Someone tried breaking into my garage! Need Suggestions

[duffman1278]

So just today someone tried breaking into my parents garage and thankfully they weren't able to get in, however the person did leave some damage behind. As such I wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions to add some safety measures to the door? My parents don't want a metal door either as it doesn't look appealing.

Here's pictures of the damage.

 

[1320stang]

uhh, that is a metal door.

 

[1BADLS1tuner]

A dog?

motion sensor lights?

alarm system?

Motion lights and a barking growling dog seem to do about as good as anything! lol

 

[duffman1278]

uhh, that is a metal door.

It's wood.

A dog?

motion sensor lights?

alarm system?

Motion lights and a barking growling dog seem to do about as good as anything! lol

Happened in the day. Lol I don't have time for a dog as much I would like one

 

[colo crawler]

3 to 4 inch screws on the strikers. They will reach all the way to the 2x4 stud and make it harder for the come off the way it did. Solid core door, big and heavy.

-Tom

 

[mad57]

A cable from any eye hook into the 2x4 frame, than 2 eye hooks through the door on left and right than, one more eye hook into other size 2x4 frame. pad lock it together, from the outside all they see is a door, if they kick that door in and break the wood to hell, they still have a cable across the whole works, pretty much takes the EASY kick in out of the equazion. good luck

 

[2drx4]

Judging by the damage, they were actually all the way through, they just needed to give it a hard boot at that point. Dummies.

Get a piece of stainless, say .063" thick. Have a metal shop put two holes in the middle of it for the deadbolt and lock, and press it into a U shape. Put it over the door frame/under the siding and drywall. Put a bunch of screws into it from both sides (remove siding and drywall as required for access). Basically, it will tie the door frame into all of the actual wall framing around it, and it'll be a tough sumbitch. Cover over with siding/new drywall as required to hide it.

You can probably buy something like that commercially too. I made one for somebody once, since I have access to an okay sheetmetal shop/materials at work.

If they won't deviate from a wood door, I don't really know what to say. Metal and wood doors look pretty much the same if you're just going to paint it white anyways.

How's your actual bay door? I betcha it would be a lot easier to break in that way than forcing the man door...

 

[C lectric]

The casing will have to be replaced. Looks like they just tried brute force to crack the casing.
Remove the trim and fill the gap to solid between the door casing on both sides so there is no gap between the studs and the area behind the hinges and the lock striker plates. Then the casing cannot be sprung easily. Use longer screws in the hinges.

The lock striker plates can be made much larger and thicker, even combined into one with more screws and much longer so they are driven into the filler and even into the studs. Reduces the chance of breaking the casing and losing the striker plate support which will release the door.
The door edge can be reinforced with plates that wrap around onto both door faces and surrounds and reinforces the locks.

There are attractive metal clad doors with a solid core around and they will help. I had my house broken into and that's what I replaced the old door with but if that's a no go the plates and casing beefup will help.

I'm sure others will have more ideas.

 

[johnnybentwrench]

when you replace the jamb, they sell an aluminum piece you put behind the holes for the locks. That will not split like the wood alone. Luckily they did not get in

 

[Provincial]

I would be tempted to use the big cables hanging next to the door in my system, but then I would end up in prison.

First, attach a piece of angle iron (or other cosmetically acceptable material) to the door next to the jamb. It should be at least three feet long to keep the perps from getting any leverage against the deadbolt, and preferably the full height of the door. Attach this with carriage bolts through the door with the nuts on the inside. This will keep the crowbar from getting a purchase between the door and the door frame. This will discourage the method they used this time. Notice the dents near the lock and below the deadbolt.

Second, reinforce the jamb near the striker and jamb with a piece of at least 1/8" flat bar, held by at least four 3" long screws that run all the way in to the stud at the door frame. You can repair the current door frame by gluing it back together and adding this plate as a new striker plate for both the latch and deadbolt. Make solid spacers from wood or steel so there is no gap between the stud and the door frame. This carries the pressure from the door and strikers all the way to the stud.

Look over the building and try to determine any other places they may try to break in if they think the door is too stout. You may have to put bars on the windows, for instance.

I've been broken into before, and just the feeling of being violated is miserable.

 

[luvmyhondas]

simple bar across the inside. kinda makes it hard for re-entry later, but if you don't use that door for every in/out trip it will secure it.

My shop was violated as well, nothing could have stopped them (short of walking in on them) as I'm pretty well convinced they bought/stole a key from a former employee.

