Keeping the shop secure

[ryan112ryan]

I'm in the planning stages of my build and the shop will be on a piece of land I own about 2 hours away. I plan to build a house there in a few years, but shop first (priorities) with a basic living setup so I can go up on and stay for about half the time.

Since I won't be up there all the time, I want to make sure that it's buttoned up. The shop will be out of sight of the road (good and bad thing), there will be a gate locked.

I was planning on not having any windows, just one roll up and a standard metal door. What tips, tricks and suggestions do you all have to keep everything secure from thieves etc?

 

[EOC_Jason]

Being out of sight and having a locked gate is probably the best things...

No windows is also good as that is the number one entry point of just breaking a window.

You have to realize there are weak points if a thief really wants to get in. The large metal doors can easily be backed into with a vehicle and will pop out of the track (ask me how I know...)

You can get security systems that are cell-phone based, so as long as you get cell reception out there then it will work. However being 2 hours away the thieves will be long gone by the time you show up.

 

[James-W]

Whenever I see a locked gate I have to wonder what the locked gate is supposed to be protecting. A locked gate will keep honest people honest, but it won't stop someone who really wants to get in.

 

[Jhoff310]

as tacky as it sounds I would personally take a piece of 3" C-channel and attach it to the building running down the center of the man door. I would also look at possibly installing a chain link gate directly in front of the garage door in the opening. You want to make it as difficult as possible for any thieves to get in. Again, it may sound tacky, but what is your equipment worth?

 

[Tractorsellr]

My Barn/Shop has 8 overhead doors and 2 walk doors. I built gates out of 3 inch and 2 3/8 pipe that swings in front of every shop door and overhead door on the building, and use 2 puck locks on each opening. I have burglar bars over the few windows I do have. I did not want anybody driving thru the doors or beating them in. I used security screws instead of hex heads for the sheets goods. I sprayed foamed all the walls and have either metal or wood on the interior shop walls 8 foot high. I do have a security system and live 9 miles outside of the nearest town. Got to slow the crooks down.

 

[porschen]

I have ADT securing my house and garage. It is nice to have the app on my phone, and the police will respond if it goes off. A false alarm could sure be a pain being far away, though.

 

[LXCam]

I'd post a sign stating "you're already on video and I know your here, so please don't bother"

But seriously I'd go with real time monitoring if you have the ability for a internet connection. Complete with exterior motion detectors and cameras on a UPS system.

 

[matt_i]

Imo if its exposed have to harden the incoming power feed and or land-line. Those are important in monitoring.

First step would be to harden the door jambs most of those will give way to a sledge-hammer as-installed.

 

[dw1]

I'm in the planning stages of my build and the shop will be on a piece of land I own about 2 hours away. I plan to build a house there in a few years, but shop first (priorities) with a basic living setup so I can go up on and stay for about half the time.

Since I won't be up there all the time, I want to make sure that it's buttoned up. The shop will be out of sight of the road (good and bad thing), there will be a gate locked.

I was planning on not having any windows, just one roll up and a standard metal door. What tips, tricks and suggestions do you all have to keep everything secure from thieves etc?

I was somewhat in the same situation when I first built my barn, except it was a mile down the road from where I lived, not two hours. I put a POE camera system in and I could check it on my phone and set up alerts. I also put the MyQ on my overhead garage door, it also sends an alert when it opens or closes. I put a Nest smoke/co2 detector that will alert me in case if either went off, but you will need internet/wifi connection to do these.

 

[gtsgarage]

I'd post a sign stating "you're already on video and I know your here, so please don't bother"

But seriously I'd go with real time monitoring if you have the ability for a internet connection. Complete with exterior motion detectors and cameras on a UPS system.

This if possible.

 

[Higgins]

You may want to look into installing a burglar spray bomb to your alarm system.
https://www.burglarbomb.com/
Local responses to break-in are long and people can clean you out very quickly before the LEO can arrive on site!
This way, should people enter you property the area will be sprayed, and believe me no one is going to want to stay around!

Should you have an alarm system that will reset after a period of time, you can install a casserole system that can hold multiple can. so should the perpetrator
return, they will be sprayed once again !!

Good Luck - AL

 

[DGersic]

Plant lots of poison ivy and cultivate a large population of skunks.


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[sean Buick 76]

If it’s possible look into getting someone to live out there in an RV or trailer or something. The best deterrent is having someone around. I have a second house with a ton of my vehicles and stuff out there and the only time I ever had an issue was when the renter moved out and the place was vacant. I like that burgler bomb that looks good!!

I did a few things to help secure my garage at the second house:

No windows
A storm door in front of the man door, then park a vehicle against the door.
Steel doors
Motion activated cameras going direct to my phone (lorex)
A non monitored alarm, but it makes a huge noise.
1200 pound safe to store valuables.
Large doors secured from inside

But really the best deterrent was finding a renter who is home 95% of the time and she has a good dog. And I guess my other advice is reduce the amount of stuff you leave there. It’s hard though because you don’t want to haul a trailer load of stuff each time you go. If land was cheaper here I would have my shop at my residence but it’s just way too $$$$.

