Guardsman Garage security Barrier - highly recommended

[Jules Sunley]

Afternoon all, I've had a Guardsman barrier fitted inside my garage this morning.

I've got a garage in a block I've been doing up to keep my bikes in (some may have seen my thread asking for interlocking floor tile recommendations - I went for Plasfloor thanks to some positive replies) and thought I'd return the PHers favour with a recommendation of my own.

I found out about the barrier after some googling of garage security and motorbikes and having watched the video on their website and subsequently seen a couple of other videos on YouTube decided to buy one.

Very pleased - if anything it looks even chunkier and secure in person and also pleased to find out it is a fledgling family business with everything in house - design and manufacture and installation.

For anyone with bikes in a garage whether at home or further away I think it's a great idea. I went for the optional additional metal loops so I can also chain my bikes to it.

Essentially it's 2 posts fixed into the floor (they're never coming out!) and a gas lift barrier on one half that has another tube inside so when you pull it down you slide across the second half of the opening and it then locks into the opposing post. No bike would fit under it and although some could potentially be lifted over you'd need a strong crew and of course if locking your bike to the barrier that's an extra step for the pond life. The great thing is that when it's open its not in the way and all of a few seconds to open with the key even with bike gloves on.

Will be moving my other bikes over there this weekend but here's some pics just after the install guys left.

I should say I have no affiliation with the business, it's just that having run my own business for c14 years I take pleasure in promoting others I think deserve it. The guys said they have some trade and bike show stands booked as the world opens up post the last year or so of lockdowns etc and I'd really like to see them do well. Based in the Midlands but will install countrywide or supply for DIY fit if wanted. Linky below. If you have a double garage they can fit 2 side by side.

https://image4security.com/collections/guardsman-g...
[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/Z7GM1sgJ[/url]

[elanfan]

Might stop the opportunists but anyone tooled up with a disc cutter that would last about 20 seconds, sorry.

[StreetDragster]

elanfan said:

Might stop the opportunists but anyone tooled up with a disc cutter that would last about 20 seconds, sorry.

Same with most physical security for motorcycles

[liner33]

Nice idea that

[Jules Sunley]

elanfan said:

Might stop the opportunists but anyone tooled up with a disc cutter that would last about 20 seconds, sorry.

You'd need a hell of a disc cutter and that would make a huge amount of noise. Nothing will stop someone really intent on nicking something but making as much effort as possible to prevent it or deter them is useful in my opinion. Thanks for the really positive response though, so much sunshine spread on pistonheads.......

[Jules Sunley]

liner33 said:

Nice idea that

Exactly what I thought - a bit of 'out of the box' thinking which is nice to see.

[LordFlathead]

When you've been in the security industry as long as I have you see how the average savvy crim adapts to new challenges. This is not secure it's far from secure. It's even less secure now that you have posted pictures on the internet of your security devices

They would simply use the same approach to removing up and over doors:

• Make a hole in the middle with a battery drill and hole-saw.
• Fit a grappling hook into hole and attach via rope to Land Rover etc.. pull away.. door flies off.
• Rinse and repeat with this feeble bar, which will simply bend in the middle and pull the rawl-bolts straight out of the brickwork. If the fixings are secure it will just crack the brick or take the entire brick out.
• If the want to do to is quietly, they will just use the winch on the Land Rover/Transit van from inside and pull it off.

To secure anything, forget any construction with bricks or breeze blocks. You need 6mm steel plate with welded fittings at either side, with MULTIPLE fixings (chemical) then you need grind of the flats of the heads OR weld them to the plate. Then add all that crap to the steel plates (weld them). Then you need a steel plate welded to the floor and you need to link the cross span to it and make a triangle either side (centre point to either walls) Triangles are strong and if you've made it out of 40mm box with 4mm wall thickness (same as tow bars!) then you are going to do some serious damage to the vehicle attempting to disable your security.

Security is just layers = the more you have the more time you buy. You could have a fabricator make a proper steel caged frame on hinges for around £600 and then buy a proper lock like a Squire SS100CS..

Best security is ALWAYS bespoke and not off the shelf. There is no one all good security tool, they are all dependant on location. For a motorcycle? Insurance is all you need.

[bogie]

Looks great for an extra layer of physical security.

Im sure someone will be along to tell us how a 6" electric angle grinder will cut through it in a few mins, but you can only do so much to slow down the scrotes.

