Garage Shield vs $10 DIY - 6 Second Garage Break-In Protection 

A Pool Noodle on the rope ($1.25 or less) can both protect your car & garage... while leaving indoor function unchanged. Combine that with the Zip-Tie and it may be pretty effective... it would be nice to see it tested (on here) at least.

you might want to remove the knob at the bottom of the rope. If the bad guy can't get to the actual mechanism, he can hook on to the rope and use the knob as leverage a pull down the rope. It's much harder to do if the knob is gone and there is no knot in the bottom of the rope. You can still walk up and grab the rope and pull it down if you need to open the door manually.

I replaced the pull rope with a 20" section of broom handle. I pre-drilled a hole on one end and screwed in an open J hook, then tightened a hose clamp around it for strength and durability. When it's not in use I hang it on the top hole of the bracket that connects to the garage door. It's quick and easy to move it over to the release lever, and it works perfectly. As a bonus, it's very easy to push up on the broom handle to reengage the release lever after it's been used.

Filip@OutlawCRS, Just passing by and I agree to secure not only one's property but one's safety. As for a garage door fix I want you to know this genius idea circulating that you only need to add this one low cost item to realise and do all of this. Anyone can do this because it is simpler than simple. ☑ cut an intact pool noodle the length of the hanging cord, ☑ remove the handle and pass the cord through the noodle, ☑ install handle at other end. regards from Montréal 🇨🇦

Nice idea ! I’m a 70 yr old stroke victim, I think I can handle that. Thank You Very Much ! !

I think that is a great solution. I have seen other devices or wood being drilled to door, etc and don't like it. This is a great idea and while some people have said that the cord is too long I disagree. As long as it is below the opening where a thief would nudge it open making it not visible from that angle is sufficient. Fantastic idea

Ask yourself: How often does the power go out that you would need to open the garage door manually. If rarely, just cut the cord and be done with it. Leave a small piece attached so you can easily find the latch. Make sure you you have a step ladder in the garage and you're done. No reason to make a project out of this - especially when the other methods may not be as secure.

One of the best ideas so far thank you! Instead of the tiny hook though I am going to use a magnet and a couple of nuts on the cord positioned by a knot. Thanks again for the video

Great video! Another idea might be to untie the cord from the rail, tie a carabiner to the now loose end, and store it close to the door going inside. That way, it can't be used to break into the garage, but it's easily accessible in case of an outage.

You can also booby trap a fake pull rope in front your build. Just rig it to a personal alarm (the kind you pull a lanyard). The noise should be enough to make them run. And it a lot safer compare to rigging it to a 12ga shotgun as they do in the cartoons.

Happy New Year, and thank you for sharing your project. I appreciate learning about cost effective DYI solutions. My version ended up costing about $15 in parts, mainly because the hardware store only had a 5-foot PVC pipe on hand, but hey I have enough to make another one someday. Mine isn't as aesthetically pleasing as yours, and it was really hard work cutting the pipe with a hacksaw, but it's installed and it does the job. Good excuse to invest in a Dremel tool!

Thanks for the inspiration! I have an early 2000's Genie garage door and I was shocked at how easy it was to release the door using the pull cord. Zero effort required. I was going away for the weekend and didn't have a lot of time to fab something. I used a zip tie fed through the eye of the release lever and into the carriage. It took me a few tries to find a zip tie that broke with the right amount of force. That would keep a bad guy from hooking the catch and releasing the door but it wouldn't keep them from pulling the rope through the top of the door and yanking down hard enough to break the zip tie and open the garage door. I had to shield the cord to eliminate this weak spot. I had some 2"abs pipe that I cut just a bit shorter than my cord. I drilled within a half inch of one end of the pipe through the center and also cut a 3/4" x 1" slot at the same end. I slipped this over the cord up to the carrier and zip tied the pipe using a stronger zip tie through the same hole in the carrier that I had zip tied the release lever to. I didn't try to open it yet but I believe it will do the job. Thanks again.

Thanks for sharing, that is a neat solution

Brilliant. Thanks for this.

New subscriber. Excellent, thank you. Weekend project :)

I appreciate the great effort you made on your video. Too bad that almost all of your comments were nothing but know it alls. You did a great job!!

I removed the entire rope. I bought the metal lock from Home Depot and mounted it. If I go anywhere for a few days, I put the metal lock on. If I am around or just going to town, there is no rope to grab. I have a ladder in the garage so replacing the rope is no problem. You can shorten that rope so it cant be pulled to the other side of the door also. It doesn't take much to deter criminials. Good video. I gave it a big thumbs up.

I regularly need to unlatch the garage door because the sun interferes with the sensors when closing the door. I’ve been searching for a solution that doesn’t involve zip ties and i think this is just what i needed. Cool idea.

