Securing overhead garage door

[buttface]

My shop has 8 overhead garage doors, the previous owner had a large car collection. I would like to better secure the doors, in fact most of them I don't plan on using but on a rare occasion. Is there anything on the market or something one of you GJ members has done to secure the doors from being 'jacked up' from the outside. They are not on door openers, and I do have the metal locks, but I don't think they would stand up to much.
I had a friend who had his house broken into, the perps used a car jack, wedged it under the bottom of the overhead garage door and jacked it up 10inches and slid under. I want to make it hard for them to do this. I thought about just getting some lag bolts and bolting that in the door rail so it couldnt' be lifted. Any better ideas?

 

[Gary S]

If someone used a floor jack, you can't protect a door. If you lock the door well, the door will easily bend and fail from the use of a jack. If you need that level of security, the door has to be replaced with something solid like a wood or steel wall.
A simple vise grip on the track will hold almost as much as the door. And, if you want a bit more, a hole drilled through the track and a bolt to stop door movement will already be stronger than the door itself.

 

[premierplayer]

If someone used a floor jack, you can't protect a door. If you lock the door well, the door will easily bend and fail from the use of a jack. If you need that level of security, the door has to be replaced with something solid like a wood or steel wall.
A simple vise grip on the track will hold almost as much as the door. And, if you want a bit more, a hole drilled through the track and a bolt to stop door movement will already be stronger than the door itself.

Spot on.

I have used a home made pipe bushing then screwed the slide bolts to a wooden door or to the door jamb with the new metal door. On the old wooden door the slide bolt had a hole near the end you could have put a pad lock through to block its return through the roller track.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I cut a length of 2 x 4 that fits snugly between the top of the overhead door and the underside of one of the ceiling joists. It works well and was easy to do.

 

[RollUpDoor]

If you don't plan on using them. You could remove the tension from the springs.

I've been to repairs where theives have sawed thru the section or rammed a vehicle thru the door. A determined theif will find a way.

 

[Spareparts]

I have used the beam clamps on the track, the type used to hang conduit or pipe to beams. They have stamped steel ones but the cast ones are much stronger.

 

[upndown]

I use a couple garage door slide locks, drilled a hole in the slide next to the mounting box, with a padlock you cannot get a bolt cutter on it!!

One of my old customers traveled in his Motor home all summer, he made 3 arms that dropped down from the ceiling to the top of the door, a padlock on each. Nobody was jacking that door up!

 

[BradTx]

A determined thief will find a way.

I've helped design pawn shops and even concrete block walls don't stop them. We have to drop re-bar through the cores and fill them with concrete. That usually does the trick - at least for the walls.

 

[kbs2244]

I like the release the spring tension idea.
Makes the door pretty heavy and gets rid of that bomb waiting to explode up there.
The lock in the ways suggested and pile lots of stuff in front of them.
Inside and out.
I have seen a small dump truck load of dirt in front of doors to discourage their use.
Or sections of "Jersey Wall" from a road construction site.
You will need a lift truck to move them.
Again, inside or outside.

 

[nehog]

A small hole in the track with a bolt and nut should hold it closed and make it easy to open when necessary. Put the bolt at the bottom roller as close as possible so it can't move more than a tiny fraction of an inch? (One on each side, of course...)

 

[Rookie2]

if they want in they could just push one of the panels in. I'd wire switches to each door to sense movement and turn on lights or a horn.