contract. The monthly fees can vary, I pay around $20/month for mine. Also remember that your insurance company may give you a discount for having a system installed.

 

[2manytoyz]

Security equipment is inexpensive these days.

There's absolutely NO need to pay a monitored service. I actual did this job while in college. Back then, we called the cops directly. Now they must call the homeowner first.

So why not simply buy an alarm with an autodialer, and YOU put in the recorded message, along with several phone numbers you'd like it to call? Cut out the middle man, save the money. Depending on how fancy you want to get, $200-$400 will get you an entire wireless setup. Also includes PIR detectors, door/window switches, sirens, beacon, smoke detector, glass breakage detector, keypads, autodialer, and wireless keyfobs to arm/disarm. As an example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041IVWTA

I'd also recommend going to SuperCircuits (online), and getting one of their 4 channel DVRs on sale. For about $300, you can get a 4 channel model, with a 1 TB HD, then add cameras. The CD33-2 cameras are very good. Color cameras, with a built-in IR array, so they can see at night also. Put one outside each door, another inside. If you want the turn key package, they have it for $399: http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Camera-Systems/4-Camera-Systems/SYRF204B

If someone does smash a door, and grab something as the alarm goes off, you'll get them on video. My video system helped put a local punk in jail for 6 months!

I have no affiliation with any company. These are companies I've dealt with, and have had a good experience with.

Before you think this is too much money, walk around your shop and do a quick calculation of what YOU could grab in 2 minutes. A coworker lost an entire shed full of his father's mechanics tools. There were ruts in the yard from the heavy truck leaving. He was insured, but that only covers so much. Some things also can't be replaced.

The alarm system, and CCTV system never sleep...

 

[jeffmoss26]

I'm not a fan of wireless burglar alarms...at least not 100% wireless.

 

[Commando]

I was going to suggest what 2manytoyz said, I asked my electrician the other day while he was working and said I could build my own on the cheap with no monthly charges, just need the phone line. Cameras a re good too, some of the setups now are pretty to cheap and even include night vision, online monitoring, and I have even seen a few that advertise I think 2 years of recording for up to 8 cameras. I am thinking about using both of these, but as stated in the original post the DIY option is working currently.

Oh and don't forget some insurance companies give discounts depending on what you have added to the security and safety of the structure.

 

[NitroPress]

Read the first 5 pages of Thomas Perry's Metzger's Dog for one solution. Then the rest of it for another.

Hint: neither involves a dog.

 

[Slip_Kid]

As others have said: Add camera's with a DVR system, an alarm system, also an auto dialer system. Should be about $500.00 if you do the install.

 

[5lima30]

A good watch dog is your best bet. You may want to skip the Pit Bull though, some insurance companies will not cover you with a Pit Bull. (BTW I am not against Pit Bulls in any way... but there is a growing trend against them including DOD installations.

 

[Stuart in MN]

My two cents on monitoring: if you have friends or neighbors who are always home, willing to answer the phone 24/7, and will always be able to react to an emergency, that's great. Otherwise, a monitoring service is worth considering.

 

[57JoeFoMoPar]

Lots of good suggestions here, especially for the professional shop owner. I think there is a lot the average serious home hobbyist can do to prevent thefts.

My thoughts are this: If someone really wants to get in my garage and steal my car or tools, they're going to do it. Period. That's what insurance is for, and everything I have is inventoried and insured. However, I think the vast majority of thefts are crimes of opportunity, or poorly planned invasions done by amateur criminals who may have seen something they like passing by and are trying to make a quick buck.

