Ground floor condo security....

[I-Hate-Hulse]

So against my better opinion (sigh...), the g/f has decided to buy a condo on the ground floor in the Beltline. What's worse is her patio door is in close proximity to the main door and does not have much in the way of fencing and shrubbery to discourage people from walking right up to the patio door. There are also two windows facing the main street. The patio door is ancient, I'd say 30 years old, and is your typicaly sliding door thing. A blocker bar is in place to reinforce the main "lock".

Adding bars would not likely fly with either the condo board or the g/f so I think that's out. Does anyone have ideas on how to secure the patio door and windows for 1) when they're open and 2) When they're closed?

[ken0042]

I have a sliding patio door on my house. I went to Home Depot and got a piece of 1X2, you may be able to use 2X2 if it will fit in the tracks. I cut one piece so it will not allow the door to move at all, then cut another 3 inches shorter, so I can have the door open a bit to let air in, but still be secure.

[Cheese]

Its tuff to do anything with the old doors hulsey....the 2x4 on the floor is probably the best unless you want electronics involved.
In that case you could put a local alarm on the door that is monitored via a door contact. That contact could be wired to a local alarm to let you know if someone jimmies the door open or not....it would have to have a selectable on/off switch so you could shut it off while you are using it. That type of system could also be tied into an outside alarm monitoring company who would monitor the system while you are out.
The outside sources would probably put the system in for outside monitoring at no charge if you pay a monthly fee for 2 years or more at 20-30 bucks a month.

[kermitology]

In my condo in Victoria we use pieces of dowling.. easy to cut and the door doesn't budge. It's also less seen than a 2x4.

[Incinerator]

What Cheese said, I have the same thing on my patio door even though I'm on the 4th floor. It's about $20 from Crappy Tire and just sticks onto your door and door frame, easy to use, the battery lasts 2 years on average.

[Clarkey]

Well, as a visual deterrent you should get some alarm company signs and display them prominantly. Find a friend who has an alarm system and scan the signs and print them.

[habernac]

or buy a large Rottweiler and name it "Cannibal".

[Flames_Gimp]

there is a lock you can get, it is a titanium pin, you drill a hole through the bottom of the door, through the track(not through to the outside), then you just slide the pin in to lock. thats what we've always used.

but ya, a stick in the track works...

[Flashpoint]

"Beware of Dog" sign and a big plastic water dish.

Very ghetto, I know, but also very effective.

[Resolute 14]

This is the exact reason why I will never rent or buy a place on the ground floor.

A broken hockey stick also works to prevent people from opening the doors from outside.

[4X4]

I recommend trying to get the door off the track before being satisfied with any sort of wooden solution. The sliding door at my buddy's place can be opened when locked simply by planting a hand on the middle of the glass, and hooking a finger in the handle, and up she goes. Then just shove it over a bit (over top of the stick) climb inside, get it back off the stick & clean the freakin window before his mom sees. (actually, this was in high school, so pretend I wrote it all in the past tence)

The way to avoid this was to use a thicker stick. It you do use a thicker stick, make sure you put a groove in it to keep it on the track, otherwise, 15 seconds of jiggling will knock it right off the track.


Someone else mentioned the lock on the back of the door. It works for keeping criminals of opportunity out, but it won't stop someone dead set on getting in. Come to think of it, nothing will, but thats another thought. But the reason why that doesn't work well is because the pin isn't all that long, plus, the leverage you get by reefing on a big door with a little thing on the bottom corner (attached by a couple of screws) is just not proportional. Maybe with two of them (top and bottom).


I'd be pushing for a security system (along with some of these other solutions). Calgary is a great place, but after living downtown for 5 years, I know that I wouldn't want to live in a main floor place, let alone my girlfriend (by herself?). A house would be one thing (see: the rottweiler solution) but a condo is sure to have bylaws against that form of security. The next best thing is an electronic rottweiler.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Wow, thanks for the input everyone! I've called a locksmith and the patio pin sounds good - apparently it can have both a locked and unlocked position so at least it can be cracked open while still providing a degree of security. The hockey sticks / dowls do the same thing but I guess the pin also guards against lifting the doors out of the track.

Incinerator - do you remember what this alarm thing is actually called, and what aisle you found it in?

Oh believe me, if it was up to me there'd no way I'd go ground floor in the Beltline but I think all the guys in relationships here will attest to how a girl earning her own money pretty much does whatever she wants to, despite ahem... advice that is offered! You gotta pick your battles.....

