I have just purchased a new house in Mobile ad am finishig the garage as a gun room. It has four brick walls, two glass doors with burglar bars, two windows with bars (all through bolted). The interior door will be a fire door with three like-keyed deadbolts. I need some way of insuring that they can't cut into the roof/ceiling; any ideas? I would also like plans for a false wall with a bookcase that opens and is undetectable, if anyone has them.
Before you start worrying about the roof, I'd worry about someone like me that can be in those 'two glass doors with bars' or that 'fire door with 3 deadbolts' in about 2 minutes. I ain't gonna bother to climb on the roof unless that's path of least resistance, which I doubt it is. Putting 3 deadbolts on an interior door is like hanging a sign on it that says "YO...HOMIES......THIS IS WHERE THE GOOD STUFF IS !!! " Tell me more about the details of construction, and I'll point out the weaknesses....but basically, unless you are willing to go bank vault type construction (ie, reinforced concrete walls, ceiling, etc ) including the door, you are kidding yourself when it comes to getting in a room or a house.....and even bank vaults can be breached given enough time. Your better off thinking along the lines of the bookcase deal, or hiding things in plain sight.
Roof: Q-deck poured with concrete, minimum 4" thick with rebar. Spacing on request, but make sure the walls are stout enough to hold it up.
When our local FBI did an office upgrade years ago they put 4x8 sheets of expanded steel mesh in the walls and ceiling, then covered that with drywall.
That is what I was going to suggest, hog panel, that way, they can't chain saw it. If you have a chance to get ahold of a rail road switching station, they make excellent vaults. you know the steel boxes at railroad crossings.
"that is what I was going to suggest, hog panel, that way, they can't chain saw it" What chain ?? ahahahahaaaaaaaaaa
Yes, you are correct, but most burglars are not that sophisticated. If someone is going to bring one of those to the party, then they are going to get into whatever you have regardless of what you put into the roof. If you build something to withstand a cutoff saw, then they will bring a chain and hook and rip a big hole out the side of your wall using using the bars in your window. If you build something that will prevent that, then they will use explosives. Guess you need to risk assess how determined your burglars are going to be when they burgle you.
Expanded metal and/or hog wire covered in stucko or concrete should definatly slow down the average 'homie' considerabley. A couple of points above are good to keep in mind though. The more OBVIOUS security you put on it the more of a neon sign it is that you have something of value that thieves would want and, nothing you can do will keep a determined thief with unlimited time out so all you can do is make it hard for them to get in in less time than they would be likely to have.
Red Iron I beam post in each corner of the room. Then span each corner to the next corner. Then span the ceiling across the room from one side to the other one foot apart. Or you could pour that on top of those . cost is the only thing holding you back.
while it is true that nothing is burglar proof, every measure taken to make it more difficult and time consuming puts you ahead of the game. I have past experience with a gang of bandits that operated around Knoxville several years ago that was known as the hole in the wall gang because they used an electric chainsaw and an exterior outlet to saw their way through the side of a house to circumvent the alarms. Brick homes were sawn through the roofs to gain access. When asked what kind of wine do you serve with that, Justi Wilson used to reply "What kind of wine do you got?" my point is that most burgulars are lazy thieving bastards that steal out of opportunity and not career minded individuals that drive a step-van with drills, explosives, cut-off saws, etc. to sucessfully complete their endevors. If given the choice between breaking into my house and my neighbors house, it would be an easy choice. Take the wood house and leave the brick one with the Brinks signs alone. Those rose bushes under the windows will be painfull while trying to wield a cut-off saw on the bars and that dog chewing on you leg might slow you down a bit too. The motion sensor floodlights (solar) might have drawn attention from someone and the "Kill em all and let God sort them out" bumpersticker might give you a clue as to the temperment of the owner. The object is not make it impossible to steal my firearms, but to make them work for it. If they wanted to work, they would probably have a job.