I've tried to take a multi-faceted approach to security so that if someone is trying to rip me off, there are numerous roadblocks they will encounter. I think the following are some good ways to start for the serious home hobbyist that doesn't want to get ripped off.
-Motion sensor lights. Common sense dictates a person would rather commit a crime under the cover of darkness than in plain sight.
-Lock your doors multiple ways. My garage door handles lock, but I've also drilled the track and inserted huge padlocks as well, which are only accessible from inside.
-Deadbolts without a knob. I never understood the point of deadbolts with an inside knob. If someone smashes a window and manages to get in, if the dead bolt has to be opened with a key that they don't have, all they did was lock themselves inside.
-Bars on the windows. It doesn't need to be extreme, but just to make it very difficult for an adult to fit through. My garage in concrete block. A couple of pieces of scrap steel and concrete anchors eliminate windows from being a point of entry without tremendous force.
-Block it in. My classic car is my most important possession in the garage, and it's obviously also the biggest. I always keep a spare vehicle parked in the driveway behind that bay. That way if someone wants to get that car out of the garage, they need to move my van too.
-Get to know your neighbors. They're your eyes and ears when you're not there and can call the authorities. Let them know that nobody is authorized to take tools or cars, and if they see anything suspicious to call the police. Better safe than sorry.
-Privacy fence. Not only does it prevent people from seeing what you have in the first place, it's also much higher than a standard chain-link fence and a thief can't jump it. It is a big deterrent that the criminal will only be able to get away with what he can carry in his hands and pockets.
-Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was an easy target because there was only 1 way in and out. Close it off, and there is no escape. I took the same approach to my property. The only way into the yard and garage area is down my driveway past the wooden gates. It's all smooth 7 foot fence once you're in. With the other measures I've taken, I figure someone will have to make quite a racket cutting off the locks, breaking windows, or prying on doors to get in. By that time, I would have heard it in the house, called the police and/or grabbed my revolver.

I've also been considering putting a GPS beacon in the car as well. If someone gets it, I want it back.

 

[bczygan]

Hide, camouflage, physically block the property. Alarm and place cameras at the property lines. Misdirect by putting signage up that says "Millies Quilts". Not a lot of thieves want to try to fence quilts. Create very strong locking and panels to cover windows and doors. I know a drug house that was a typical urban house lined with welded 12 gauge steel plate. Make it very difficult to get in. Or make a trap where it is easy to get into a portion but impossible to get out so the thieves are held until authorities arrive.

 

[magilla]

Here's another idea for windows: use glass block windows instead of regular pane glass.

Drawback: they dont open, and you cant see outside very well thru em.

Advantage: they don't open and even if a thief broke thru them, they couldn't climb thru the opening. Well, maybe the Olsen twins could fit thru, but I doubt they're in the garage theft biz.

 

[mt shasta steve]

I have a monitored alarm system that is a seperate zone from the house. I can set it at night and still be able to get up and pee without setting off motion sensors in the house. The response time in my county is from 30 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. I also have a sign that says "Beware of owner, the dog doesn't carry a .357"

 

[Stuart in MN]

-Deadbolts without a knob. I never understood the point of deadbolts with an inside knob.

It may not be as much of an issue with a garage, but if the deadbolt is on your house door you don't want to have to look around for a key if there's a fire in the middle of the night and you need to escape. Double lock deadbolts are against code for houses in at least some areas for that reason.

 

[Terry454]

We have had a whole home monitored system for several decades. The garage is a separate zone with door and window magnetic switches and heat detectors. The garage is unheated so smoke detectors were out of the question because they do not function in the cold -- or so the security company said.

I installed ply wood to block all the windows to keep both light and people out. Those plywood sheets have magnetic switches on them. This has the advantage of keeping the sunlight from deteriorating the paint on the cars. The garage is primarily storage for the old cars. No daily drivers go in/out.

The mandoor frames are reinforced with steel angle iron from plate to plate and the doors are solid core with no windows. All hinge and latch screws are long enough to go into the reinforced door frame. One key in knob lock which is a very poor security choice and one long-throw dead bolt. Over the years I have seen pry marks on the doors and door frame where break ins were attempted, but not successful. The first line of defense is to build it right. The security system will just let you know someone got in and alert you after the fact. I don't expect response time will be quick enough to actually catch any but the laziest of thieves.

 

[Aberdale]

57JoeFoMoPar is correct. If someone wants into your building, or wants your stuff bad enough, they will find a way to get it.

The easiest way to keep someone from breaking into your building is to either not have one, leave the door open all the time so anyone can walk in and out without "breaking in", or simply not have anything of value that anyone would want to steal.