Thanks all!

[killer_carlson]

well I used to live in a ground floor condo and I sat/still sit on the Board. There was something of a peeping tom issue in our complex as well a few years back. Here are my thoughts.

#1: Write a letter to the Board and state that you want the shrubs trimmed/removed AND a light installed. State that this is for a safety reason. By doing it in writing the Board will have to respond one way or the other to the issue and record their response in writing. When it comes to safety issues our Board responds only 1 way, and that is to do whatever we have to (within our budgets) to make it safe for our residents. It is stupid not to. If, on the slight chance, the Board does not respond the way you like, write a follow up letter and state that you want this safety issue listed as part of the agenda at the next AGM. Then the Board will have to respond in a court of public opinion why they would not trim some trees so that one of the residents would feel safer. Ask the Board why they won't do something to discourage a peeping tom.

Remember: Write the letter - don't phone. When it is in writing there is a record of the request and then there will be a record of the response. Telephone conversations can be misconstrued later on.

#2: Consider going to the Board and asking to install some sort of film on the window at your expense. Chances are that the windows, the slider doors, and their maintenance and replacement are on the condo board's money. If you wanted to install a film it would have to be on the express understanding that it be at your dollar and at the specifications given to you by the Board. When I say film, I mean a product similiar to a type of tinting material. Chances are good the Board will want to choose the colour to maintain the building envelope (ie, clear). There are films available on the market that make the glass shatter but not break. If someone wanted to get through, you'd be making it very difficult for them to do it, and it would take a lot of work for them to try it. If you do choose this option, be sure to put a sticker on the window, facing outside, indicating that there is a security film on the window to prevent the window being smashed for a break-in.

#3: A door stop on the top and the bottom of the door as have been indicated above. There are some good tips in this thread on this issue (size of wood, groove in the wood). Put one at the top in some sort of bracket as well.

#4: If the door can be popped out of place while locked, then this is another issue to be addressed to the Board in writing. This is a building design flaw and the doors were installed backwards. One solution is to re-do all the doors (something to be addressed when the doors are replaced as part of the reserve fund plan). Another cheaper solution is to install a metal strip on the outside of the window along the top. It would have to be several inches thick. If done right, and in the right circumstances, it should prevent the door from being lifted and twisted. If you wanted to remove the door, you would have to get out the drill and unscrew this metal strip. It depends upon the exact circumstances of the door and condo however (so don't quote me on that one).

#5: A light. As I said in #1, a light that shines down on your patio area is a very effective tool to prevent prowlers. Better visibility of the crook is a good deterrent and will hopefully move the person along to the next building instead.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by fotze@Aug 15 2005, 04:00 PM
Just stage a home invasion robbery through the patio door, you get your way in no time.

Geeze Fotze, if we escalate to this, what should I do about the usual toilet seat up down debate then?

[Cube Inmate]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse+Aug 15 2005, 04:36 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (I-Hate-Hulse @ Aug 15 2005, 04:36 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-fotze@Aug 15 2005, 04:00 PM
Just stage a home invasion robbery through the patio door, you get your way in no time.

Geeze Fotze, if we escalate to this, what should I do about the usual toilet seat up down debate then? [/b][/quote]
Pee on the seat...

Jeez

[Shawnski]

Just put a lifesize poster of this on your g/f's balcony door... NO ONE will bother her....

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by fotze+Aug 15 2005, 10:00 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotze @ Aug 15 2005, 10:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-I-Hate-Hulse@Aug 15 2005, 03:47 PM
Wow, thanks for the input everyone! I've called a locksmith and the patio pin sounds good - apparently it can have both a locked and unlocked position so at least it can be cracked open while still providing a degree of security. The hockey sticks / dowls do the same thing but I guess the pin also guards against lifting the doors out of the track.

Incinerator - do you remember what this alarm thing is actually called, and what aisle you found it in?

Oh believe me, if it was up to me there'd no way I'd go ground floor in the Beltline but I think all the guys in relationships here will attest to how a girl earning her own money pretty much does whatever she wants to, despite ahem... advice that is offered! You gotta pick your battles.....

Thanks all!

Just stage a home invasion robbery through the patio door, you get your way in no time. [/b][/quote]
Yeah and fotze would be the man you want to carry this out



IHH:

This is the one I have (you will need to put in your (or any) postal code to see)


And this page has a few more to pick from if the one above doesn't suit your taste.