Alarm for your shop?

[Scott Kuykendall]

I have a two car garage for my shop, it is detached from the house and is right off the street. I was wondering what type of security people use on there shops. My garage has no man door and two 9' garage doors. My bedroom is probley 200 feet away from the garage and I would like to get some type of alarm. Any ideas for what to use. I am not in a high crime town and have houses close to me. I don't have the money to have a pro install a system.
Scott

[Frank Pellow]

My shop is a stand-alone building close to the house. I installed bars on the windows of the shop and I have (home made) doors that would be very difficult to get through. I live in the suburbs of a city and there have been a few break-ins in the area - but it seems that they mostly happen in places that have taken few, if any, precautions.

[Rob Littleton]

I have a two car garage for my shop, it is detached from the house and is right off the street. I was wondering what type of security people use on there shops. My garage has no man door and two 9' garage doors. My bedroom is probley 200 feet away from the garage and I would like to get some type of alarm. Any ideas for what to use. I am not in a high crime town and have houses close to me. I don't have the money to have a pro install a system.
Scott

Scott, check out this link http://www.firstalertalarm.com/

Seems pretty cost efficient and you maybe be able to modify for your doors.

Not sure but worth a look.

Blessings

[Roger Bell]

I put my "system" together from Radio Shack parts for about $50. It consists of a transformer/power source which is plugged into an outlet that cannot be easily seen. A wire goes to a keyed switch on the outside of the building (in an obscure location) which turns the alarm on/off. Each door and window is "protected" by a magnetic switch (one magnet on the door/window, a second one on the door frame/sash). If a door/window is opened, (separating the magnets) the circuit is tripped. Another wire goes to a police car siren which is mounted in the rafters. My breaker box is locked to prevent/slow down intruders from throwing the all breakers until power to the alarm circuit is shut down. another way to do it is by having a tractor battery hidden somewhere in your shop as your power source. Any Radio Shack can set you up with the parts and a set of wiring instructions. You can get generic "alarm" warning stickers from any locksmith to put on your doors if you wish.

The idea here is that the siren is so loud and shocking that whoever enters will hopefully limit themselves to quickly grabbing a few things and then leaving ... all the while perhaps worrying about a response from either myself or one of the neighbors. It is not much but a "something rather than nothing" remedy. We live in a very rural area so responses from alarm companies or the sheriff will be pretty ineffectual regardless of how high-tech or costly a system's capabilities may be. Most systems are probably ineffective against a professional, but even simple ones like mine might do well enough against juveniles or your typical meth-heads.

The best alarm I ever encountered was when dropping off my car to a repair facility located in an old gas station with two plexiglass overhead garage bay doors. As I was putting my car key into the slot in the plexiglass bay door, two german shepherds came out of nowhere and assaulted the plexiglass......bending it about a mile in my direction. Needless to say, I forgot for an instant that the plexiglass was there.

[Bob Reda]

I have an alarm that is monitored thorugh a professioanl company. Its a door alarm on the mandoor. I also have a smoke alarm/fire alarm. I appreciate more the smoke and fire alarm, I can't see too many people leaving my shop carrying a tablesaw, or planer, but I'm sure its possible. And to boot since it is a monitoried service my homeowners insurance reduced its premium by 20% which basiclly pays the monthly service charge.

[Jim Becker]

I'm with Bob on this...monitored.

[Mike Tempel]

I too would like to put an alarm on my detached (2 car) shop. However, I am also in a dense neighborhood and hope I won't have too many problems but you never know. I like the Radio shack idea and may indeed go that route.

But I have to tell you about a sign I saw once at a car dealership while passing by. It was simple enough but I thought an ingenious deterrent. It stated simply enough: "This place is guarded 5 nights a week by a double barrell shotgun.....You pick the night."
I think I should make one of my own and hang it outside.

[JayStPeter]

Yep, monitored here. One nice thing about the basement shop is it shares the alarm system with the rest of the house.

Jay

[John Scane]

I have a monitored system that calls the police. My shop is in a warehouse in a not so good industrial part of Long Beach so having an alrarm is a MUST. I've had it go off once at 3:30am, all I could think of was getting to the shop as soon as possible, so I got dressed grabbed my 357 friends and drove to my shop to find everything in order. Luckily it seems that it was a false alarm and a mix up from the alarm co. but still that phone call at 3:30am sucked. I waited around but the LBPD never showed up :mad: .....so I don't know what good the thing will actually do if someone really breaks in :confused: ???

[Maurice Ungaro]

Yep, monitored is the way to go. For what it's worth, I'm using National Gaurdian for my house system, and we're installing a separate panel in th garage/shop that is linked to the house system. Make sure you get smoke detection as part of your package.

I've got a couple of man doors that will have sensors on them, and for th two garage doors, I'm taking care of that by placing a motion sensor up in the corner of eh garage tha will detect any motion once something breaks the plan of those doors. Also placing a motion sensor in the shop area in a corner tha can sweep the entire shop. Interestingly, we can/are get/getting remotes for the security system that turns it on or off from outside (like when you drive up in your car, and hit the remote for the door, then hit the remote for the system (or vice/versa).

With as much as we put into our shops, it's worth it, and the monitoring doesn't cost anymore when you add it to your house system.

Maurice

[Rich Konopka]

I'm waiting for a rep from ADT to show up at this moment. I posted a similar thread last week and there are some additional replies.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18190


I have 3 companies coming out for estimates. I'll post up later this week once I finish getting the quotes and learn more of the details.

[Scott Banbury]

My 4500 squarefoot shop is wired with full motion sensor coverage and magnetic snesors on the doors and windows. The sensors on my 2 roll-up doors are plugs on chains--when the door goes up more than 4 inches, the chain pulls the plug.

I have it monitored on a FM transceiver and running on a self-charging battery so it works even if the phone or power is disconnected.

My shop is only a minute from my house so I have an agreement with my monitoring company to call my cell before the police--this saves on false alarm citations. I figure that me and 357 can get to the shop long before the police do anyhow.

If I'm going to be out of personal response range for more than a day, I put all my powered handtools in a locked job box that's bolted to the floor. I don't see them stealing my stationary tools or non-powered handtools--all most thieves really want is what they can readily pawn. Oh yeah, my Craftsman tool box is locked and bolted from the inside to my job box.

[Ellen Benkin]

The threatening kind of warning signs ("I'll shoot you if you come in here") are silly. In my neighborhood they would just be incentive for some of the kids to try something. "Beware of dog" is not good either. If you have a dog and it bites someone (even a burglar) you have just told the world that you already knew you had a vicious dog and didn't control it. Result? BIG lawsuit, which you will lose.

I think a monitored security system -- the same kind you would have on your house -- makes the most sense. If not that, then something that makes a LOT Of noise and some nosey neighbors who are always home would also work. Of course, both would be combined with good locks, which you actually use. Also, check your insurance policy to make sure your tools are covered.