Garage Security

Mastiff107 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 11:41 AM

Anyone tried a good wireless home secutity system (DIY) for your garage. Looking into a monitor and a couple of motion detectors. I know, I know...get a dog or guns. I have a French Bulldog who pees when strangers come in, so I would know if someone had been in, once I got around to stepping in the puddle. I have lots of guns, but want a "heads up" when a "target of opportunity" is in the garage.

dcdoug · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 12:13 PM

I extended my ADT system out to my garage with a garage door contact and a motion sensor and a key pad.

csx4910 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 12:32 PM

I did the same thing (also with ADT) instead of having a contact on the door going into the garage I have the sensor on both my garage doors so I iknow right away if somone is opening the gargae door.
Ron

dcdoug · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csx4910

I did the same thing (also with ADT) instead of having a contact on the door going into the garage I have the sensor on both my garage doors so I iknow right away if somone is opening the gargae door.
Ron

I have the same. A contact for the garage door itself (I only have one) as well as on the door to enter the garage from the back.

sllib · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 01:00 PM

I have a 6' locked chain link fence around my back yard, my detached garage has the windows bolted shut, a monitored wireless system with door contacts and a motion sensor. Two weeks ago at 9:00 am someone ripped the fence from my gate, jimmied my garage door and stole about $600 worth of tools, including both my torque wrenches. The police arrived in minutes but didn't see anything unusual so they assumed it was a false alarm. I was in the dentist's chair with my cell phone out in the truck. By the time I got home the thief had broken out a back window and and crawled out. The investigating officer thinks the thief was hiding in the garage when they showed up since the window was broken from the inside and was intact on their first visit. I have since heavily reinforced my pedestrian door, boarded up up my windows with extra 2x4's on the inside, added extra locks and cut the power off to the garage when I'm not home. I travel out of the US for months at a time (now in Sarajevo) and this has totally wrecked my piece of mind. If they want your stuff bad enough they'll do anything to get it. All we can do is make it hard as h@ll for the little monsters to get in.
Bill Stradtner

427sharpe · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 03:41 PM

Trip sensors on all doors, windows, and motion sensors. Tie all of it to an alarm in a reinforced metal box in the eaves (out of reach) and tie it to an alarm that summons cops AND one that goes off at the building, as loud as possible. I found that the use of 'hidden beam' type reflectors work better for motion than the generic motion sensor if you have birds about, or squirrels. I had a local alarm company install the basic alarm, and added in an alarm that I bought from the local county (air raid siren or tornado warning I think) at a surplus sale. The audible alarm is loud enough to be heard at least a mile away, and will leave your hearing suspect if you are inside when it triggers. I also had forged steel full eye bolts installed in the slab under the door and the ends, and ran a length of 1/8" thick steel the entire length of the bottom of the door. The door (and steel plate) passes OVER the eye bolts, and get HD round key locks on each end. So some SOB may be able to break thru one of the high mounted windows (sill about 6'5" off ground level) or thru the man door, but the alarm will go off in 30 seconds and I doubt he will hang around. Video is good, too...Fry's Electronics system cost me $400, and has 5 color cameras with decent resolution that I tied to a loop style digital recorder. 3 days record at a time. Finally, to make sure my box doesn't grow legs, I welded a steel frame of of 1/4" wall 4x4, removed the wheels off of the box, put the box on the frame and filled with tools. Outside of hammers and generic tools, EVERYTHING is locked or secured. For tools rarely used, I ran a shelf at the top of the roof line for storage, and lock the ladder to the outside of the building. Inside, anything in place permanently is bolted to the slab. As a last item of security, a 1911 always works well!

CobraDan · #7 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 04:07 PM

RodKnock · #8 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 04:57 PM

Maybe you should hire Patrick as 24-hour security. If someone trips the alarm, then he could bore the intruder to death with minute details of the mating habits of the speckled horned frog and follow that up with reciting chapter and verse from the Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations by memory.

JBCOBRA · #9 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:15 PM

The way I see it...........if someone comes in and steals my stuff when I am away, I will just get new stuff compliments of my insurance company. Cars, tools whatever. If someone comes in to steal my stuff when I am home, completely different story.

Ron61 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 06:59 AM

I have infra red detectors, alarms on all garage doors, smoke detectors, and glass breakage detectors which are all monitored by the alarm company. My walk in door to the outside is very heavy and locked with two locks. The big front door faces the street and if anyone broke through it everyone would be out to see what the noise is about plus the detectors would go off. I know as I forgot to turn them off one day and I was about 15' down my driveway when one of them picked me up and set all of the sirens off. Had to show the police how far I was from the open door and they were surprised it would pick anyone up that far away. And I never got charged with a false alarm. Right now I am working on installing a detector that will alert me when anyone enters the driveway. And my outside motion detector lights have transmitters in them that set off alarms and turn on lights when they are turned on by anything moving at night.

