Alarm for a garage

[Auntie Helen]

After vandals got into our spare garage and damaged my partner’s Velomobile, i am looking for some kind of alarm for deterrent.

Situation is:
400 metres from our home
Garages opposite a boarded up house with no view to the outside road
No electricity
Very little habitation around (one would expect no one to overhear or even see people)
Up-and-over garage door has no lock

We relied on the unlikelihood of anyone nosing around but the whole garages area was steamed by these vandals who then set fire to the farmer’s straw barn. Lots of things were damaged, the Velomobile is a tiny fraction of the overall damages.

I though about a battery-operated remote control siren but we would have to fit it somewhere where visitors could not immediately kill it. Garage is just a bare concrete box. Siren would hopefully frighten them off, but if they think it through they might realise it is unlikely anyone would hear them. How loud should a siren be anyway?

Anyone have any suggestions?

[Kim]

Sounds like something that phones home is what's needed.  Siren optional.  I think Chris S had something for a similar remote garage situation...

Can you fit some kind of lock to the door?  Even if it's just a deterrent to the lazy opportunist.

[Canardly]

If there is power available Led floodlighting may prove to be effective.

[Kim]

If there is power available Led floodlighting may prove to effective.

Power isn't available.  Dunno if solar might be achievable to run a floodlight on a PIR or something?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Would a floodlight on its own be a deterrent though? Would be triggered by cats and things so even if anyone saw it, they'd take no notice. Unless it could be coupled with CCTV maybe?

[sib]

battery power pir alarm like this ? https://www.crimepreventionproducts.co.uk/home-security/garage-shed-alarms/keyfob-pir-intruder-alarm-battery-operated-also-ideal-for-tack-rooms-etc

maybe get a physical lock - clasp and padlock for garage door too ?

[Auntie Helen]

No-one would see a floodlight. And there is absolutely no electricity possible (nearest source 100 metres away!) as it’s part of a derelict building.

Phoning home would be good but if we are not there (such as this Sunday when Klaus’s Trackimo sent him a movement alarm) it doesn’t help. We also want to scare intruders away.

[Cudzoziemiec]

How many garages are there in total? Could all garage owners get together to arrange some sort of joint system? Alternatively, ein tollwütiger Hund.

[Kim]

No-one would see a floodlight.

The burglars would.  Never been entirely convinced that they're as photophobic as people make out, though.  I tend to see PIR floodlights as a convenience thing.

We also want to scare intruders away.

Something loud and obnoxious then.  With a strong implication that it's phoned home (possibly with pictures) and the lads will be coming round forthwith.

[Jurek]

Bird scarer.
Or something else which involves ordnance....
I think the bird scarers you see in fields run off a Calor gas cylinder.

[Polar Bear]

Sorry to hear about your break in.  This sort of stuff makes me seethe with rage and boil with anger.   I'd like to wrap a sledge hammer round the skulls of these bastards.

I find myself from bitter experience looking at your unfortunate problem from a different perspective.

Intruders are a class of scum that you simply cannot deter.  Moreover, this bunch of scum will have told their scum chums what went down and what was there and there will be more scum coming back in the future.   We had three visits in all on our garden workshop before five bikes were destroyed by being sawn through so that the remaining sixth bike with the 16mm Pragmasis chain still attached could be removed to their lair for attempted disentanglement.

My advice is to seriously search for a different seekrit bunker, one which allows for significantly improved security.   I know that this is much easier said than done but I cut a huge hole in our ceiling and converted the loft into my bike shed after our very traumatic experience.  I don't expect that you have this option but more security is simply more of a challenge to these scum as I found out in a painful way.   

These people don't give a shit about you, just about themselves.   Good luck.

[The Family Cyclist]

Bird guns run on propane but are just on a timer. And the gas bottles get nicked. You can get blank cartridge firing trip lines that make a big old noise.

[Polar Bear]

You may create yourself more problems than you solve with loud bangs in the middle of the night.  Not only any local legal noise abatement issues but if your 'loud bang' causes an intruder to suffer injury as a result you could get sued for it.   

I recommend that you check your local and national laws before deploying such devices.