None of these are good options, I know. I believe the chances of a break in increase if the risk of being caught decrease. This is true for "casual thieves" as much as it is for "professional thieves". The greater the risk of being caught, the better the chance that they will move on to easier prey.

My garage was broken into once. Two high school kids skipped afternoon class, and knew that my wife and I worked. We kept our dog in the house as a deterrent to house break-ins. The garage was detached, and had four windows. They entered by breaking a window. I had left the keys in my 4x4 truck (Extremely stupid on my part), and they stole the truck and went 4 wheeling all afternoon. The Sheriff called me at work and told me that my truck was lying on it's side in a corn field with the motor running. They found the kids later. The truck was totaled. The kids got off. My insurance premiums went up, and I had the pleasure of paying for a new truck.

My recommendations? I moved to a more defensible location. I now work from home. My current shop is 300 ft. from the road, and 300 yards from the nearest neighbor. My property is completely fenced. The shop has no windows. The doors are always locked unless I'm in it. No one comes in the shop unless they are close friends. I don't flaunt my stuff by allowing it easy to be seen by anyone passing by, or "curious visitors". I have 3 noisy dogs that I allow to run loose on the property. Two are loud barkers, one bites. (An intruder will have to find out which one is which.) I post "Beware of Dog" signs.

I have a monitored alarm system that includes motion detectors and smoke/heat sensors. However, I live far enough from town that thieves would be long gone, or the shop would burn to the ground before help arrived. It's more to lower my insurance premiums than an effective deterrent. I have security lighting, but that just makes it easier for a thief to see what they're doing. Besides, it's much easier for professionals to steal things in daylight when most of us are at work.

I have firearms for any time that I feel the lives of me or my family are threatened, but it would be a last resort. I don't flaunt, show off, or brag about my firearms because I believe they would just be something else to attract thieves, since they are easy to fence.

The best security is to not brag about what you have, and do whatever you can to increase the odds that a thief or intruder would get caught. They like the odds in their favor. Anything you can do to stack the odds against them will make them think twice.

 

[StRacerDuke]

Went with these items:

- Liftmaster 3600 (don't forget about garage door entry points)
- DSC hardwired security system (glass breaks, motion sensors, door sensors)
- CCTV system hard wired with 24/7 recording and internet access via iphone (http://www.cctvsecuritypros.com)
- NRA sticker

 

[magilla]

+1 on the NRA sticker

 

[Stuart in MN]

The garage is unheated so smoke detectors were out of the question because they do not function in the cold -- or so the security company said.

Car exhaust can also cause false alarms.

 

[Aristotle]

As others have said, the best security is keeping things out of sight.
Secondly, fit strong locks, but not too visible as that suggests that you have something valuable inside.

Thirdly, use a good alarm that doesn't give 'false alarms', so that you will use it.

Lock your valuables (and power tools) away from sight, isolating the power to the garage if possible too.


I'm almost disappointed that nobody has suggested keeping a stash of assault rifles and grenade launchers in the house, burying land-mines in the garden and calling in an air-strike -with further back-up from a squadron of Apaches- in the event of a break-in

 

[TWX]

Here's what I plan to do to my workshop, which is a slump-block building with no windows, no skylights, one man-door and two house-style insulated garage doors on tracks. First, I'm going to install an off-the-shelf security screen door. It's cheap, it means there are two layers to break in through to get inside through that way instead of one, and it's visible enough that it should act as a deterrent. A side benefit, it'll let me leave the workshop ventilated but still keep most of the bugs out, and should even be strong enough by itself at night if I need paint fumes to dissipate. It's an off-the-shelf door so that it doesn't look like anything specifically needing protection is inside either.

Second, I'm going to determine what I can to to retrofit my garage doors and tracks to make it a little better. Since garage doors in residential applications are not very strong, I may add a piece of angle iron across the length of the door on the inside to act as an anti-deforming barrier. The tracks are also very weak, and I'll probably add more angle iron (bigger piece) or some kind of triangular thing to make deforming the tracks difficult. Those should prevent people from pushing at a corner of my garage door to either bust the door or the tracks.

