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#267683 - 02/26/14 02:49 PM Home Security - Automatic Garage Door
RNewcomb Offline
Member

Registered: 04/19/12
Posts: 170
Loc: Iowa
I came across this video today, talking about how burglars are using a wire hanger to trip the emergency garage door release to break into homes.

Being a victim of a couple of Garage break ins over my lifetime, I thought their solution was elegant while not adversely impacting the feature of the emergency release.

http://www.kcci.com/entertainment/1-zipt...m_campaign=kcci

Is there anything that can't be solved with duct tape and zip ties? I think not... smile

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#267690 - 02/26/14 04:21 PM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: RNewcomb]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
I thought this sounded familiar. Personally, I had a little chuckle when I found that I mentioned this same technique a couple years ago in this post--and I was also responding to one of your posts, RNewcomb! I guess our fates are linked. wink

I'm glad that in that TV news clip you linked to, they put a big emphasis on making sure that anyone who zip ties the garage emergency release to prevent unauthorized entry can still break it when needed. It *is* an emergency feature, after all, and is there for a reason.

And they didn't play up the scary aspect of the story, making everyone think that there are hordes of people running around popping open people's garages using this technique. I hate how TV news has shifted more and more away from informing the public, to having to drum up ratings with sensational and emotionally charged stories.

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#267700 - 02/26/14 08:26 PM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: RNewcomb]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
After examining my automatic door opener, I see that it's possible for a hanger to catch the latch even if the rope is entire removed. I may have to install a zip tie. Another solution is to block the gap somehow, maybe with a rubber band, duct tape, or something like that.
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#267703 - 02/26/14 09:03 PM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: ireckon]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
It would be more fun to electrify the latch. But make sure your emergency release cord is non-conductive!

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#267731 - 02/27/14 05:07 AM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: RNewcomb]
UTAlumnus Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/08/03
Posts: 1019
Loc: East Tennessee near Bristol
If you're building a garage or replacing an old/damaged door, get the new one without windows. The were breaking a window to reach the release with the hanger when I saw this locally several years ago.


Edited by UTAlumnus (02/27/14 05:08 AM)

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#267749 - 02/27/14 11:58 PM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: UTAlumnus]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Another thought--since many people don't actually use their garages to park their cars, they don't actually need to open the door often, particularly from the outside. In that case, some garage doors have a built in lock that you engage from the inside. Mine has a spring-loaded bolt that you can use to block the track that the door slides up and down on. Press a lever on the lock and the bolt springs out of the way.

Or there may be a spot on the track you could use a long shackle padlock to prevent the door from moving up, even if the emergency release were pulled from the outside--although this would be even more of a safety hazard than using a ziptie to keep the emergency release closed.

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#267753 - 02/28/14 01:22 AM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: Arney]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
Vice-grips clamped to the rails do a good job of keeping those little wheels from rolling in their tracks too. You can also drill a hole in the track right above one the wasit-high wheels resting point when the door is closed and put a bicycle U-lock in there. You don't need (or even "want to") lock it. Just thread the U part through the hole and let it hang there without the locking bar in place.

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#268572 - 03/26/14 11:38 AM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: RNewcomb]
MartinFocazio Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
Well, while this COULD happen at my house, there's a hell of a lot more than a garage door between my living space and garage. But it's a neat solution for an imaginary "trend"

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#269720 - 05/07/14 02:58 AM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: haertig]
sodak Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/20/05
Posts: 410
Originally Posted By: haertig
Vice-grips clamped to the rails do a good job of keeping those little wheels from rolling in their tracks too. You can also drill a hole in the track right above one the wasit-high wheels resting point when the door is closed and put a bicycle U-lock in there. You don't need (or even "want to") lock it. Just thread the U part through the hole and let it hang there without the locking bar in place.

I've long used a bent piece of rebar through the rectangular holes in the track also.

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#269725 - 05/07/14 02:56 PM Re: Home Security - Automatic Garage Door [Re: Arney]
ILBob Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 776
Loc: Northern IL
Originally Posted By: Arney
It *is* an emergency feature, after all, and is there for a reason.


It is not an "emergency" feature at all. It is there in case the door opener fails so you can open it up like people did before there were garage door openers.

Short of busting a window in your garage door or making a hole in it, I don't see how you can get the coat hanger to the release latch.

Most garages, especially detached ones have side doors that can be opened a whole lot easier than going to that kind of trouble. A lot do not even have deadbolt locks on them. A screw driver will pop them open in about 2 seconds.
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Warning - I am not an expert on anything having to do with this forum, but that won't stop me from saying what I think. smile

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