 

[duffman1278]

Thanks for the great advice guys. And I just went around the house and noticed that some of the screens are broken and removed from the windows. They have signs of someone jamming something inside and prying it off.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Didn't see it mentioned, but look into the "Strikemaster" product if you want to beef up/repair those door jambs and have something that doesn't look too unsightly (since you said aesthetics are a consideration). It's actually a pretty good product, a little pricey but you only have to buy it once.

Also think about getting higher quality locks for the door with a long throw deadbolt and beefier hardware so they can sustain more abuse since the jamb will no longer give out and they will become the weak spot.

 

[Dickey]

It's wood.

Looks like a steel core door to me too. Which is a metal door skin with a wood/epoxy core. It is pretty clear that the material the jam is made of and the skin of the door are not the same. Are they expecting that metal doors only have a vault like appearance?

Without overtly changing the appearance, I think a solid core door, longer throw dead bolt (or two) and longer screws with the aluminum sleeve for the jam as suggested is about all you can do.

 

[duffman1278]

OOO it is metal. I'll probably work on some of these suggestions tomorrow. Thanks

 

[bazzateer]

Get a piece of stainless, say .063" thick. Have a metal shop put two holes in the middle of it for the deadbolt and lock, and press it into a U shape. Put it over the door frame/under the siding and drywall. Put a bunch of screws into it from both sides (remove siding and drywall as required for access). Basically, it will tie the door frame into all of the actual wall framing around it, and it'll be a tough sumbitch. Cover over with siding/new drywall as required to hide it.

You can probably buy something like that commercially too.

Over here it's known as a London Bar:

http://www.londonbar.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d54_london_bar.html

There are similar ones for the hinge side as well.

 

[nehog]

Steel door frame! (that's what my shop has...)

Wood frames can always be forced (or damaged as in your case--I think they gave up too soon, and would have been in soon, perhaps someone/something scared 'em away?)

 

[gauder the goof]

simple bar across the inside. kinda makes it hard for re-entry later, but if you don't use that door for every in/out trip it will secure it.

This is what we have done on our detached garage. Years back somebody tried kicking the door in and all they managed was leaving their footprints on the door. Probably wound up with a pretty sour foot too.

 

[Sage55]

So just today someone tried breaking into my parents garage and thankfully they weren't able to get in, however the person did leave some damage behind. As such I wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions to add some safety measures to the door? My parents don't want a metal door either as it doesn't look appealing.

First, that door is a metal door. Second what additional safety measures to the door do you want? It did it's job, it stopped the intruders.

Fix the frame, ensure the locks are still good (no binding) and then go get a beer.

 

[StevePgh]

When houses in my area were getting hit, I reviewed how easy it would be to kick the door in. These break-ins were done by kicking in the front door - it takes mere seconds.

Here is what I found (I ultimately installed one of them):

Take a look at "Safe Door Systems" and "Armor Concepts" reinforcement products. These things are pretty much like 2drx4 was talking about getting fabricated to protect the frame.

There are a couple of videos on the sites that show how even a steel door can be compromised without additional support if all you do is make the frame stronger. Interesting and scary stuff.

 

[Nighttrain]

If they were pros they would have been in that garage and house. If they were trying for the windows in the house also as you mentioned by just pulling down the screens you probably have some crackheads in the neighborhood. I would say you need to get at least an alarm system ASAP. They will be back. I think only that Brass screw was only one kick away from them getting into the garage. They must have gotten scared/tweaking and ran.

 

[knagy389us]

Is an alarm not an option? You could get a DIY setup online, very inexpensive for the service it will provide. We recently moved from NJ and had an alarm installed in the house first, and had the new detached pre-wired, then tied in. Our neighbors look at us like we're crazy, but the first time it gets "tested", all will be worth it.

 

[jhelrey]

I always put the strike plates in with a 3-4 inch screws.

 

[Toolman12]

reinforce the door jam get a good alarm system and put up lots of signs saying alarm system and video surveillance harbor freight has dummy video cams for cheap put them everywhere and if you have windows plant a bunch of large needle cactus plants under windows let them grow to cover window then check and update insurance policy to cover all your goodies in your garage p.s go with shock sensors they are better than motion sensors or both hope this helps

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

I always put the strike plates in with a 3-4 inch screws.

+1

Me too.