 

[SALIV8]

I have a lot of expensive things in my barn about 2.5 hrs away.

I have no security system.

I have outdoor lighting and make sure everything is insured to value. I sleep well.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

#1 great relationship with the neighbors, especially if on a small road

 

[Bigbandguy]

I saw an interesting idea described recently. A normal looking man door that opens onto NOTHING.. behind the door is framing covered by chain link. Not only will the door not kick in (or be driven into without taking down the building) but if the crook gets pissed and takes a chain saw to it the chain breaks. Add an alarm sensor to the picture and the cops could be 2/3 of the way there and he still isn't in the building.

The real man door was well hidden with a hidden electronic lock. The biggest worry would be a frustrated thief setting it on fire.

 

[RWorth]

my cordless dewalt metal circular saw will cut a door in a sheet metal wall in a few seconds, my dewalt cordless wood circular saw will cut threw wood and drywall in a couple of seconds. You can not keep anyone who wants to get in from getting in. Lock the gate, lock the doors, use a security system on a generator with the DVR hidden and hope for the best. Then get good insurance to cover what you can't afford to lose. Other than that just HOPE they don't get curious enough to get past your gate.

 

[apollo11]

no matter what you do anyone with a battery drill or battery saw can get in

 

[driftpin]

The burglar bomb has a flaw, the 'casserole' system (sounds like an autocorrect mistake, I didn't look at the info online, "cassette?") would make it very difficult for first responders, and in fact may be illegal.

A famous burglary deterrent modification to a store that resulted in the fatal electrocution of a burglar, installed by a multiple-time burglary victim, who was prosecuted: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-10-29/news/8603210386_1_prentice-rasheed-deadly-force-grate

Hardening the points of entry and some sort of video surveillance, to include getting pics of the vehicle's license plate would be my choices. Unfortunately the determined thief will find a way. You want to delay their entry and have some sort of monitoring where local PD are alerted, or where you can call them yourself once the system alerts you to an unwanted visitor.

This morning, I'm going to a friend's shop. He's TIG welding up some burglar bars made from 1/2" X 1/2" sq steel bar stock that will be through-bolted into window openings to reduce the size of the area of the single-hung window opening available space to 6" X 16" increments, so I'm really-worried about renegade thieving cats, I'm considering adding motion-activated barking dog sounds to deter that threat.

 

[stm317]

If somebody wants to get into your building badly enough, they'll get in. The idea with security stuff is to make the "low hanging fruit" harder for the thief.
Buy a man door with a steel frame, or Strengthen the door jam so that it can't easily be kicked in with something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Door-Armor-Max-Combo-Set-White/3744197
Use 3 inch screws where the door latch and hinges secure to the door frame so that they penetrate the adjacent framing, instead of just going into the flimsy door frame.
Put up some trail cameras if you want, and then insure it properly.

 

[dfiler2]

Maybe a sign "Bio-Hazards" on the gate and door, better yet, "National Stool Sample Repository", make then not want to break in.

 

[vavet]

"Live Snakes" sign on the door?

I had my garage built with transom windows. They're high in the wall - the bottom is about 10 feet above the floor level, so no one can see in without a ladder or stilts. I still get the benefit of natural light. I did 3 on each 32' long wall so they face north and south. I'm not subjected to the early morning/evening glare of the sun coming straight in.

 

[Tinkerman66]

Keep a radio/stereo playing inside loud enough to be heard outside. At least make them think someone might be there. An old car that looks operational setting around wouldn't hurt either.

 

[nh_yota]

Other than the obvious things like good locks, automatic lights and insurance, at least get a couple of wireless game cameras and place them outside in inconspicuous locations so you can catch snoopers or burglars on camera.

Getting to know your neighbors can be a mixed blessing because some might be crooks.

Nothing will stop a determined thief so at the end of the day you need to have good insurance and document all of your valuable tools and possessions.

If it were my shop, I would invest in surveillance first because then at least you have a chance of recovering your stolen items. Cheap cameras are almost useless so you need to get good cameras and off-site/cloud DVR so the footage can't be stolen. I might be inclined to use two entirely different systems for redundancy and a cellular connection as a backup if the landline goes down. Cellular data connections can get expensive so you only want to use them for backup or for remote access if you use an on-site DVR.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd find a decent used gang box to keep all or any tools left on site when you're not there.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

I'd have to vote for that 'Burglar Bomb' along with good anti-intrusion devices. You may also want to have detection for the gate being opened.

 

[BruceMc]

I have a lot of expensive things in my barn about 2.5 hrs away.

I have no security system.

I have outdoor lighting ...

This /\


Of all the things you can do, this should be first on your list. It's amazing how many people are too cheap to leave a few lights burning, especially these days with the advent of incredibly efficient LEDs available. As mentioned by others, you're not going to stop the determined thief, but you may get them to move past your place and pick an easier target if you can discourage them before they get started.

