Garage door security

[Dave S]

My double garage has those metal up-and-over doors which offer about as much security as a sheet of tissue paper. My workshop occupies one half. Sometime next year the other half will be used as storage for a new business my wife is setting up. So, increasing the security of the garage is a priority, but also, we have to ensure the contents are covered by our insurance.

Before I contact our insurance company, I was wondering if anyone has had their insurance company place specific requirements on garage doors as a condition of their policy? Apart from one case where an alarm and a 5-lever mortice lock were required, I can find no other posts on this.

cheers
David

 

[OLD]

Have you seen this type of thing stops the door being opened
http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=PJBGD
you could also consider a alarm system with passive infrared and automatic lighting.

 

[garywayne]

Have you thought of asking your insurance company a hypothetical question.

What would need to be done if you where to store tools and stock in the garage?

I hope this is of some help.

 

[Jhalfa]

I have a large garage with an up and over door, which the chap from the insurance company (Direct Line) came and inspected when we first moved into the house.

Because I have an automatic opener on the door with a remote control he said that he was satisfied that it was very safe and secure. Apparently, because the auto opener works on a long screw that winds the door open and close, it is almost impossible to force from the outside.

As an additional precaution I also keep the power to the door opening mechanism turned off except when I need to open the door (I am suspicious of someone being able to duplicate the remote control signal. Anyway, the Insurance company said they were happy

Regards

Jonathan

 

[Guy]

I work out of a single garage which has a roller door and faces a busy intersection where all can see what i have on veiw. I decided on installing a 90 x 35 frame and clad the outside with 18mm MDF glued and screwwed with a door opening inwards and a smaller door to increase the max access size. The guts where insulated as i get the afternoon sun which in summer can be a killer (45C) at times with 12mm MDF on the inside.
The smaller door is secured with 2 lockable bolts and the main door with a double dead bolts. Mr Insurance gave me the OK with it as he tried bouncing against the wall to see it it was secure, i have alos installed an alarm which is seperate to the main house one.
Its pretty secure as the lock on the roller door is next to useless.

 

[Dave S]

Thanks for the replies.

Old - certainly an alarm to cover both the house and garage is on the cards. I have seen the device you mention and they do seem a good idea. That said, would it perhaps advertise the fact that there is something inside worth stealing?

I am inclined towards replacing with wooden doors anyway, since I prefer them aesthetically, I've not made any doors before and fancy the challenge, it would offer the possibility of better sealing and insulation, and opening outwards would save some interior space.

On the other hand, being a double garage I'd have to make two pairs which is more time and then there's the wardrobes for our bedroom and the half finished ensuite to complete and the website to design for the aforementioned business and .......

If the automatic opener was enough to satisfy Direct Line, maybe some bolts on the inside would do the trick, at least in the short term. The doors would be opened infrequently so it would be little inconvenience.

I shall probably approach the insurance company with the hypothetical question, as you suggest, Gary. It's handy, though, to know of others experience beforehand.

cheers
David

 

[Taffy Turner]

Dave,

My workshop is also a converted double garage. I was worried about the security of the up and over door. My solution was a piece of 2" square timber the length of the door. I placed this up against the top edge of the door, and screwed it to the door frame with 10 stainless steel screws.

This means that the top of the door cannot move inwards now, and hence the door cannot be opened.

If I do need to open the door to get anything large in, it is just a case of removing the screws and taking the timber away.

I am not sure how the insurance would view this though, so you may want to check with them first.

Regards

Gary

 

[OllyK]

For those with the double aluminium up and over doors, it's worth noting that these are easier to open than one of those UHT containers of milk. Stopping the top moving is fine, but put a scaffold pole to the bottom corner and you can bend the corner of the door up very easily, and gain access.

The doors are usually formed so there is a channel running round the perimeter on the inside, put some 2x4 or similar in the channel and screw through from the sides and rear to prevent the door being opened like a can of sardines!

 

[Sailor]

Thats what I did with ours. I then, just to be safe, fitted a couple o fbolts to the 2x4's which fit into eyes on the door frame uprights. They are spring loaded and connected together with a length of wire, so it only takes one hand to unlock.


Colin

 

[Ed]

you can bend the corner of the door up very easily, and gain access.

Yep - That's how the little b***ers got into my garage, just bent up a corner and crawled under and open it from the inside. They waited long enough for the insurance to pay out and then they came back again. Only this time just mild damage to the door frame and they did not managed to get in.

I had lined the door inside with ply (plus some insulation in between). That made it much more rigid. Well worth putting some sort of lock mechanism in both bottom corners as they are the week points on most three point garage locking systems.

Ed