 

[SMKS]

I put a heavy-duty strike plate on the door jamb for my deadbolt. I got it at either Home Depot or Lowes. It has long screws that reach all the way into the studs. The one I used looks like this:

Also, you can buy a reinforcing plate that goes around the locks on the door to strengthen it, but I can't think of what it's called.

 

[RobertMo1988]

I had the same thing happen to me but they actually got in and everything lol. I would recommend the same as stephen above me . And they sell even a kit you put half on the door jamb and 1/2 on the door that doesn't let them jam anything in to the jam. If I was home I could send pictures. Also your local hardware store or hd sells an adjustable metal bar that you put on the inside of the door and prevents or makes it hard for them to kick in the door. It has a u shaped tip at one end and you wedge it under the door knob and the floor. Master lock makes it only around 18 bucks

 

[Northstar]

A 6' length of flat stock in between the door jamb and studs using countersunk head bolts (into doubled studs) in 4 places would certainly reinforce that......

 

[Jagmandave]

I have insurance......






Not trying to be a smartass here, but we sometimes get overly protective of our "stuff", and as George Carlin said, it's just stuff. We can get more....

 

[2drx4]

I have insurance......






Not trying to be a smartass here, but we sometimes get overly protective of our "stuff", and as George Carlin said, it's just stuff. We can get more....

The small amount of effort that is required to take your shop/home security from "average and near worthless" to "pretty much a fortress" is well worth while, unless all you have is a HF set of tools that you still have the receipt for. Is insurance going to track me down discontinued tools that I consider too be a 'must have'? Or replace my time that I have in some of the stuff that I've built/modified?

Besides, insurance companies make money entirely from collecting premiums without paying out claims. Yes, they all work a little different, but in generally you can expect them to drag their feet, argue over the actual value of insured goods, decide to do their own investigation (more feet dragging), accuse you of fraud, etc... For a couple days worth of work you can make your place secure enough that all but the most persistent of thieves will just give up and hit somewhere easier. Seems a lot simpler to me.

 

[duffman1278]

My parents already have an alarm system however I guess the garage door wasn't opened far enough for the sensor to go off.

 

[51rider]

My parents already have an alarm system however I guess the garage door wasn't opened far enough for the sensor to go off.

Get it checked and adjusted as necessary. Spiders tend to take up residency in some of the sensors and this can lead to false or non-activation. Once this is ironed out, hit the repairs & upgrade to the frame.

Not sure if you can get them over the pond but there is a product called alarm mines-basically a 12g shot shell blank connected to tripwires. If the alarm doesn't trigger, the shot shells will & the noise of these things is sure to wake the neighbourhood & someone is bound to report gunfire to the local PD.

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Trouble with the alarm mines is the pile of sh!t you have to clean up

Those do sound cool!

 

[dolfans]

I have thought about those small door holders that is bolted to the door that you push down to hold the door open but used to keep it from opening. Think that would work any? If i used these type of things(door bar etc) and in use that would be the time i want to use the door.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Here is what I found (I ultimately installed one of them):

Take a look at "Safe Door Systems" and "Armor Concepts" reinforcement products. These things are pretty much like 2drx4 was talking about getting fabricated to protect the frame.

That "safe door system" is a good idea but worthless on the doors they showed. The door they installed it on had a big glass window.


Like some of the others have suggested, I beefed up my jamb. Longer screws in the striker plates and hinges. I also have a piece of 10 ga steel behind the bolts lagged into the door frame and wall studs.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Get it checked and adjusted as necessary. Spiders tend to take up residency in some of the sensors and this can lead to false or non-activation. Once this is ironed out, hit the repairs & upgrade to the frame.

Not sure if you can get them over the pond but there is a product called alarm mines-basically a 12g shot shell blank connected to tripwires. If the alarm doesn't trigger, the shot shells will & the noise of these things is sure to wake the neighbourhood & someone is bound to report gunfire to the local PD.

Seen them before elsewhere.

http://www.pyrocreations.com/inc/sdetail/11971

http://www.americanspecialtyammo.com/Gadgets.html

and much more

http://www.warhogoutfitters.com/blankfiringtripalarms.htm

 

[Abington]

A bit off topic from the OP's original post, but seeing that there are some creative people on GJ, how about an 6 dogged door like used on ships? An old pulley wheel on the outside of a door, with a shaft from the center of that pulley, extending through the door to operate the dogs on the inside would be a fun project! A creative locking mechanism would be necessary too, of course.