 

[kbs2244]

Remember, cameras collect evidence,
They do not stop anything except by intimidation.

I like the idea of chain link fence in the walls.
layered as:
Siding
Moisture barrier.
Sheathing
Studs and insulation
Chain link
1x2 furring strips
Interior paneling.

The coffee shop joke around here is that there are entire subdivisions where you can go through a house wall with a razor knife.
Vinyl siding, house wrap, foam sheathing, insulation, drywall.

Hitting the chain link may not stop them, but will sure slow them down.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Best door lock I ever used, it was cheap too, YMMV

 

[theoldwizard1]

Cement block will discourage most determined thieves, but if they really want in, a guy with a sledge hammer can make a sufficiently large enough hole in less than 1 hour.

Solar motion detector lights on all 4 sides will help and not cost a huge amount.

 

[gearhead1]

You can get a deer camera that will send you pictures to your phone. Hide that near your entry door.

I have cars at a location an hour away with no power. Once the thieves started, we hid deer cameras and turned the flash off. Long story short, a thief did some jail time.......

 

[apollo11]

all it takes is a drill and the locks are useless
takes maybe 60 seconds MAX

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Maybe a sign "Bio-Hazards" on the gate and door, better yet, "National Stool Sample Repository", make then not want to break in.

Reminds me of a farm I visited in Livermore. Went to look at a pile of Cars the guy wanted to sell. There were cars, but didnt see anyone so we looked around a little. Cool bikes, old cars, Chicken sheds stocked with Lincoln V12s and Y blocks. Outside there was a pile of nice machined thermos bottle looking things. Some had lids on. I picked one up and read, 'Depleted Uranium, handle with care'. I put that back down right quick, and we found the guy a few sheds further back.

 

[Diesel Mechanic]

Heres a great little article on some good security cameras: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wireless-outdoor-home-security-camera/
I personally use Nest and I love it. It also connects to my google home mini so everything is all synced up.
Definitely recommend a camera system because the gate doesn't deter very many. And it'll be great for when you start building your home and can look after it during construction.
And if you do decide to build a window into the shop, you could always put a light inside that makes it look like someone is inside and use wifi technology to turn it on and off. We use this one at home: http://www.belkin.com/us/F7C027/p/P-F7C027/

 

[ford33]

I suggest good lighting and secure metal doors to delay the opportunistic thief. A determined thief will get in with little problem.

The burglar bomb is great idea and reasonably priced. I hadn't seen it before this thread.

 

[johnnyradiant]

Plant lots of poison ivy and cultivate a large population of skunks.

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Don't know of any poison ivy in our community. Unfortunately, there are no shortages of skunks either.

 

[johnnyradiant]

Maybe a sign "Bio-Hazards" on the gate and door, better yet, "National Stool Sample Repository", make then not want to break in.

Neighbour put a hazard sign (radioactive if memory serves) on the door to his front house he is working on getting ready to demo. Some employee for the municipality showed up and tore a strip off him, or atleast did her best, with all kinds of far fetched scenarios and threats. She was orginally there to look at some trees so what the contents of the house had to do with her was beyond us. It was done partly as a joke, partly as a squatter deterrent, and partly because the main reason he is tearing down instead of just doing an extensive reno is because it was rat and skunk infested and likely at one point or another raccoon infested too despite the lack of poison ivy. There is a creek that helps with the rat and raccoon issues.

 

[johnnyradiant]

I'm in the planning stages of my build and the shop will be on a piece of land I own about 2 hours away. I plan to build a house there in a few years, but shop first (priorities) with a basic living setup so I can go up on and stay for about half the time.

Since I won't be up there all the time, I want to make sure that it's buttoned up. The shop will be out of sight of the road (good and bad thing), there will be a gate locked.

I was planning on not having any windows, just one roll up and a standard metal door. What tips, tricks and suggestions do you all have to keep everything secure from thieves etc?

If you are planning on moving there perhaps you would have a window or two in the shop at that point? Why not frame in the windows now but just finish over the exterior like they aren't there. Then when you are there full time to enjoy them you will already have the framing done and will only need a simple cut of your exterior cladding and your ready to pop in your window(s).

 

[Nivekdodge]

Although I have cameras, the reason I'm building the garage is to keep people out of my cars. I have pictures of the guy in my wife's car but I can't tell you who he is....

 

[tinysparky]

my cordless dewalt metal circular saw will cut a door in a sheet metal wall in a few seconds, my dewalt cordless wood circular saw will cut threw wood and drywall in a couple of seconds. You can not keep anyone who wants to get in from getting in. Lock the gate, lock the doors, use a security system on a generator with the DVR hidden and hope for the best. Then get good insurance to cover what you can't afford to lose. Other than that just HOPE they don't get curious enough to get past your gate.

I agree with them. Insurance, lights, and monitoring. Any small valuables should ve stored in safes, in the slab.

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