We have an integral garage. The only external access is the up-and-over garage door. This is a big beast (40 year old concrete counterweighted Garador), which Mrs North is too small (she’s 4’10”) to open.

She’d like to turn the window in the side of the garage into a door so she can easily get in and out when gardening etc.

Seems like a good idea, but the paranoid STWer in me immediately thought of the potential security risk* of having a side access door which is effectively concealed from view by other houses.

What’s the best way to make sure that any side access door is well secured? Regular upvc door enough or something else?

*Let’s ignore the up and over for now.

Got a back door into your house thats alos presumably out of view of the neighbours i presume ?

Whats that made of ?

If you do get a “regular upvc door” then make 100% sure you replace the default crappy eurocylinder lock with a secure one. Otherwise a thief can be in within about 30 seconds, regardless of how many multipoint engagement hooks blah blah are on the door. The lock cylinder is a real weak point on this type of door.

outward opening door plus one of these on the inside?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Steel-security-door-gate-grill-/150932000714

Something like this fitted internally with security anchor bolts one side and chunky padlocks on the opening side.

That and a 19mm pragmasis chain and anchor should help you sleep at night.

Solid exterior grade door blank opening outwards, 2 x mortice dead locks top and bottom. 3 hinges and hinge bolts, and burglar alarm spur to main alarm.

@TR – back of the house can be seen by neighbours, but take your point.

@project – not sure how a 4’10” woman will reach the top mortise… but get the principle. Alarm already spurred to the existing window.

@everyone else – useful. Suggests my paranoia is well aligned to that of the mothership.

+ machine gun booby traps and land mines?
What do you keep in there!?

What do you keep in there!?

machine gun booby traps and land mines. Doesn’t everyone? 😉

I bought a fairly cheap steel door off Ebay for the ‘spare’ entrance to the workshop (in case the Roller Shutter door fails to open).

@project – not sure how a 4’10” woman will reach the top mortise… but get the principle. Alarm already spurred to the existing window

top lock where she can reach it, just above handles then