Third, I have decorative lights near all doors that are "dual brite" with motion sensors. They're simply on dimly for about six hours after dark, at which time they shut off. If someone walks by during the night then they turn on at full brightness, whether they're dim or off. If someone hops over the fence or walks up the driveway then they'll be illuminated. If they're worried about being seen then they'll pick a different mark.

Lastly, I keep the foliage cut back so my neighbors have a full view of the front of my workshop doors. No one could drive up or take the time to force the garage doors without being noticed, and since most of my neighbors are retirees, it should be a lot less tempting of a target.

As for making it known that one owns guns, I would not recommend that. A lot of breakins around here involve gun theft. I would suggest that anyone who owns a firearm keep it locked in a safe heavy enough to require special equipment to move it or else bolted down such that theft isn't practical when they're not home. None of the breakins (including my brother's last week) occurred when anyone was home, so there was no one there to confront an intruder. If it's obvious that you own guns, secure them when they're out of your immediate control if you intend to use your ownership of guns as a deterrent.

 

[TWX]

+1 on the NRA sticker

So, if I want to steal a gun, I just need to look for NRA stickers and to break in when no one is around, right?

 

[Deltarat]

I have a stand alone security system for my shop with switches on the doors,( no windows) motion detectors,smoke and heat detectors. It has an outside protected extremely loud siren that is 40' from my bedroom.

 

[ibedayank]

heres mine...
you won't get on the property without him telling me

 

[theoldwizard1]

57JoeFoMoPar had the best advice, especially about double locking your overhead doors.

I can only add that the standard "man door" is one the weakest links in any security system. At a minimum, you need a heavy duty strike plate that bolts through the jam and into part of the framing. Better, buy a commercial steel door with a steel jam. Expensive, but it won't get kicked in.

I also don't believe that monitored alarm system are worth the money.

If you are really paranoid about fire, look into a sprinkler system. Obviously won't work if the shop temp get below freezing, you might even get a break on your insurance rates !

 

[chief ben]

this is my shop security system, Mr. Jerry Lea

 

[prosnowsk8er]

heres one of my guys,

 

[NUTTSGT]

I wish I had a metal framed man door but I don't. I used some three inch screws in the hinges and I have a piece of 10 guage steel behind the strikers. Sure they can kick the door in but it'll make them work at it.

I also have a simple alarm and motion lights outside.

Like the only man door, the 3 windows are on the front in plain view of passing traffic.

One of the best deterrents, is the wife's coworkers that might be sitting in the driveway at all hours running traffic.

 

[slip knot]

I've got a monitored alarm system on my house with a zone expander for the shop. ADT runs about $50/month. Got all the doors monitored and motion detectors. There a 15 minute or so response time but I get a call a well as SD/FD. and can call a few neighbors to investigate. And theres an siren in the house that will drive ya buggy after @5min.

Nothings foolproof and if they want in bad enough they'll get in. But if you make it too hard they'll move on.

 

[Drunken Yak inc]

I just do all my yard work, wash the car, play basketball and whatever else with a .45 strapped to my hip.

 

[Falcon67]

Light - lots of light that comes on when approached.

 

[Colonial Cobra]

x-10 alarm with auto dialer to my cell phone.

www.x10.com

You can add camera's and whole house automation also.

Brad

 

[brownbagg]

i think the worst security is letting your buddy and friends knowing whats in your shop. instead of tools on the wall, keep them in the box.

 

[Twiggss]

I always liked the thought of if you are doing something wrong what are the 2 thing you don't want to hear and will make the hair on the back of your next stand up?


A growl/bark and the racking of a shot gun.

 

[4Tigers]

My building is five miles away we use a well named security system with motion detectors labels on the hangar doors

The bad guys will most likely pick another hangar

For those of you with a building on your property a dog is the best first choice to alert you or a neighbor

 

[StinkyBunny]

heres mine...
you won't get on the property without him telling me

Here's one of mine. There isn't a thing that goes unnoticed by him or his big sister.