What's more secure?

[bruincounselor]

Early planning stages of a large garage project. This will be on an alley immediately adjacent to a busy street. Neighbors have recently had fog lights stolen off a vehicle and another has had an attempted break-in on the shed. We're not moving. Mrs. Bruin and I were discussing options for doors and I raised the question of a service door on the alley side. Because of the site we cannot see the overhead doors or anything else on the alley side of the garage. I'm leaning towards not having a service door and depending on a keypad for each of the 2 overheads. Are these keypads secure? If not I'll go the keyed steel service door route; but that will take up wall space in the garage I'd rather not sacrifice.

There will be a service door on the house side of the garage so I'm not worried about being locked out if the power is down.

Our current garage faces the busy street (we can't see it from the house either) and I've accidentally left the overhead open overnight a few times without having any theft, but we've been lucky. I will be installing openers that allow phones to monitor the status.

Other general security suggestions are appreciated too.

 

[fourjeepin]

When I enclosed my detached carport, I put in a service door but NEVER use it. The garage doors are closer to the house, so I always them along with the remote keypad.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There will be a service door on the house side of the garage so I'm not worried about being locked out if the power is down.

I don't see a need for a second service door - just takes up more wall space and adds cost.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Remote controlled garage doors and the women drivers using them.... are always a security concern to me . JMO

 

[slip knot]

my alarm system is hooked to the garage doors and wont set if the doors are open. your setup with the phones may work as well.

 

[Ilikeike]

I have security cameras,I can check from my phone if I left the door open. And they can be a deterrent to people hanging around.
I've also seen those stand alone wireless over head door alarms,you can put the receiver in your home someplace. They're pretty cheap.

 

[nadogail]

My stand alone garage/workshop is alarmed and has central office monitoring.

It has both a rollup door and a service door.

 

[bruincounselor]

I had not considered an alarm system. I may look into a system I can tie into my network. Thanks for the suggestion.

The consensus seems to say the keypads are reasonably secure and will keep the amateurs away.

Other security ideas?

 

[pcmeiners]

Purchase a Federal Siren amp and 100watts speaker ( from CL, police/fire truck siren) , add to your alarm (purchase mine for $200). If the siren does not scare them, your neighbors may kill them for waking them up.
Video monitors hidden, infra red, saved to off site. You get them on video.

 

[Richard Cranium]

You will not stop a thief, But you might slow down the average kid. Do away with the door on the alley side, Not sure why you would want two walk through doors any way. If a person really wanted in they would just rip the garage doors off any way. Go to youtube and look at how burglars are opening up garage doors with electric openers. Good luck Rich

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Purchase a Federal Siren amp and 100watts speaker ( from CL, police/fire truck siren) , add to your alarm (purchase mine for $200). If the siren does not scare them, your neighbors may kill them for waking them up.
Video monitors hidden, infra red, saved to off site. You get them on video.

Agree with this.. The louder the alarm and the more neighbors that wake up (and of course as long as there aren't nuisance false alarms all the time) is the best medicine with a standard monitored alarm. Adding a strobe that can catch the attention of the surrounding neighbors and passers by is also a good idea.. Couple the loud siren with a flashing light, many people will come out of their house to see what's up..

Many burglars work under the cover of darkness in the quite.... and when either or both of those are broken they typically bolt.

 

[ez-duzit]

Lose the electric opener. And lock the big door from inside.

 

[Brian_WK]

Those key pads are as secure as a remote garage door opener they use a wireless signal and batteries. I have heard of them getting stolen off the wall before as they are just plastic and held on with screws under the cover. Not sure what the thief would do with it maybe just being a jack-weed. I routed a hole in my garage door trim and mounted it flush. Then installed the trim over it. It makes it a pain to replace the batteries. But the only way to take it off the wall is to take the trim off. And it makes it look cleaner as its not sticking out.

Brian

 

[upndown]

As soon as you eliminate a pass door you've created a vaulted garage. Two things wrong with that..
1- if you loose power or the opener craps out, unless you have an emergency thru the door disconnect, you ain't getting in!
2- even if you use your door manually and the spring breaks, depending on the door size, ever tried lifting half the dead weight of your door with the little Handles and no leverage? Plus some doors only use a one spring set up. I know the above happens rarely, but I've seen them happen! Only takes once to ruin your day.

 

[Stuart in MN]

As soon as you eliminate a pass door you've created a vaulted garage.

He's talking about having two pass doors or one, not eliminating them altogether.

 

[bruincounselor]

He's talking about having two pass doors or one, not eliminating them altogether.

Yup. 1 or 2 service or "pass" doors, that was the initial question. Looks like I'll be going with one. This garage will have 2 overhead doors - one 18' for the vehicles (1/2 ton ext cab and a minivan) and another 9'ish for the shop area. Both will have openers for convenience, but I might not use a pad for the shop to keep potential riff-raff out. They will be separated by a wall and locking door.

I like the alarm ideas. This is a really well lit area - the city put new lights in a couple of years ago and I'm still paying for them.

Keep those ideas coming. I should probably start a design/build thread here.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The Liftmaster 8500 opener comes with an electrically actuated deadbolt that sticks into the door rail, to prevent it from being pried open.

Tying the garage into your house security system is a good idea - switches on doors and any windows, a keypad (inside the garage) where you can activate or deactivate the system, a siren, and a rate-of-rise heat detector. Don't use a smoke detector like you would in the house, they can get confused by car exhaust or dust.

Personally, I leave handles and any other hardware off the exterior of the garage door - it won't prevent someone breaking in but I figure it makes it a little harder if there's no handle to pull on (plus it looks cleaner.)

 

[upndown]

Sorry, my bad! I misread.

Maybe something for others to think about, as I have Run into those situations.

+1 on leaving the handles off Stuart! I've replaced sections because of damage caused by people trying to get in.

 

[GS-Louie]

I have Liftmaster 8500s installed in my stand alone garage. We use a Liftmaster 829LM monitor on the doors https://www.liftmaster.com/For-Homes/Accessories/MyQ-Accessories/model-829LM It lights up and beeps if a door is open. You can also control closing the doors from in the house. Just push the button and the doors will close and signal when they are down.

Lou

 

[Randy in Maine]

Consider investing in "commercial" doors as they open out and are not easy to kick in.

 

[nadogail]

sign "Dog Hell, Beware of the Owner" or Protected by Smith & Wesson.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

On any exposed walk thru or pass door with a latch, the use of a latch plate and double key dead bolt is also a good idea .. Latch plate picture if from http://bulgerlock.com/latch-guard-knob-guard-and-lever-guard/ This give the prospective burglar reason to pause... and maybe decide to move to another less secure property..