Someone broke into my lock up an Saturday night and stole a couple of
BMXs.
I've had it almost 3 years and this is the first sniff of bother so doing
better than expected.
They basically made a hole in the door with a hammer and screwdriver then
made a mess of it with bolt cutters (which oddly they left behind) in
order to get to the mechanism.

Is there any realistic way of making these doors more secure?
I can't bolt anything into the floor in front of the door as it's gravel
(unless I put some concrete down).

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.

On 01/12/2014 14:50, R D S wrote:

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.


Nothing will do that, so you might want to stop looking.

On 01/12/2014 14:50, R D S wrote:

Someone broke into my lock up an Saturday night and stole a couple of
BMXs.

Sadly it is the season for that sort of thing.

I've had it almost 3 years and this is the first sniff of bother so doing
better than expected.
They basically made a hole in the door with a hammer and screwdriver then
made a mess of it with bolt cutters (which oddly they left behind) in
order to get to the mechanism.

So they didn't just spring it?
You might get lucky if there is any DNA on the bolt cutters.

Is there any realistic way of making these doors more secure?
I can't bolt anything into the floor in front of the door as it's gravel
(unless I put some concrete down).

I swapped the original locking bars for something with about 5x the
cross section which means it takes a lot more force to defeat it. The
mechanism is also guarded by 1/8 steel plate and allen key bolts.

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.

You can't stop a determined thief getting in. But you can make their
life difficult enough that they will go next door instead.

Chaining items of high value together and/or to an immovable object
isn't a bad tactic either. You have to accept that they may well trash
what they cannot steal and still have to claim on your insurance.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:20:25 +0000, Martin Brown wrote:


You can't stop a determined thief getting in. But you can make their
life difficult enough that they will go next door instead.

They took nothing else other than the bikes, there is (or was, i've
shifted it) an air compressor, copper tube and some other stuff of value
so i'm guessing they were targeted.

R D S wrote in :

On Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:20:25 +0000, Martin Brown wrote:


You can't stop a determined thief getting in. But you can make their
life difficult enough that they will go next door instead.

They took nothing else other than the bikes, there is (or was, i've
shifted it) an air compressor, copper tube and some other stuff of value
so i'm guessing they were targeted.



A neighbour followed police advice and fitted a couple of "rack and
pinnion" locks that lock the door to the frame. I havea hasp and staple on
the side of mine to make breaking in a bit noisy.

"R D S" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:20:25 +0000, Martin Brown wrote:


You can't stop a determined thief getting in. But you can make their
life difficult enough that they will go next door instead.

They took nothing else other than the bikes, there is (or was, i've
shifted it) an air compressor, copper tube and some other stuff of value
so i'm guessing they were targeted.

Probably kids.
Up and over doors are so flimsy the best they can do is keep the weather
out.
You could get a roller shutter door.
There are some secure ones about.

But then it's quite easy to break in the roof of standard garages. Or even
the walls if not brick/concrete.
Best some sort of alarm/fake/real cameras.
Automatic lights?

On Mon, 01 Dec 2014 17:02:29 +0000, harryagain wrote:

Probably kids.

They had bolt cutters but then again they sell them in the local bucket
shop for next to nothing.

Automatic lights?

It's well lit by a street light, reasonably open plan and there's about a
dozen houses within 20 yards.

I might get a screeching battery powered alarm but given the amount of
noise they must have made making the mess they did, and the fact that
there is ALWAYS an alarm going off in the neighbourhood there's probably
not much point.

I'll put some wall brackets in and chain anything vaguely valuable to the
walls.

On Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:20:25 +0000, Martin Brown wrote:

So they didn't just spring it?

No. they tore it a new arsehole.

You might get lucky if there is any DNA on the bolt cutters.

The police seem to think they have done their duty by giving it a crime
number.

On Mon, 1 Dec 2014 14:50:14 +0000 (UTC), R D S wrote:

They basically made a hole in the door with a hammer and screwdriver
then made a mess of it with bolt cutters (which oddly they left behind)
in order to get to the mechanism.

Is there any realistic way of making these doors more secure?

In a word: no.

If you had protected the mechanisium they'd have just cut a bigger
hole in the door... Or made a hole low down and pulled, folding the
door in the process.

You can make it harder but that has to be visible, which may be an
invite to some to find out what is worth protecting...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 01/12/2014 18:15, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 1 Dec 2014 14:50:14 +0000 (UTC), R D S wrote:

They basically made a hole in the door with a hammer and screwdriver
then made a mess of it with bolt cutters (which oddly they left behind)
in order to get to the mechanism.