Ron

JBCOBRA · #11 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 07:33 AM

Wow Ron!
Holy Smokes. That is an elaborate set-up.
I feel fortunate that where I live I don't feel the need for all that stuff.

JBCOBRA · #12 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 07:35 AM

Actually..........I would be setting all that stuff off by accident all the time LOL

dcdoug · #13 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron61

And my outside motion detector lights have transmitters in them that set off alarms and turn on lights when they are turned on by anything moving at night.

Ron

Better hope the neighborhood kids don't find out about this. I see a fun evening for some neighborhood boy by putting out food in the driveway for the raccoons.......

*13* · #14 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 07:38 AM

It's funny that we have a 13' Snake in the garage & we have to lock it... But seriously, You can't be too secure these days. It's sad.

Ron61 · #15 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 08:55 AM

"13",

Sad but true. I live in an area that is infested with dopers and the Mexican Mafia has moved in to raise their marijuana, so almost everyone around here has as much protection as they can get. I also have my NRA signs posted all over and the mess across the street leaves me alone as they are well aware of my security but they have broken into the house next to them and stole that neighbors guns and a bunch of stuff. They are breaking every code there is and the city won't do a thing about it and the police refuse to even arrest them when they see them down town in their unregistered vehicles. The pick up hasn't even had a license plate on it for years and they drive it everywhere. All the neighborhood has turned in so many written complaints that neither the city or police will take any more. I don't like it this way, but unfortunately they make enough money from their dope to get away with anything. But as I said, they stay away from me so that makes the elaborate security worth while.

Ron

dcdoug · #16 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron61

"13",

Sad but true. I live in an area that is infested with dopers and the Mexican Mafia has moved in to raise their marijuana, so almost everyone around here has as much protection as they can get. I also have my NRA signs posted all over and the mess across the street leaves me alone as they are well aware of my security but they have broken into the house next to them and stole that neighbors guns and a bunch of stuff. They are breaking every code there is and the city won't do a thing about it and the police refuse to even arrest them when they see them down town in their unregistered vehicles. The pick up hasn't even had a license plate on it for years and they drive it everywhere. All the neighborhood has turned in so many written complaints that neither the city or police will take any more. I don't like it this way, but unfortunately they make enough money from their dope to get away with anything. But as I said, they stay away from me so that makes the elaborate security worth while.

Ron

Wow, that really stinks. Glad they aren't bothering you.

JBCOBRA · #17 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 09:07 AM

Wow Ron! THAT sucks bigtime.

Ron61 · #18 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 09:19 AM

Yea it never used to be this way. But the past three years it has really gone downhill. They do have a good network though as they immediately know who to stay away from. There are four houses in this block that they won't bother. And they don't even speak to me or the others if we are outside when they are messing around. So that is another plus. I just don't understand why the city and police won't do anything at all about them.

I have known our city inspector and code enforcement officers for a long time and I can't get an answer from them as to why they are bothering honest people who have a car parked in front of their house and so forth but won't do anything about the mess over there. But it will get better as many of them are old and really messed up. I have seen more bodies hauled out of that house than in the rest of the town put together.

Ron

dcdoug · #19 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 09:47 AM

Sounds like they just need to raid the place, make arrests and confiscations and be done with it. This kind of police performance really pisses me off. I'm sure they have plenty of time to give people tickets for going 42 in a 35, but not to arrest drug dealers, or even pull them over for driving without license plates for 3 frickin years. What a joke. The mayor and chief of police should be ashamed of themselves.

He11 it pisses me off and I live 3,000 miles from you. I just hate injustice like that.

dcdoug · #20 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron61

I have known our city inspector and code enforcement officers for a long time and I can't get an answer from them as to why they are bothering honest people who have a car parked in front of their house and so forth but won't do anything about the mess over there. But it will get better as many of them are old and really messed up. I have seen more bodies hauled out of that house than in the rest of the town put together.

Ron

I found myself thinking about this last night for some reason. You might want to consider sending the city a letter signed by your neighbors (or maybe from a lawyer, unless you don't want to escalate it that much) stating that you have repeatedly notified them of multiple laws being broken that threaten the safety and security of you and your neighbors and since the city has declined to address your concerns whatsoever, the city is implicitly condoning these activities and you will hold them legally responsible should any damage occur in the future.

Maybe the implied threat of a big lawsuit will get them off the dime.