Arrived at our cottage this weekend, to find another failed attempt to break into our heavily fortified shed. We have few full-time resident neighbors, so they have the benefit of time and deaf ears, and the miscreants will discover a cordless Recip saw or Grinder soon.
I have 2 pieces of angle iron attached to a rope, that can be lowered in place behind the back of the shed door after it is closed. So even if they break off the locks, the door will not open, and they can’t pry it open. I installed pieces of flate iron on the outside stud walls before the sheathing, so that the Chain Saw through the side wall will not be an option.
Any other ideas? I would not be above any option that may involve jail-time for myself, if said option were to be injurious… as in, electrical or crossbow designs. LOL.
Man this is frustrating…..Quinhead
Replies
Does the shed have power? How about an electrifying the locks, latches, or whatever. I doubt a non-fatal jolt would lead to any jailtime on your part.
Or you could rig up a motion detector to brights lights and a loud radio to scare them off.
I've often thought that it would be cool to rig up a motion-operated camera at our seasonal place. Hate the mystery of what goes on during vandalism sessions.
The trick is to convince them that the neighbor's shed is better pickings.
The problem with injurious ideas is that they might affect innocents - such as fire department or local police inspecting for breakins.
Some ideas. Add pipe to the angle iron behind the doors, so that attempts to cut the pipe will just cause it to rotate back and forth instead.
Alarm bell on the outside with visible wires running up to it. Cutting the wires causes the alarm to go off.
Big fake cameras in plain site and small real ones hidden.
Fiber Cement siding or cement block walls on outside of shed.
Try to eliminate drive up access to shed while you are gone. They aren't going to work at it as hard if they have to hand carry very far.
to convince them that the neighbor's shed is better pickings
Wow, I just pictured a use for the big-box excuses for framing lumber--build a mock "falling down" junky shed over the first. Built 'square' and "plumb" and 'true' to the wrigglesticks from the store, even an average hoodlum might be afraid the the thing'd fall over.
Then there's the "chinese box" thing of break into a shed to find another . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Put big chain link fence with top around shed. Put "warning - electrified fence" and fake electrical wiring on fence. Put junkyard type dog or rodeo bull (or tiger, lion, bear etc) in enclosure.
Martha,
Perhaps you have spent too much time behind one of those fences. Can you source razor wire for me at a reasonable cost?
One neighbour has a trap door under his cottage that he uses to access and lock the place for the weekend. All his windows and doors are srcewed, blued and tattooed closed, from the inside. They have tried, but seem to have given up.
.........Quinhead
Sometimes there is no really good solution to such a problem. My relatives have a backwoods mobilehome that used to be burglarized regularly. They finally found out that a oxy contin addict was doing the theiving. They had to pretty much empty it out when they left it vacant.
Can you source razor wire for me at a reasonable cost?
'Bout $50 the coil where ever you look.
Google offers this: http://www.academyfence.com/razorwire.html
Oh, cool Shomer-Tec has a much better price: $39.95: http://www.shomer-tec.com/site/product.cfm?id=998839A1-A513-481E-9481FFF707F850A5
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)