Hi...thought I'd put this one out for any ingenious minds.... Trying to design a secure simple locking mechanism for timber double side-hung doors that open outwards...the type you see fitted to timber garages. I've trawled the web for inspiration but yet to see something suitable. It needs to be strong, tamper-proof from the outside/inside simple to operate, and easy to make....All security suggestions welcome.... no dogs, boiling oil, crossbows, electrified handles please I'm working on the premise that there's little point putting anything more than a hasp and staple on the outside as it can easily be jemmied off...I know that hinges, frames etc. can be beefed up with steel angle, but would appreciate any other suggestions....Ta
Think back to the gates on forts in the Wild West. A big steel bar that spans from one side to the other that you can just drop into L shaped supports on both doors and both side jambs Edit: Just retread your post. If you need it lockable from inside as well incorporate padlocks into the L supports.
On my last garage with same doors I had 2 metal 5mm deep/thick >times 6oomm long >times200mm wide plates made up ,one was attatched/bolted to one of the doors (outside)for 300mm so when doors were closed it spanned both doors equally,both plates were drilled thru approx. central to each door i.e. 150mm in from edge and 100mm up from bottom edge, then I had a heaving thick (approx. 50mm circumference )metal bar looped in a u shape to go thru both holes, the bar was drilled thru on both "legs" just where it popped thru to garage inside so I then fitted thru same 2 serious padlocks>>>, (so once my beautiful wife decided to divorced me / lobbed me out the marital ,she knew I could not access my motorbikes !) be careful !>those shrouded van door locks look the business, saw some yesterday, might be worth looking at?
On my side gates I've got one of these, lockable from both sides so no one could jump over and just undo the gate, it's well made, if its for double doors have one door with drop bolts into the floor then lock the other to it, if they're big doors you could have two, one at the top and one at the bottom http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garage-Do...UK_HaG_Lock_Safes_GL&var=&hash=item35cab2ad00
Thanks for the replies...Watched that old war film earlier this evening "Where Eagles Dare", with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton, set in an old German castle....spent most of the time studying the doors...think I need to get out more! Like the idea of a big medieval style plank on L brackets...the steel plate over the door closure sounds like a good option as well...as does the sliding bolt and mortice locks...in fact, maybe a combination of all of the above The other option I'm considering is a drop down security post inside the doors...that way, if scrotes do manage to break in, they'll also have to remove the post to drag the bus out... A chap down the road from me had his old MG nicked a while back...he'd fitted a security post on the end of his drive, but the thieves took a section of concrete panel fencing down and towed it out it through the gap....ffs hard to believe no one heard anything, but there you go apparently the number 1 deterrent is a barking dog
Here's a thought! Security post inside the garage, central to the doors...a looped anchor coach bolted onto inside face of each door leaf, D locked through the anchors and corresponding loop welded onto the security post....Hmmm? Thinking like a scrote, who's not arsed about damaging stuff, I reckon the only weak point would be how the loop anchors are fixed onto the doors, but if there's a plate washer on the outside of the door, the coach bolts couldn't be pulled through...they'd have to grind them off....or cut the timber surrounding the plates, which is noisey...Stop me if I'm getting too paranoid
YUP, my own bus being VOR (surprise!) is up on blocks and being a cunning geezer I have taken the wheels to another location(cos if I had left them in garage and thieving gits had refitted them I would go nuclear>perhaps obviously!) But.... must add , if the gits turned up with 4 wheels 20 securing nuts and tools to fit same ,well, would have to nod an appreciation re their effort/good taste(once I had come from nuclear to >>explosive?)Elmer fudd !
the more obvious from the outside, just highlights that fact there is something worth having on the inside...just a thought.
assumed by dumn ass low level crooks ,or wanna be crooks , for sure I have mused on being a fly on the wall when little johnny light fingers and his mates get the garage door off and find an old bus on axle stands with most off its bits on the floor /elsewhere and £20 worth off tools ,and the really really funny bit would be, if? they sourced and fitted wheels and got the entire gig up and running >would anyone notice the bus is in actual fact slightly too tall to clear the up and over garage door?(tyres must be deflated a bit and door shoved upwards)>reckon the noise of door being ripped off would perhaps have the neighbours shouting"hey you guys nicking that camper, keep it down ,will ya? trying to sleep here !"
What SandyBay said. Just make sure you're not under-insured. Security is of course important, but if you go overboard you'll make it such a pain to use the bus yourself, it'll lose its appeal and you'll stop using it.
Yeah ,for sure that's the truth, I spent ages last week looking for the dizzie rotor /main lead whilst thinking "what is the point ,time I got rid of this wallet emptier"
You do seem to be extremely worried about your camper being stolen, have you had problems in the past?
No, but where it was parked in the side garden facing the road I had likely lads telling me they would steal it ,burn it wreck it ,also at pub chucking out time stuff(usually bottles/cans)would be lobbed at it and said peeps would with monotonous regularity enter gdn and climb on it ,swing from front mounted wheel ,pull bits from it etc ,unfortunately mate, living/existing round this way can take the joy out of life/owning anything not welded down, I assume realistically, if they get into lock up they will (typically)wreck /set fire to bus,their value system/sense of fun is skewered.(imo)
Oh that's awful mate. The low life Neanderthals need putting down. Humanely, I'm not a monster, but we do need to get to them before they breed. Once your van is out of sight it should be ok. Any security measures you put in should be out of sight in case it attracts unwanted attention. A strong hasp and good padlock on the outside will put the morons off without getting them curious.