Excellent video

Nice! I’ll recommend this to my friends and I’ll make a couple up for me.

Definitely a better solution than the one's I've seen for sale online, but at the end of the day it still doesn't make your garage door truly secure. Criminals don't always go with the stealth techniques like fishing for the cord (stealth because they can back a van up near the door as if they were working at your home, and then use the wire trick to uncouple the door from the opener). People in many parts of the country prefer a smash and grab technique, similar to what they do when robbing a jewelry store. Insert a long pry bar under the door and force it to the point it breaks the mechanism for instance. If you want something more secure, get an automatic deadbolt for the garage door. It still won't stop the crooks who just ram the door with a car or truck, but it will stop all those kids who watch videos all day and see the ones showing how to easily defeat the emergency release system.

Nice idea

Thanks, for your good video.

Thank you

Nice! Thanks

I like the general idea. I wonder if it would be improved by heating the pie to soften it so that it can be compressed into an oval. Do this before cutting it. That may mean that you can use a smaller diameter pipe for the device. I may just give it a go. Thanks for sharing.

This is Great! I'd add some velcro to the rope ... So if needed it'll pull away from the pipe and easily be put back.

Wow, I didn't even know this was a thing!

Great video. My wonderful neighbors moved. New neighbors don't look so wonderful, thus, my interest in these videos.

This is a great idea for an attached garage. A pool noodle is also a great idea as it is next to impossible to pull it hard enough to release the door and it can't be pulled through the top seal of the door either. However, if one has a detached garage then simply remove the pull rope so no one can use it to break in.

I’ve never once heard of anybody opening a door this way here.

Agreed with other commenters, this is a must. Great DIY.

I had a hard time finding the angle brackets in stock. Home Depot offers several options, but I'd have to place an order. Most hardware stores will sell some kind of perforated steel strap that you can make brackets from though. You might have to look in the plumbing department - it's sometimes used to anchor pipes to walls or floor joists.

that is a beautiful monstrosity! :-)

I use wide-mouth vice-grip pliers from Harbor Freight on each track ( L & R ) just above a wheel. It ain't goin' anywhere. Also, you can buy a sliding bolt type of lock at Home Depot which mounts on the door, and slides into a knock-out hole in the track. Both sides, if you want.

I just shortened my rope, so its not long enough to go out the door for them to pull. But sitll long enough for an adult to reach and pull down

I'll tell you what I do that's cheap and easy. I use a trailer hitch pin lock and run it through the side rail of the garage door. This makes it totally impossible to lift the door even if the garage door release is disengaged. It's quck and easy to remove the lock from inside the garage if you have the key. This also keep stolen garage door openers from being able to open the door.

I went a pool noodle and removing the knob. Total cost $1.00 already had zip ties and no special tools required. I also use clamps through the railings if I’m going out of town.

I just taped the pull cord to the arm. What am I missing?

Hello. Your DIY method is an outstanding idea! I'm a plug n' play type of person. Therefore, I'm very interested in buying one of these from you, as I don't have the ability to create it myself. So, if I were to provide you with photos and measurements of my J-bar, how much would you charge to sell one of your emergency release locks? Do you have a platform where I can speak with you privately?

Is there any clear item you can put over the inside garage remote when you use your inside sliding lock on the garage door to prevent you from hitting garage remote opening until you slide the medal lock from your inside garage door to prevent any damage. I hope I typed this right. The reason I’m asking this my friend closed the medal inside garagHeavy Duty Inside Deadlocke medal lock on the garage. She forgot she locked the medal sliding lock and hit the inside remote to open the garage door with the sliding medal lock on the garage. Well it got damaged when she tried to open the garage up using the inside remote and the Heavy Duty Inside Deadlock was still locked. Is the any clear cover you can put on the inside remote to remind you the Heavy Duty Inside Deadlock is on to slide it back before opening the remote for the garage. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Cindy

If you want to keep a long cord, get a rubber band, make a loop in the cord and bundle the loop with the rubber band. Then when you grab the end the rope will pull out of the rubber band.

you could rivet a plasitc extension over the shield going further down the arm of the release.

Piece of plywood and a $1.50 U-Bolt. Cut plywood to size, drill two holes, mount plywood shield on arm. Done!

Great design, PVC cost has gone through the roof so it's no longer $10. But, as you said, building some for your neighbors is very neighborly and if they all pitch in for the total cost goes down. 4" x 20', Schedule 40 is $145.00/2' is 10 devices is around $15 each. Now you just have to find 10 neighbors to pitch in.

Pool noodle over the rope, works the same and is far simpler/cheaper, saw on another YT channel.

