Garage door security

[JHZR2]

One of my off site garage buildings I own has roll up doors. Great tall ones, but about single wide (getting a Ram in there is tight).

I want to secure them better than the turning door lock handle. I have seen lots of options to secure from the inside, but I’d like something that would work from the outside. I’ve seen sliding lock assemblies, but they use padlocks, and a long shackle padlock that fits I would think is easily cut with a cordless grinder.

I mean something like this. Which is easy to use from outside, but since the whole assembly and lock is outside, there is full access to defeat it.

Any recommendations?

 

[Hall]

Wouldn't just about anything that's on the outside be susceptible to being cut (off) ? You have a walk-in door, I presume (in most places, it would be req'd by code) ? If so, I think something on the inside, or multiple devices, would be the better idea.

 

[JHZR2]

Wouldn't just about anything that's on the outside be susceptible to being cut (off) ? You have a walk-in door, I presume (in most places, it would be req'd by code) ? If so, I think something on the inside, or multiple devices, would be the better idea.

I do, and I probably will. But I’m going to use it as a garage, so for going in and out, having something on the outside is an added layer of protection.

Any cheap padlock, or even a screwdriver or clamp, through a hole in the track on the inside I’ll make it nearly impossible to open. But it also makes it impossible for me to just walk up, unlock, and open the door too.

Inside only may be the best and most aesthetic approach anyway…

 

[M1256]

When we go on long vacations, I unplug the garage door opener and use two C clamp vise gripes, one clamp for each side of the door track. I attach the clamp just above the door guide wheel to the roller track itself, if that makes sense.

 

[wdn]

Mine has sliding deadbolts both sides of the door that engage in slots cut into the rails.

 

[JHZR2]

Mine has sliding deadbolts both sides of the door that engage in slots cut into the rails.

That may be more like I’m thinking about, but can they be unlocked from the outside?

There are a million ways to obstruct a garage door on a track from the inside. That’s not my intent. I want to be able to open and close the door, and secure it more than the basic turning lock, all from the outside.

I don’t have any real concerns, but I just like the concept and peace of mind since this garage is standalone and directly on a street, not behind my home.

 

[64bawagon]

Locks only keep out the honest people.

 

[JHZR2]

Locks only keep out the honest people.

No kidding. But is that an excuse to forego them? To play ostrich?

People like to talk out of both sides of their mouths. Be prepared, but you don’t need all the preparedness if you don’t have high crime or dishonest people.

How about it’s simple to be proactive, crime happens everywhere, and I want to dissuade people from an east hit on a property in a residential area that doesn’t have anyone living in it, since it’s only a garage.

 

[64bawagon]

The sad part is that the criminals have access to the same info that the rest of us do.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

After you decide what your going to do, how about installing some type of Security System
that would notify you if anybody entered your building.

A good heavy duty lock would keep out all but the professional burglars.

 

[JHZR2]

The sad part is that the criminals have access to the same info that the rest of us do.

Yeah. Got it. But looking for options, not theories.

After you decide what your going to do, how about installing some type of Security System
that would notify you if anybody entered your building.

A good heavy duty lock would keep out all but the professional burglars.

That will be in the cards. But one step at a time. Exterior locks make it convenient for me when coming and going if I key them properly, and show a higher security posture to would be thieves, than the little turning type lock. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[64bawagon]

The point I have been dancing around is that based on your unwillingness to secure the door from the inside your options are very limited and ALL are easily defeated. There is no magic lock that cannot be defeated, some are a little harder to defeat than others but ultimately will only take a matter of seconds to destroy.

 

[Snagglefoot]

My garage door has a solenoid on the end of the sliding lock assembly. It locks automatically every time the garage door closes. Good enough. If it’s not enough, time to moved to a gated community with motion detection lighting and full time security patrols.

 

[alarmguy]

The OP is looking for lock suggestions for peace of mind. It always makes sense to take some steps to secure something you think maybe a temptation.

I assume you are talking about the heavy duty steel roll up doors. That would be tricky to lock from the outside other then some good heavy duty locks on whatever hardware you choose.

