Preventing Garage Tool Theft

[drunkcat]

My last house had a detached garage with an alley. One morning (in broad daylight) someone popped the side entry steel door with a ply bar, pulled the saftey on the overhead door and walked out quietly with 2 bikes and a leaf blower. Luckily most of my tools were in the basement.

-->Just in case, make sure your stuff is covered on your insurance policy.

[sparkeyjames]

Assuming your garage is a standalone and not attached to the house. First I secure the doors and windows. If there is a window on the garage I put a 3/4 inch piece of plywood over it on the inside of the garage and screw it in with about 20 screws.

For the small entry door (steel with NO windows) I use the no pry defeat system. I put 4 2x4 pieces between studs where the door is then 3 on the next set over then finally 2 on the next stud over again. You can use more if you want just don't put one directly across from the locks (see next step). If they can pry that open they will destroy your garage and it will take a long time to pry it too. DO this on BOTH sides of the door (hinge and lock sides).

I make sure there are 2 locks on the outside entry door one is a dead bolt. I then screw a 6 to 8 inch 2x4 piece along the area of the stud where the locks latch into the door frame. I also place shims above and below each lock between the door frame and stud and secure them with at least 6 3" stainless steel dry wall screws (2 per shim). I secure the married stud with 8 more 3" screws. Where the dead bolt hits I then drill a better than 3/4 inch hole and all the way through the door frame the stud next to the door frame and the added stud piece. Make sure the hole is straight and level. I then get a 3/4 galvanized piece of pipe (make sure your dead bolt fits in the pipe) I screw a 3 inch flange onto one end of the pipe and push the pipe through the drilled hole and attach the flange to the stud with as many screws as you can put in the flange holes. I then cut the pipe flush with the door frame and throw out the worthless bolt catch plate included with the dead bolt lock. I also marry more 2x4 pieces where the door hinges are and replace the wimpy screws that came with the door with some good 3.5" ones that run all the way through to the married stud pieces.

As far as overhead doors go I use one large pad lock on each side on the INSIDE of the garage. I like to put the locks in the door tracks at the top it makes it almost impossible to saw the locks from outside. This usually does the trick.

There are many ways to get into a garage. Use the keys, pick the locks, use a chainsaw or ram it with a vehicle, try to rip the over head off with a chain and hook or use a porta power jack with a wedge expander fitting to jack the entry door (see above). Most of those methods are beyond the common crook and the above lock enhancements will keep 99% of them out.
The most common of methods is the easiest. They just walk in through the door YOU LEFT OPEN. You want to keep your stuff LOCK IT UP ALWAYS.

[billfrommich]

If I am working on a project out in my unattached garage, I would like to be able to leave the needed tools in the garage for the duration of the project. I have been thinking about getting one of those job site tool safes and bolting it to the floor and/or wall with bolts that would not be easily accessible when the box is locked. Of course, I couldn't put a table saw in there, but I could store things like my circular saw, drill driver, spray guns, etc. I would appreciate any feedback from forum members on the merits of this approach. Also, is there any merit to engraving your name,etc. in a very obvious manner on the tools ( sort of "defacing" them, in a sense ) to make it less likely that they could be resold?

[LinuxRandal]

As has been said, it they want something, they will find a way.

That said, they tend to go for the easily, picked up and pawned/sold, tools first (better a miter saw, then a large table saw).
But, the former neighbor, of my parents (a police officer), was home, when some one broke his window, and was reaching in for his service pistol. He had the house on the market the next week.
Had another officer/friend, whose house was broken into, by the neighbors druggy stepkid, and his service pistol WAS stolen.

So there is no way to fully secure anything. But, while you have been given some good advice (alarms, dogs, sensors, camera's, bolting things to the floor/benches) I might add, get RID of your pegboard. Store things only in cabinets (preferably homemade, not high dollar chests). I've heard enough stories about the criminal using the tools hanging on pegboard, to get what they were after.

[Hellrazor]

I have a large sign on the door to my shop:

"If you can read this, you're in range"


And everyone knows I hunt and target shoot

[sparkeyjames]

I have a large sign on the door to my shop:

"If you can read this, you're in range"


And everyone knows I hunt and target shoot

If your sleeping while their creeping your gun will not do you any good.

[Uncle Cracker]

I am not endorsing this product but I did a quick web search and found this gadget:
http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezS...productID=1466

I have this very problem sometimes, and found this product looking around online. Problem is that the few reviews I found indicated that it did not work consistently. When you are buying a product that is supposed to give you peace of mind, reviews like those give you just the opposite. Now, instead of driving down the road, and being struck with the idea that you left your garage open, you will instead be struck by the idea that you left it open, and the thing you bought to correct it might not have worked... Different worry, but same result...

[MikeMcCoy]

Going astray just a bit and I might have missed it but .... Since I've done as much (short of hiring a guard) to protect my shop items as I can, I routinely take photos of any new item as soon as I take it out of the box. I put the serial number and receipt in the owners manual and record all the info in an Excell spread sheet. This is one of those files where I make sure the "Total" expenditures are hidden from my sight but I have it for insurance purposes if I need it.

[kevincan]

I think that Mike has a good point. You should record the serial numbers and take photos of all of your tools. That is the 1st question the police will have and the only way that you will get your tools back if they are recovered.

The other thing to remember is that if someone wants to get in you can make it harder for them but if they are determined they will get in.

Kevin

[Uncle Cracker]

I video everything, room-by-room, and tabulate model and serial numbers accordingly. I don't worry about receipts, because I'm insured for replacement value, and my insurance company accepts owners' manuals as proof of ownership. I keep the videos and the manuals off-site.

[shoottx]

I had a car ransacked in the driveway while I was working on it. I went into the house for a couple of tools and when I came back out some had rifled the car..

I think it is time to put out some more empty shotgun shell boxes and use some chalk for a police style outline on the driveway.