[Closed] Garage security - what’s the sweet spot?

Does it have to live in the shed ?. No special little spot available in the house ?.

If not then beef up the door and find the loudest alarm you can.

Sounds a bit like my garage. I'm in a slightly larger village and sometimes remember to lock the door.

TL/DR - hide your stuff, and get to know your neighbours

I live in a very rural area.  Our house is accessed by a rutted lane/bridleway with one set of neighbours either side of us, but far enough away (3/400m) that we can't see them. We have had quite a few thefts around us recently of farm equipment, trailers, bikes etc. and even quite a few dogs - especially gungogs. My next door neighbour had an Ifor Williams trailer stolen from a paddock between our houses last week.  I saw it  happen (all reported to the cops).  Same pick up I had spotted a week earlier with the occupants 'looking to buy scrap' but really looking for stuff to steal.  It's made me very twitchy.

My mtbs and motorbike are in a solid, oak framed wooden outbuilding but are chained to the floor with a decent chain and ground anchor. I keep meaning to upgrade the door and window locks and maybe fit a camera system.  We already have a lot of PIR security lights.  Of course, non of that is much use if someone rams the garage doors then jumps out with a battery angle grinder.

One thing I am very careful about, is not drawing attention to what I have.  If I am returning on my motorbike, I will ride past our lane entrance and turn round if there is an unfamiliar vehicle behind me - especially the ratty pick ups favoured by our local breed of thieves.  Same if I am unloading mountain bikes from the car - I avoid doing so if there are people about.

Things in my favour which I think help.

I am retired, so am at home a lot

A dog. A cocker spaniel - so no guard dog, but he lets me know if anyone is on our lane

Farmers/neighbours who will text each other if the local 'scrap dealer' pick ups are mooching around

We moved here (rural Shropshire) 6 or so years ago and love it.  We haven't been targeted yet.  Rural life is awesome, theft is a concern but don't be paranoid about it.  Good luck in your new home!

Cheap wireless alarm is a quick easy bump up- normal shed alarms that sound in the shed are worthless, but the wireless ones sound in the house, so you can react/call cops/sharpen your bombers and the thief is unaware. They're not amazing, but for £30 and about 2 minutes work it's almost a no-brainer.

If you've got wifi out to the building then a camera setup also makes a lot of sense- the sort that can push notifications to your phone, like a Blink or similar. It's not just that it's a valuable alarm/warning, and works while you're away from home, it's also a massive paranoia reducer. What was that noise? Don't jump out of bed, check the camera.

Phone the insurance company, insure bike for whats it worth, comply with their request for more then likely a ground anchor and lock. Then if it happens, call insurer and get monies to buy new bike.

You could look at deterrents, real cameras or fake cameras or motion lights, but as you said, if youve been targetted they'll find a way in and make off with your bike.

Personally I'd replace the roof, mainly because it'll probably leak, suffer from condensation and lose any heat you put in there instantly. It'll also beg an easy point of access. Beef up the door and look for any other weak spots.

" Same if I am unloading mountain bikes from the car – I avoid doing so if there are people about."

This

Have sensors on roof, and this underneath ;o)

I'd say the sweets pot is stopping the opportunist with a ground anchor and a chain etc and not drawing attention to what you have in there. The Pro thievs are quite happy to do a lot of damage to get what their after. A friend of mine had his French windows ripped out of the wall with a winch or somthing so they could get all the big stuff out while he was on holiday. He came back to a 9 foot hole in the side of his house.

Is there enough room in the garage for an Asgard security shed ?

The sweet spot for me is a 1. Light 2. slowly them down so that it's a pain. so PIR lights in the back garden and on the shed entrance, and ground anchor and a couple of chains. Oh, and insurance that actually covers the real cost of replacement

Lights are always in the pros and cons column. If you have lights it alerts people that someone is around, it makes any CCTV footage better illuminated, it also gives the thieves plenty of light to work by!

The other thing would be not to store any tools that could be used to free your bikes or valuables alongside the things you don’t want stolen.

But ultimately it’s down to insurance. If thieves want it they will find a way to take it.

1. Take photos of bikes and frame numbers

2. Insurance - new for old. Assume you will need to claim. Make sure locks chain etc meet requirements.

3. Door -Latham steel door

4. Alarm - I have a Veho Cave

5. Anchor points. One per bike. Separate chain for each bike.

6. Ply line ceiling. So if they try to go in via roof..

But then I do live in a ‘hot spot’ for this shit..

Really your best defence is an Asgard within a garage and insurance that covers your bike value as worst case scenario they work hard and get past a ridiculously loud Asgard and take them, you’ll be paid out.

However as I alluded to they’re incredibly loud even just closing the door on them, yes they’re around £700 but if that’s a good deterrent as well as a garage then that £700 easily pays itself from the years you’re not paying increased insurance premiums as it’s likely it would double/triple. Our claim was £7000 for 4 bikes and then we got the Asgard

Thanks, all, for your tips. Quite a depressing thought that you have to struggle so hard to keep hold of your stuff!!