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Posted: 2/26/2016 9:33:09 AM EDT
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Have a challenge for the hive:
I live in an older house that my wife and I are renting in a pretty decent neighborhood (blue collar; avg house cost ~$125-175k). I'm wanting to add some security on a budget, but the house seems to be designed as much as possible to limit security: 2 bed, 1 bath, 1 car garage; two sliding glass doors (both sides slide), two exterior doors (front door and one off the garage)- Both of these open *out* and have their hinges on the *outside*; the front door is decent other than the plant window next to it, but the other door (accessing the garage from outside the house) is a jelousie metal door with so much door/frame gap that the standard doorknob lock can be easily defeated with a pocket knife or screwdriver, like faster than using the key total of 10 windows; 2x50" wide standard sliding windows, the rest are the louver style crank windows with the screen on the inside, 3x3 pane and 5x2 pane Lease is up in Oct, and we might move then, so I don't want to spend much on anything that can't be taken with us. Mostly want some sort of very loud screamer alarm for the doors and windows. I don't think I want to invest in cameras at this time, and I can't do any sort of hardwiring. Might be interested in this: http://ring.com I'd love to simply seal off the door off the garage and the sliding glass door in my bedroom (yes, one wall of the master bedroom is a sliding glass door), but as the side door opens out I have no idea how to do that without a lot of effort and losing my security deposit. Would love to buy a giant ass safe and just bolt it down in front of the door, but I don't have anything like that much money. Alarms are partially as a deterrent if someone burgles the house while we're not there, but more for a "Wake the fuck up someone's in the house!" type of alarm, since most of what i'm looking at could simply be pulled off the door/wall and/or have the batteries taken out to disable it. 
Total budget for the project???? No way could I do more than $500, and the wife might not let me go that high. She *loves* our yard and likes the house quite a bit, and we're paying under market rate for it, so there's also a good chance we won't move for a couple years. My starting point is one of these over the main garage door (front of the house over the driveway); This on the front door; These on the side door, sliding doors and sliding windows; Two to four of these on the side door- if two, both on the knob side, if four, one on each corner; Would like alarms for the windows that would go off if the glass breaks, but I don't have any idea where to start looking for those. Maybe replace the doorknob on the side door with a deadbolt? Don't know if that's even possible?? So I'm not looking for even what I would honestly consider a secure building, but just hardening a little to deter your run of the mill B&E smash and grab. Also thinking of get one of these and putting it on a timer for when I'm not home at night (3rd shift weekends). Thoughts, suggestions, opinions, etc. appreciated. Thanks. |
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A simple solution with sliding doors is to cut a piece of wood, or PVC pipe and lay it on the door's track when it's closed. You'll never be able to open it that way. If they want to get in, they'd have to break it down.
For your exterior doors, it sounds like they have some fitting issues, but it might help to replace the screws around the door knob and plate with longer screws. Usually the existing ones are like 1/2" tops and can be ripped out with a swift kick to the door. Longer screws anchor it in much better, |
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Another thought is to get mock security cameras. You can find a number on amazon and ebay that are quite convincing.
Another thought for your loose garage door- you could use some wood and make a sort of spacer that would go under the doorknob plate and help it to mate up tighter with the door itself. |
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Quoted:
Another thought is to get mock security cameras. You can find a number on amazon and ebay that are quite convincing. Another thought for your loose garage door- you could use some wood and make a sort of spacer that would go under the doorknob plate and help it to mate up tighter with the door itself. I saw a real security camera at Lowes yesterday, Swann, 44 bucks, pretty cheap fake insurance. Buy a real ADT sign and stickers off Ebay also, another $30 bucks ETA The one camera Arlo works good IF YOU have a Smartphone, $160 bucks. http://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Smart-Security-Camera-System/dp/B00P7EVST6 |
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Quoted:
A simple solution with sliding doors is to cut a piece of wood, or PVC pipe and lay it on the door's track when it's closed. You'll never be able to open it that way. If they want to get in, they'd have to break it down. For your exterior doors, it sounds like they have some fitting issues, but it might help to replace the screws around the door knob and plate with longer screws. Usually the existing ones are like 1/2" tops and can be ripped out with a swift kick to the door. Longer screws anchor it in much better, Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. |
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Quoted:
Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. Quoted:
Quoted:
A simple solution with sliding doors is to cut a piece of wood, or PVC pipe and lay it on the door's track when it's closed. You'll never be able to open it that way. If they want to get in, they'd have to break it down. For your exterior doors, it sounds like they have some fitting issues, but it might help to replace the screws around the door knob and plate with longer screws. Usually the existing ones are like 1/2" tops and can be ripped out with a swift kick to the door. Longer screws anchor it in much better, Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. Never heard of 3m Security film until now; I really like it. Definitely keeping that in mind down the road. |
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Quoted:
Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. Quoted:
Quoted:
A simple solution with sliding doors is to cut a piece of wood, or PVC pipe and lay it on the door's track when it's closed. You'll never be able to open it that way. If they want to get in, they'd have to break it down. For your exterior doors, it sounds like they have some fitting issues, but it might help to replace the screws around the door knob and plate with longer screws. Usually the existing ones are like 1/2" tops and can be ripped out with a swift kick to the door. Longer screws anchor it in much better, Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. If both doors slide how does he block the door that slides on the exposed track? |
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Quoted:
If both doors slide how does he block the door that slides on the exposed track? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A simple solution with sliding doors is to cut a piece of wood, or PVC pipe and lay it on the door's track when it's closed. You'll never be able to open it that way. If they want to get in, they'd have to break it down. For your exterior doors, it sounds like they have some fitting issues, but it might help to replace the screws around the door knob and plate with longer screws. Usually the existing ones are like 1/2" tops and can be ripped out with a swift kick to the door. Longer screws anchor it in much better, Exactly what I was going to suggest. Also on the sliding doors, open them and shoot a few screws into the top frame. Leave them sticking out just enough for the door to move freely under them. This will prevent someone from possibly lifting the door off the track. I'm a big fan of 3m security film with tint, but if you're about to move it might not be worth the cost. If both doors slide how does he block the door that slides on the exposed track? Could you use 2 pieces of wood? One for each track. My house already had a bar installed that is halfway up the door frame. It's swings out and latches halfway up the door. Not sure if that makes sense. .. |
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