[Jules Sunley]

LordFlathead said:

When you've been in the security industry as long as I have you see how the average savvy crim adapts to new challenges. This is not secure it's far from secure. It's even less secure now that you have posted pictures on the internet of your security devices

They would simply use the same approach to removing up and over doors:

• Make a hole in the middle with a battery drill and hole-saw.
• Fit a grappling hook into hole and attach via rope to Land Rover etc.. pull away.. door flies off.
• Rinse and repeat with this feeble bar, which will simply bend in the middle and pull the rawl-bolts straight out of the brickwork. If the fixings are secure it will just crack the brick or take the entire brick out.
• If the want to do to is quietly, they will just use the winch on the Land Rover/Transit van from inside and pull it off.

To secure anything, forget any construction with bricks or breeze blocks. You need 6mm steel plate with welded fittings at either side, with MULTIPLE fixings (chemical) then you need grind of the flats of the heads OR weld them to the plate. Then add all that crap to the steel plates (weld them). Then you need a steel plate welded to the floor and you need to link the cross span to it and make a triangle either side (centre point to either walls) Triangles are strong and if you've made it out of 40mm box with 4mm wall thickness (same as tow bars!) then you are going to do some serious damage to the vehicle attempting to disable your security.

Security is just layers = the more you have the more time you buy. You could have a fabricator make a proper steel caged frame on hinges for around £600 and then buy a proper lock like a Squire SS100CS..

Best security is ALWAYS bespoke and not off the shelf. There is no one all good security tool, they are all dependant on location. For a motorcycle? Insurance is all you need.

Person is happy with new purchase and posts on PH to recommend to others. Person does not publish home address or which garage in a block of over a dozen garages it is in. Other person comments to say how security now weakened due to post and then goes on in detail to explain how they would defeat said device. Not all opportunistic scrotes have a land rover to hand.


Rolls eyes.


Nothing is perfect, but it's a lot better than a cheap ground anchor from Amazon and makes me fell better about storing my toys out of eyeline.

Edited for bloody predicitve text spellings!

Edited by Jules Sunley on Tuesday 20th July 13:32

Edited by Jules Sunley on Tuesday 20th July 13:33

Edited by Jules Sunley on Tuesday 20th July 13:35

[MrGman]

It is certainly extra protection that’s easy to use, nice idea.

As for the a disc cutter would yadda yadda yadda, I wouldn’t use a disc cutter, surely a car Jack at the end to pull it out the ground would be much quieter and easier and I imagine most garages would have one sitting their ready to use as well.

Something worth noting, watch what tools you leave in the garage, I had my own tools used to aid the theft of my bikes a couple of years back.

[Jules Sunley]

MrGman said:

It is certainly extra protection that’s easy to use, nice idea.

As for the a disc cutter would yadda yadda yadda, I wouldn’t use a disc cutter, surely a car Jack at the end to pull it out the ground would be much quieter and easier and I imagine most garages would have one sitting their ready to use as well.

Something worth noting, watch what tools you leave in the garage, I had my own tools used to aid the theft of my bikes a couple of years back.

Good point and yes no tools being kept in there, they are all back at the house. Having see the floor fixings they put in they aren't going anywhere. Will refrain from further detail here for obvious reasons.

[Iminquarantine]

Push bike over on its side.

Towing strap to wheel.

Use the van the crooks brought to drag bike out under barrier.

Bike back upright.

In van.

Drive off.

Scrap for parts, except the scraped fairing.

Job done!

[seveb]

Sorry but that's just a ground anchor in the wrong place. It's right at the front door so the thief can firstly see exactly what he has to deal with. Secondly the chain, unless you get a very long one, will have to go through your rear/front wheel which isn't very secure. Even if your chain can go through the chassis or on a spindle pin you're still presenting it to the thief on a plate and there is only one thing he needs to defeat - the pole, single point of failure.

As suggested above, a firm tug from a chain on the tow bar of a transit or thief's favourite SUV, an X5, and it'll be gone, with or without your chains, even if it does need a little drilling first, which is reasonably quiet operation.

I would have multiple protected ground anchors deeper in the garage, one for each bike, chain around the chassis not a wheel, and then cut to length so they are off the ground. That way one bike might be stolen but they have to go through the whole cutting process again for bike #2, and #3 etc.

Also have padlocks and hasps on the garage door with large steel plates in the inside, so the thief has to create a lot of noise before he even gets to the bikes, even if ultimately the plates don't stop the door being removed.

