Living in a small town has it's benefits... one of which is a much lower crime rate. I had a local cop stop b this afternoon and inform me that there have been numerous garage break-ins in the area the last few months. I've read about a few in the local "Weekly Tattler" but was unaware that there were so many. My buddies shop was hit two months ago and they stole a good deal of tools. The cop said he hopes some homeowner catches the guys in the act... usually happening between midnite and four AM. My question is how do you guys secure your home shops?
at any time. most people get stolen from are a little lose with people seeing into, or coming into their garage.. oh and invest in a 130 lb landshark!
If you've got windows in the garage, you might think about installing the PGT Winguard windows. Hurricane resistant, so after the first attempt to break it most scumbags will move on to the next place.
First, a Rottweiler that only gets feed in the morning. Second, salt water on the floor and copper wires from the water/floor to door handle/casing with a 40k avolt capaciter attached. Third, broken class and ball bearings below any windows. Forth, shotgun filled with rocksalt and wired to side door, (just make sure to drag the person inside the garage after the shotgun goes off). IMHO
one pitbull with questionable coping skills. one bulldog with anger issues. one ol lady with all of the above.. two motion detectors.. and guns! lotsa guns!!
Build an apartment inside/annexed-on the shop and camp out there....with a pit bull & a .45 of course.
we had alot of break ins around my house when they where widening our road in front. i put one of those game cameras from cabelas sporting goods facing the front window and door of the shop. nothing ever got stolen but it did snap some creepy pictures of people snooping around. after they where done with the road the neighborhood went back to normal.
I know it's boring, but if you can take a digital photo of your most valuable objects, and save the photo's to a CD using the serial number as the file name, then you can use that to fill out your insurance report. Take about 5 pictures around the shop to show what's on the shelves. My agent (State Farm) wanted proof, and I didn't have a photo of one thing (expensive), so I ended up having my credit card company send me a copy of a whole year purchases, and then circled the item that was stolen. The cop told me there is no real defense, except with a big dog. Seems most burglers don't like dogs. They smash and grab, and don't care if the alarm goes off. Most are illegals anyway, so no one is going to recognize them. If the alarm doesn't go off after they kick-in the door, they might spend an extra 5 minutes. I would disable any side-door entrance. Take-off the door-knob, and use some 2x4's and lag-bolts across the door to prevent kicking-in. Why they put side-doors on most homes is a question. Mostly we need a narrow vent for circulation. If I ever have another garage, it won't have swinging doors, just steel garage doors. Most people don't realize, but an 8-year old boy can kick-in a door. Look at the door-jamb and see if it has 3 tiny screws holding the strike-plate. Yes, that's a bad deal. Go to the hardware store and buy some 6 inch wood screws and a strike-plate that will take 4 of these screws. This allows you to go through the facial board (the only thing protecting your house) and a couple of 2x4's. Then go to the screen door department and get a nice screen door. It's hard to kick-in a door if they have to make a lot of noise prying-open a screen door. Wire the screen door to ring your door-bell when it opens.
Im building a house at the moment. Its basicaly a big workshop downstair and 2 bedder up, all i could ask for. Steel bars over windows and a deadbolt on the side door and front door, security lights outside, seting alarm everynight, cant have guns or big dogs unfortunatly... shame
Illegal to own, maybe even a felony, but "a friend" uses tear gas greandes with trip wires along with a VERY loud alarm system. Actually. HE set one off by forgetting to replace the pin and unhook the wire one night. Talk about agony!!
Myself, I have firmly established a reputation around my neighborhood as being a complete raving guncrazy lunatic. So far it has worked perfectly, and I live in a really crappy neighborhood.
I keep my tools in a locked box and you will have to open the overhead garage door to get the tools out . I have no windows for that reason . I have 2 small dogs that also are very good at the slightest noise and will wake us up . I also live in one of those small towns too . I have dusk to dawn outdoor lights on at night . They use very little electric and are well worth the money . If you have your tools locked up in a box or cabinet then they will have to make noise to open them up . Also a security camera and a recorder are very cheap , just use them ! Security service is cheap insurance . One more thing , make sure you keep a baseball bat near by to cave their head in when you catch the F**kers ! A thief will only take an easy target ! Make it hard to get your stuff ! Hope it doesn't happen to you !
You would be surprized what a few motion lights will do if it's not well lit. Dogs and guns are pretty good too.
Leave a note on the door, Please Mr. burglar, you can take my tools but do not hurt my python in side. Sometimes he's in the rafters, and sometimes he's behind the tool box, I never know where, so if you run into him, just don't hurt him. Ok?
Light it up. If your area is like mine don't use motion activated ones, all the critters will set it off and you will stop paying attention to it. Beef up any walk thru doors with Steel frames and steel door and a beefy deadbolt keyed on both sides. Like others have said put bars across any windows. Steel garage doors locked on both sides. Basically make it as much like Fort Knox as you can. Harden any access point no soft targets.
The best thing is to take a 12 ga shotgun shell. Empty out the buckshot and carefully stack the casing full of dimes. The dimes will project like 50 mini frisbee's. My ten cents worth
Cut you some plywood the same width as your windows and the same lenght as well. Go to the local bait and tackle shop buy you about a 100 1/0 treble hooks and srcew them to the plywood. Then screw the plywood below the windows.If they try to sneek in through the windows all the screaming and cryin should wake up someone in the neighborhood. Not to mention you will have a hell of blood trail leading to the culprit.Good luck !!!!
Note: The Glock tin sign on my garage is not hangnig there because I like collecting tin signs....They cant say they were not warned....
get one of those deadley bacteria signs on your door, cameras, dogs, alarm and a walkin cage in your shop for you to roll welders/tools into and lock with g ood padlocks...they will get in no doubt, but you can make it hard for the snatch and grab assholes...no guns allowed here either, so a crossbow will do...nice and quiet........Bert
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