Here's a few links for your reading. Good thing I'm not a criminal because I can't think of any type of safe, saferoom and/or vault that I couldn't breech within minutes of entry into your home, unless of course I can't find the room, vault and/or safe. No need for a gas powered saw that will cut through steel, when you could use a small portable oxy/acetylene torch and/or some battery operated power tools. http://www.hiddensafes.com/large.htm http://pervivere.blogspot.com/2005/09/holly-shelf-unit-batman.html http://www.cafepress.com/hiddendoorplans.25046310 http://www.cafepress.com/hiddendoorplans http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/
Just a word to point to something that you may miss. You want to put in that fake bookcase. Do not use fake or hollowed-out books I'm a 'reader', I just don't look at the pictures. When I walk into a room with a book case, I can tell if there are real books from fake ones. And hollowed-out books are a tell-tale unto themselves. As far as getting a book case and making it fake, well there is a good shelf system that they sell at Wallyworld made of entirely 50 lbs of press crap. You can find some that stand about 8 feet tall. Stack that with real books and it is quite heavy. So let's say you have a gun safe. You can imbed this in your wall and place a panel door over it to disguise it as a regular wall. Place the bookcase in front of it and you have a concealed spot. The bookcase is discouraging enough in weight to search behind it, then you have the 'find the hole' game. Too much time for random looters and those who know it's there will be there a minute or two trying to move everything to get to your stuff. However two things. If you need to get to your weapons in a hurry, you can grab the top of the shelf and simply throw it forward. Admittedly this will crush most coffee tables and make a mess though it is easier than moving the thing, unless you have a dolly disguised as a house plant. Another thing that most people do not take into account on 'swing-out' doors is the fact that most swing doors will leave a scuff mark where they swing. If it is completely on the floor you will have a line showing a mark. If you have carpet, the carpet will be marked in just the same way. If it is off the floor by a couple of inches, then the hinge sections of the wall will show wear. Now, if you don't want a mess by tipping the case over, you can easily mount some wheels underneath it and find some way to lock them down so that when pushed against the case doesn't roll away. Or you can just put your shoulder into it in a real emergency to slide it over to get to your door. Though that takes the fun out of the mess. Haha. As far as hiding your weapons, has anyone thought of doing a floor safe? Top loading vault that is accessible through a trapdoor hidden under a throw rug which is setting under the coffee table? There are many ways to hide something, though remember locks and such devices only work for honest people. Hidden in plain sight is a good way to go also. Sometimes people can't see the forest for the trees. Know what I mean? Have fun and good safing.
Have you seen the new "bumpkey" thing criminals are using? The more expensive the lock the easier they get through it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uv45y6vkcQ&search=bump key Scary stuff.
Just watched that vid earlier pretty interesting. You can get bump keys on Ebay.... <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7Uv45y6vkcQ"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7Uv45y6vkcQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
IMHO, Divide the garage into 1/4's. Let the exposed 3/4's as your "Gun Room" with old beaters and de-milled wall hangers. They want guns, give them guns. The other 1/4 (should be a side wall instead of the end wall(Gee does this garage look short?) and do the swing away cabinet idea or a floor to ceiling tool bench with a pegboard tool holder...on wheels. If you want, buy 2-3-4 of the upper end Stack-on gun safes to keep your guns in behind the wall. They will work like hell to get in, so just give it to them. Then they'll leave. Beside, your room is only as safe as how many people know about it. Right now, a few thousand know. If one was so inclined one could get your ISP, your billing addy and after that your street addy. Sorry Bro, if the ceiling is sheet rock I can enter thru the kitchen with a drywall hand saw, travel thru the rafters until I'm over the area that has the bitchin' door with all of the locks and kick the sheet rock down and get inside. To get out I'd remove the door hinge pins from the inside and remove the door with my loot. You might add armor plate steel(it's out there for sale) and close off the windows and doors or brick them up but you must hide the mother of all doors from the inside(another cabinet?) Luck.