[G7orge]

Jules Sunley said:

liner33 said:

Nice idea that

Exactly what I thought - a bit of 'out of the box' thinking which is nice to see.

Yes a great idea - out of interest is that a rented garage? - did you have to get permission to do that? - I would like to do the same to mine as an additional security feature - I also like the fact that you cannot see it from the outside -

[seveb]

G7orge said:

I also like the fact that you cannot see it from the outside -

The up and over garage doors can be popped open quite easily, often with just a stout screwdriver or even a piece of wood, for a sneaky peak, unless it's padlocked closed as I suggested. So a thief would be able to take a look and assess the situation without the OP knowing.

[Prof Prolapse]

Yeah sorry mate not seeing the advantage which justifies the (presumed) cost. Good system though, I'm sure it will put off a number of thieves for sure.

I'm planning my next dream garage security, I like the idea of a hydraulic ramp with power isolated to the house. With a bike six feet in the air, you'd have to be pretty determined to get it. That's after you've navigated past the booby traps activated by the Siri and the Apple homekit.

Or a snake pit.

Or just come into the house and threaten to murder me and the keys are yours.

[Jules Sunley]

G7orge said:

Yes a great idea - out of interest is that a rented garage? - did you have to get permission to do that? - I would like to do the same to mine as an additional security feature - I also like the fact that you cannot see it from the outside -

No it's owned, just the way the estate was built way back when. Not seeing anything from the outside was a big draw for me as many of the garages are run down so I didn't want to stand out. Some though have physical security outside so on first sight I reckon they would be a more likely target for an opportunist.

You would defo need landlord permission to fit to a rented garage as it would make a real mess of the floor trying to remove when you move so the landlord would need to be good with you making good the floor or leaving the barrier in (and a cost consideration for you if not staying long term).

Thanks for a useful question amidst the many negative replies - for the person who said 'drag the bike under' it won't fit, that's why it is the height it is, and anything physical can be defeated somehow but it's a combination of how much noise this would make and the time taken and how must damage to the item to be nicked that is important. For me the convenience of just a few extra seconds to undo an extra lock compared with the extra protection I'm getting is well worthwhile hence the reasoning behind the original post to share with other bikers who haven't seen this before. I think some of you must be extra grumpy as it's so hot today....

[Jules Sunley]

seveb said:

The up and over garage doors can be popped open quite easily, often with just a stout screwdriver or even a piece of wood, for a sneaky peak, unless it's padlocked closed as I suggested. So a thief would be able to take a look and assess the situation without the OP knowing.

Not this one - new one just installed.

[Jules Sunley]

Prof Prolapse said:

Yeah sorry mate not seeing the advantage which justifies the (presumed) cost. Good system though, I'm sure it will put off a number of thieves for sure.

I'm planning my next dream garage security, I like the idea of a hydraulic ramp with power isolated to the house. With a bike six feet in the air, you'd have to be pretty determined to get it. That's after you've navigated past the booby traps activated by the Siri and the Apple homekit.

Or a snake pit.

Or just come into the house and threaten to murder me and the keys are yours.

Snake pit would work, have to feed the buggers though. Ramp idea even better but with no power or internet in mine (in a remote block) other than when I stick on a small generator I have I had to go a non-electrical route.

On the subject of a snake pit, maybe there is finally a use for Katie Hopkins, hire her to sit inside the garage overnight as nobody would want to go in there ever although I'd hate the idea of her earning from me and wouldn't want to have to make small talk when taking one of my toys out.....

[seveb]

Jules Sunley said:

seveb said:

The up and over garage doors can be popped open quite easily, often with just a stout screwdriver or even a piece of wood, for a sneaky peak, unless it's padlocked closed as I suggested. So a thief would be able to take a look and assess the situation without the OP knowing.

Not this one - new one just installed.

I beg to differ, I'm not going to go into detail but I can see from your pictures that a long, strong screwdriver or crow bar will open your garage door. They all suffer the same basic design flaws so they can be convenient and look nice. Unless it's got steel plates and something like a couple of squire padlocks and cast hasps bolted to brick, it's going to take less than 10 seconds to pop the door open. You're much better off having a roller shutter installed, they come in pleasant colours now too for domestic use.

It really surprises me, not just this thread, but in general, how difficult people think their garage is to break into when in fact it's surprisingly easy for a time served thief and his mate to open an up and over garage door and make off with a van full of kit in just a couple of minutes. They will be aggressive, brutal, use their full weight immediately to lever something open, if you've seen them operate you'll know.