Secure Garage Doors?

[montanadave]

I'm building a pole barn on some rural property and would like to provide a better level of security for the building than the standard garage doors supplied by the builder, which I'm assuming are relatively light duty, panel overhead doors. The building will have two 10'x10' doors at one end and a side entry door. A decent steel entry door with a steel frame and deadbolt will solve the side door problem, but the garage doors seem like a real weak link.

I understand there is a point of diminishing returns on trying to beef up the security on a building located in the middle of nowhere, as a determined thief with the right equipment and time is going to get into anything short of Fort Knox, but I'd like a door that somebody couldn't just kick in.

Are roll-up doors like those employed in storage facilities a better alternative? I'm willing to spend some extra money, but I'm not looking to break the bank either, installing a door that's sturdier than the building itself.

Any suggestions or ideas?

[Scoby]

You could go with a heavy gauge steel rollup door rather than the standard aluminum. Very heavy though. You would also have to paint this every few years or you could opt for a powdercoated finish which adds more costs.

Steel doors are generally classified as "fire doors" and can get expensive. Your point of diminishing returns starts to kick in with these type doors.

[chadbag]

My neighbor has a deadbolt of some sort on his garage door.

Puts up a barrier for the people who break the locks and then just roll them up.


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[zacbol]

I had a security assessment of my home and was recommended this:
http://www.elocksys.com/

I only got around to installing my Abloy deadbolts this past weekend (security laminate for my ground windows is next) and haven't gotten around to ordering one. So, I can't personally vouch for it, but the idea seems sound and the company that did my assessment said in their preliminary testing it was working well (they only list stuff on their site after they've vetted it)

EDIT: D'oh. Actually *reading* your post rather than skimming it indiates this probably isn't very applicable, but perhaps it's of use/interest to somone else.

[strambo]

Nice link on the garage door lock, I saved it!

(security laminate for my ground windows is next)

I had this done as well and my daughter's 2 bedroom windows over the garage roof. You can get the film in various tints as well. Off hand, I think 3 medium windows and a glass slider were about $750 installed...

I put one of these on my front door and tied everything together with 3" screws. StrikeMaster II

My approach is to make it a less inviting target than average, so it isn't worth it to someone, they will just pick the easy target. If they do try and I'm home, I want to delay and for them to not be able to enter w/o making noise. If I'm not home, I want to delay so they get frustrated...if they do get in, I have insurance (I won't be one of those "I'll never feel safe again, I thought this was a safe neighborhood" whiners).

[montanadave]

With respect to the garage doors, I was more concerned with "beefing up" the actual structural integrity of the door itself or any ideas which might be effective in preventing someone from breaching the door itself. Locking it is relatively easy as these will be manual doors and all I need to do is drill a hole in the roller track and slip a carabiner (or a padlock) through it.

I've considered the idea of placing parking bollards at the corners of the building and between the doors (number one to protect the building from me backing a truck or trailer into it ) and just hanging a heavy chain between them, which would discourage someone from just backing into the doors to take them out. I can use a few chunks of well casing set in and filled with concrete to make some pretty cheap, sturdy bollards.

With respect to the window film, I'm curious about how this is actually installed. I must be missing something because it seems that the film, if not somehow secured to the window frame itself, will merely keep the glass from shattering apart. It would still be possible to knock out the pane of glass (held intact by the film) to gain access. What's the deal?

[Dienekes]

There are L shaped sliding "bolt" add-on locks that are manually slid into slots cut in the roll-up tracks on either side. Installers should have these on hand. Not the ultimate but pretty cost effective, considering.

[zacbol]

Nice link on the garage door lock, I saved it!

I had this done as well and my daughter's 2 bedroom windows over the garage roof. You can get the film in various tints as well. Off hand, I think 3 medium windows and a glass slider were about $750 installed...

I put one of these on my front door and tied everything together with 3" screws. StrikeMaster II

My approach is to make it a less inviting target than average, so it isn't worth it to someone, they will just pick the easy target. If they do try and I'm home, I want to delay and for them to not be able to enter w/o making noise. If I'm not home, I want to delay so they get frustrated...if they do get in, I have insurance (I won't be one of those "I'll never feel safe again, I thought this was a safe neighborhood" whiners).

OT: Yes, that's all I'm trying to do myself. Make it difficult enough that for an *average* thief they will be deterred and go on to the next house. I'm also going to get a door jamb reinforcement, right now I'm planning on this (which is the same concept as the Strikemaster II):
http://www.armorconcepts.com/EZ-Armor

I'm considering self-applying laminate, but I can see myself getting very frustrated if I don't get it *perfect* so I'll likely pay a professional. If so inclined you can directy purchase laminate and installation kit here (It says it's from ACE but the laminate they sell is actually HanitaTek)
http://www.diywindowsecurity.com/


montanadave
No, the security laminate doesn't make it any *more* difficult to knock the window out but for most windows that's not trivial afaik. The greater danger is the thief just breaks it, particularly if you're like me with non-tempered windows at ground level. Again, it's not going to stop a determined attacker but if an 'average' thief tries to break it and it doesn't just shatter, I think most will just move on to the next house rather than beating on it with a crowbar.

[strambo]

The best laminates (3M etc.) require professional installation. It is adhered to the inside of the glass. I've seen video footage of a criminal trying to break a large store picture window with a metal street trash can...after 3 mins they gave up. The window was broken, but held together by the film. Same product I bought.

It was originally designed as blast proofing, even if the window comes apart from the frame, it will do so in large pieces as opposed to small shards. The glass window will break, but the super-strong laminate film will hold it together making it extremely hard (time consuming) and noisy to actually get in. So, the whole window unit can't be knocked in from the frame...because the window actually breaks and absorbs the energy (like a net), the entire window doesn't stay intact like a hard surface to be knocked in...does that make sense?