I wonder if the garage has power? something tells me no. But if it does, needless to say, well made POWERFUL motion spotlights out of reach above all points of entry will certainly make even someone who can defeat the locks uncomfortable spending the time to do it if they are lit up like the Empire State Building by the spot lights.

If the garage has no power, for less then $1000 maybe less then $500 you can get a commercial type of solar motion spotlight set up someplace with powerful lights... Im not talking about the cheap ones sold at Home Depot but who knows, if you check Home Depot and Lowes online they may have better ones.
Also you can buy some fake cameras or even real cameras that maybe non working on ebay and mount them above any entry points as an added deterrent, just the sight of them with the spotlights blaring in their eyes and the locks should be a deterrent.

Anyway, without a photo and knowing what type of doors, structure of the building, height on the building, whether or not there is power its hard to be specific but these are my thoughts.
As far as someone discouraging you from adding security measures I would ignore, yes, sure anyone can break into anything but not every thief is a rocket scientist, most aren't and others would be to lazy to try to defeat what I just typed and they would just move on. If they didnt, they could just pull the whole thing down with a truck or smash a stolen vehicle through it. Which we know isnt going to happen unless someone knows for sure there is something very valuable in there.

Ive seen a lot over the years, done with that industry now, but heavy duty locks, BRIGHT lights, cameras (whether real or not doesn't matter) and cleared brush/trees/bushes/open views are very discouraging.

... and heck, If you have anything of value in there, hide an apple air tag in it for the heck of it if you use an iPhone. Four of them only cost $100 or $30 each/something like that. We have one on our dogs collar! )

Of course I believe in security systems but honestly, in this case your really trying to prevent someone from getting into a garage, grabbing what they want and running. As you posted that maybe down the road someday but the other above steps I think will prevent most all problems and if it doesnt a security system might just alert you that it already happened. (past tense) You could put up some official secutry system stickers or signs, also sold in ebay. Search adt security sign, vector security sign, vector signs are made of metal and will last longer, also a well known to professional thieves company. Heck they even secure Lowes home improvement stores.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Anything you install with outside access can be defeated. If you want something more secure, you'll have to adapt to using the walk-through door as the first step to gaining access to the building. Better security starts with a device that the thieves don't know is there, and functionally blocks the door from rising, even slightly. My preference would be a device that resides fully inside the building, versus something that mounts to the door, as bolt heads exposed on the outside of the door gives the thief an idea of what he's dealing with.

Does your door have a pull chain & pulley mechanism on the inside?

 

[SatinSilver]

As already mentioned by alarmguy lots of lighting on the exterior. Most thieves will pass up a well lit place. If poorly lit they'll start trying to bust through no matter what locks/security measures are in place. They probably look at it as a challenge to break in. Lights, then start adding additional security layers.

 

[wpod]

It is easy to break into a locked house.

 

[Hall]

Another downside with "extra" locking devices on the outside is it kinda tells others there must be something or many things inside that they're trying to protect, making the temptation to get in even greater.

 

[JHZR2]

The point I have been dancing around is that based on your unwillingness to secure the door from the inside your options are very limited and ALL are easily defeated. There is no magic lock that cannot be defeated, some are a little harder to defeat than others but ultimately will only take a matter of seconds to destroy.

Where did I say I was unwilling to do that?

If I Walt to the garage, open the door, pull out a car, and lock it up, then that’s what I want to do. That’s not so hard.

Putting most anything through the holes in the track from the inside makes it hard to open. But unless it can be actuated from the outside, it’s just another level of inconvenience.

I live in a very safe area. I just want an easier way to come and go under some circumstances, without having to go through the door, through the building, and around to the garage door. I just want something more substantial than the turn-bar assembly that is part of one of the garage door handles.

The garage has power, it has lights. It will have WiFi beamed from my house which isn’t very far.

But I just want a more substantial lock that secures it but can be opened/unlocked from the outside.

 

[nomas]

Your options are limitless , as long as you acknowledge that whatever you install can be defeated . Some easier than others .
Convenience and security can be mutually exclusive .