Is there any realistic way of making these doors more secure?

In a word: no.

If you had protected the mechanisium they'd have just cut a bigger
hole in the door... Or made a hole low down and pulled, folding the
door in the process.

You can make it harder but that has to be visible, which may be an
invite to some to find out what is worth protecting...


I recall watching the Police opening a garage door that a suspected drug
dealer had tried to reinforce. They simply jacked the two sides out
until the door folded in half.

--
Colin Bignell

In article , R D S writes

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.

The trick is to use layered protection, you have a door with basic
security on it and then you have a sounder in the confined space that is
so loud that it would be physically painful for someone to remain inside
the garage. Securing the bikes with a decent chain inside the garage
means that they can either continue to attack the security or they can
retain their hearing, their choice.

--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

R D S wrote:
Someone broke into my lock up an Saturday night and stole a couple of
BMXs.
I've had it almost 3 years and this is the first sniff of bother so doing
better than expected.
They basically made a hole in the door with a hammer and screwdriver then
made a mess of it with bolt cutters (which oddly they left behind) in
order to get to the mechanism.

Is there any realistic way of making these doors more secure?
I can't bolt anything into the floor in front of the door as it's gravel
(unless I put some concrete down).

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.


Once you've protected the perimeter as best as you can, the next thing
is to chain the valuables down. I've done quite a few jobs for friends
and neighbours, fitting large U loops into concrete floors in sheds and
garages. If you don't want to bother with concreting make a large plate
from 12mm steel, bolt it to the concrete using mebbe ten 100mm x 10mm
anchor bolts, tighten fully then loosen a bit, then tap it down with a
hammer. Put a dab of weld (or strong locktite) on each one. The fact
that you loosened it and tapped it down means the bolt will turn freely
but will not pull out. Weld a really butch U loop onto the plate. Use a
proper high tensile chain and a good padlock to secure items. The chain
will cost £40 but it's worth it. If they go equipped with a battery
angle grinder they will get through this, but angle grinders make a lot
of noise.
I did this for a friend who had no option but to keep two £1,000 bikes
in a shed. The shed was pretty secure by normal standards. One morning
he found the boards at the side of the shed prized off, but the bikes
were still there. The crims took a box of electric carving knives, all
of them customer returns and most likely faulty. And they took three
packets of tulip bulbs. I ask you! I really do wonder if we should
simply put these people out of their misery and gas them.
Another good wheeze (regarding theft prevention, not executions) is to
security mark all the valuables really severely. After the engraving or
grinding or weld-writing, mark it with white paint so the thieving
little *******s see it.
Friend of mine rigged up a trip wire that set off a harmless detonation.
Bobbies found out and said it was illegal because the burglar might have
a heart attack. What a ****ing country this is.

Bill

fred wrote:
In article , R D S writes

Everything i've looked at so far that I can fix to the top/sides doesn't
look like it would put off anyone determined to get in get in.

The trick is to use layered protection, you have a door with basic
security on it and then you have a sounder in the confined space that is
so loud that it would be physically painful for someone to remain inside
the garage. Securing the bikes with a decent chain inside the garage
means that they can either continue to attack the security or they can
retain their hearing, their choice.


What about gas? Zyklon B is good.

Bill

On Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:01:02 +0000, Bill Wright
wrote:


were still there. The crims took a box of electric carving knives, all
of them customer returns and most likely faulty. And they took three
packets of tulip bulbs.
That so that if caught they could say "It were a plant Guv".


G.Harman

On 02/12/2014 14:23, wrote:
On Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:01:02 +0000, Bill
wrote:


were still there. The crims took a box of electric carving knives, all
of them customer returns and most likely faulty. And they took three
packets of tulip bulbs.
That so that if caught they could say "It were a plant Guv".


G.Harman
As a previous poster suggested get layers of protection, beefing up the
lock wont stop entry but then you can make it interesting...
Bolt chain things to the floor.
Then put an alarmed padlock on them (the bikes) so that when they carry
them off up the street the alarms keep going off. (about £6 on ebay)
You can also rig up shed alarms (the type with the pull out pin) a
couple of those with the string stretching across the garage.
There are all sorts of cheap alarms on ebay. I believe Aldi or Lidl had
individual PIR alarms a few weeks back I think for about £7.
personally I think noise is the better deterrent for something like this.