Bolstering security of the observatory

[kirkster501]

Any thoughts in how to improve observatory security - I just have the padlock currently.  It is an high security padlock that cost £30 but I'm very aware a small crowbar could lever the whole latch off.  I need to bolster the door in other places as well, preferably keeping it usable.  Appreciate your thoughts please guys?  Maybe some bar arrangement internally that locks top and bottom, submarine style?

Of course if someone is determined enough they will get in -  they could take a chain saw to the whole side wall.  However, keeping this sensible and defending against the opportunist thief trying to nick a lawnmower for their next fix, what do you think?

Steve

 

[RayD]

There are these types Steve which you bolt all the way through and plate the back of the fixings so they can't just pull out.

[Ibbo!]

I also put metal plates on the inside to help beef it up.

[kirkster501]

Thanks guys.  Good idea Ray.  A bit unsightly but I could use some metal paint to camouflage it a bit.

How on the inside Steve?

I am wary of anything which could be levered off.  Something which slides and latches internally is always better.

EDIT:

 

[andyboy1970]

I have these - http://www.diy.com/departments/yale-deadlock/252193_BQ.prd?icamp=recs&rrec=true

They are in the door frame and from the outside there is only a 6mm hole for the key so you wouldn't see them in the dark unless you know they are there.

On the inside the floor level is 4 inches higher than the bottom of the door and a beam runs across near the top of the door preventing it being pushed in.

 On the inside of the door behind the hinges I have 8 inch steel bars that sit behind the door frame when shut.

Basically it looks like a standard shed door from the outside.

[RayD]

4 minutes ago, andyboy1970 said:

I have these - http://www.diy.com/departments/yale-deadlock/252193_BQ.prd?icamp=recs&rrec=true

They are in the door frame and from the outside there is only a 6mm hole for the key so you wouldn't see them in the dark unless you know they are there.

On the inside the floor level is 4 inches higher than the bottom of the door and a beam runs across near the top of the door preventing it being pushed in.

 On the inside of the door behind the hinges I have 8 inch steel bars that sit behind the door frame when shut.

Basically it looks like a standard shed door from the outside.

They are good, but the trouble with them is they are meant for internal use, so all the keys are the same.  I have these ones on my garage and they are excellent, but not sure how easy they would be to adapt to fit in/on a 'shed' door?

[RayD]

14 minutes ago, kirkster501 said:

Something which slides and latches internally is always better.

You mean like these multi-point latches Steve?  About as secure as you can get I would have thought?

[Moonshane]

It's a fine balance between secure enough to deter the opportunist and secure enough to attract the attention of the serious determined thief. I'd have thought your existing arrangement with bolts through and a plate both sides would be the best balance.

[RayD]

1 minute ago, Moonshane said:

It's a fine balance between secure enough to deter the opportunist and secure enough to attract the attention of the serious determined thief. I'd have thought your existing arrangement with bolts through and a plate both sides would be the best balance.

Exactly.  As our house in Spain is very remote, we considered putting a reja (bar type gate) over the front door.  A local builder advised against it saying that no one has them on their front door, and to do so would mean you definitely have items of value.

Maybe change the door handle/lock for one with a built in 5 lever deadlock.  I have this on mine and it means it can't just be jemmy'd off.

[wookie1965]

I fitted these to both my sheds (non astro) cheap and loud.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOUD-ALARM-2-PC-100-DB-sticky-Door-Window-Entry-Office-Home-Shed-thief-Security/272967287770?epid=932445181&hash=item3f8e1e43da:g:ToYAAOSws5pZNC3Z

[RayD]

That's the main thing, is to alarm it. 

Mine is connected to the main house alarm (wireless Risco system) which texts me if it goes off.  Both doors have sensors, and I have a pressure pad on the floor of the scope room for when the roof is open, but that sends a push notification to my phone and turns all the lights on, but is only active when the roof is open and it is armed.  I also have CCTV in the warm room and scope room, and facing towards and away from the main door.

 

[Ibbo!]

I put a metal plate on the inside for the bolts to go through ,i did it for both the hinges and the locks it just makes it harder to crowbar the bolts from the front.

[andyboy1970]

3 hours ago, RayD said:

They are good, but the trouble with them is they are meant for internal use, so all the keys are the same.  I have these ones on my garage and they are excellent, but not sure how easy they would be to adapt to fit in/on a 'shed' door?

They way they are fitted means you wouldn't know they are there so hopefully that would be enough to make life awkward for a burglar. 

[RayD]

2 minutes ago, andyboy1970 said:

They way they are fitted means you wouldn't know they are there so hopefully that would be enough to make life awkward for a burglar. 

That's true, and probably unlikely that they would have a key in their pocket.

[michaelmorris]

My thoughts are:

1 - Keep it low key

• Don't make look inviting
• Be a bit circumspect about telling strangers the combination of both that you have an observatory and where you live.

2 - Make it physically difficult for a casual thief to break in, so

• put a cover over the padlock
• Reinforce the back of any hasp or lock with a steel plate
• Fit hinge bolts to make it hard to gemmy the hinge side of the door
• Don't keep the key to the observatory in an obvious place in the house (like on a hook by the backdoor on a keyring labelled 'Observatory')

3 - Make sure it's properly insured

4 - Remember the old adage, "If a polar bear is chasing you, you don't have to be able to outrun a polar bear, you just have to be able to outrun the person next to you!"  Make your shed just a bit harder to break in than next door's shed.

[Aidan]

Don’t know if this is any good for you.. I’ve just installed one in my garage.

https://www.ultrasecuredirect.com/wireless-indoor-alarms/shed-garage-alarms/battery-gsm-wireless-ultrapir-alarm/3g-battery-ultrapir-gsm-alarm-007-1150-p1167.html

Takes 10mins..  Aswell as the audible alarm, it will call my mobile and let me know within seconds if the alarm has triggered.  SIM card is M2M so the credit does not run out - it’s perpetual.  

Wont help the physical security, but another line of defence.

[laser_jock99]

One the advantages of building an obsy from scratch (rather than using a converted shed/comercial obsy etc) is you can design security in from the start. Things like making it look vaugely like a normal garden shed, sheet metal walls, a solid door frame, a proper exterior door with built in mortice locks etc.

[kirkster501]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I think (hopefully correctly) that 99% of what we have to protect ourselves against is the casual thief/thug with a screwdriver or small pocket jemmy that can jemmy off "ordinary" hinges and hasps in a few seconds and steal goodies they can flog at a car boot/pub.  We will never protect ourselves against professional thieves.  Same can be said for the house and the car.  If they want it enough they will find a way.  So that's why best not to broadcast your precise whereabouts on a public forum like this.

My obsy door has four "internal" hinges that it hangs off of.  They cannot lever them off easily with them being internal (as opposed to gate types) but if they were determined enough they could use a rechargeable angle grinder to cut straight down the backbone of each hinge (though it would make a racket).....  That would render any expensive hasp and padlock a bit pointless.  I may look at those and see how long the screws are that attach those hinges to the woodwork.  But how far do you take this?  "Defence in depth" is a phrase we use in IT.  So we need vibration sensors to detect brute force leverage and a magnetic door alarm in the obsy in case they do get through the door.  I do not trust motion detectors in a cold obsy.

I am also installing CCTV on my house and will point one of the cameras (installed high up on the eves of the house) to point at that part of the garden where the obsy is.