I’ve seen thieves just drill a couple of holes in the panel. I assume they put a wire in one and looked through the other. Garage doors aren’t very tough metal. I bet it would only take a few seconds to drill 2 holes. If you really want a more secure garage door, get a Jack shaft opener. It connects to the side of the door and has a track deadbolt. They should make that electric deadbolt available for all openers.

A side lift door opener ( jaçk shaft opener) and automatic electric slide locks are much more secure than the overhead door opener, liftmaster makes both opener types.

You can also use a pool noodle around the release string.

I drill a hole in the side of the rail close to the roller and install a nut and bolt. The door would only go up about 1/8” if the cord was pulled.😮

7:50 it reminds me of the gap in ancient helmets where the face is visible. call it the armor access gap

Nice design, though needs updating due to now-common practice of drilling hole through upper portion of garage doors to fish release cord. So any cord left exposed below your shield is subject to being grabbed

If i don't have a garage on house cant lock how can i attach a lock on stop robbing my TV's & process board s

Or even simpler, just a much shorter pull rope (10cm) with a about 5cm diameter rubber O-Ring on the end, and a length of dowel with a hook on the end hanging from a cup hook screwed into the door frame. If a person is trying to catch the rope, they’ll just slide off the end, with no feeling of having snagged anything.

Why why why why. Nothing like that works. The safety is when u get caught in the door when its closing or opening the catch releases. Just pull in the door and it will pop the safety. And its open. Only thing that works are the metal pins that slide thought the door into the wall or side structure

I really like this solution, in comparison with others. Please, What do you, or anyone else can suggest me? I have a garage door with windows in the top of the door. The burglar can see the cord and the guard through the window. The only option I can I see for me is eliminating the cord and keeping a metal hook somewhere in the garage, just for any situation. Thanks in advance!!!

My cord is cut to 18” and I removed the tee handle. $0

Another tip: A heat gun will let you fine tune the shape of your diy shield.

Yeah, $10 if you dont already have the tools. Regardless, great video!! Informative and well thought out. Thank you for your time to help everyone out with this!!

Nice idea, but why not just use the clear 2-liter bottle you started with? The bottle would act the same as the more expensive PVC pipe and could be cut with an ordinary scissors or knife. It would also be less obtrusive with no need to paint.

Buy a small c-clamp and use it to form a protective shroud around the mechanism. $2

Too convoluted a solution. Just get a 1 inch dia pvc pipe however long. Untie to cord. Thread it through the pvc 1 inch pipe and re-tie it to the mechanism, last, untie and remove the bottom handle and instead tie a flat metal washer on. There is nothing for thieves to grab with a wire hook. No fancy cuts, bolts, etc. Total cost about $2.

I just put a large pool noodle around the rope. Then the handle cannot be grabbed at all. Just measure the length you need and add a slit for the rope. Takes less than 5 minutes!

Also, wouldn’t it just be better to get a deadbolt lock that overrides the safety exploit in the first place since it locks the rail itself?

Just run the pull rope through a 1/2 inch pipe PVC or copper so long as it is the full length of the rope with the knob on and it is rigid. The objective is to prevent the rope from being pulled outside over the top of the door. $5 bucks done.

Hook up a bare 220 line that sits right in front of the cord

The new thing crooks are doing, which is easier than the coat hanger is drilling a hole right through the door. They drilled a 5 inch hole right through the door and reached their whole arm through to pull the cord. We live on a busy street so it is hard to hear the noise of a drill. The only thing that will actually help with this, is a remote controllable automated deadbolt that stops the track. If you keep anything valuable in your garage, it is just too easy to pull the emergency release.

The bad guys actually go for the pull rope knob, it's easier for them. You need to remove it.

It came after me and came in the kitchen and almost in the bedroom

I had something happen on the garage the spring came off and almost got me

You can solve this problem without spending a dime. Remove the string handle and wire the lock shut. Thread a twistable wire through the string handle hole and a hole in the traveler. Just make sure your wire can't be grabbed by a coat hanger.

I just install a garage door rail lock.

*Is there a timestamp of DEMONSTRATIONS because I don't need the rest of the stuff*

LMAO. I shortened my rope to 8" took about 2 minutes.

If you reinforce the garage door so it won't open... great... but did you reinforce the window and the man door? You're simply just trying to annoy and slow the person down enough to makem say enough of that and move to the next house unfortunately.

Just simply cut a hole in the door for easy access. Doors are thin Gauge metal. It Only takes a few seconds.

i just cut my pull cord in half, no kids in the house, and i rarely use it. so dyi cost me $0 :)

I replaced my rope with a removable hd wire hook.

There's a much simpler solution. Just put two or three good quality nylon ties into the holes above the lever, that's what they're there for. Make sure they're not el cheapo ties, or they'll just break..

Call me crazy but you would look sick with a fade on your back and sides of your head leaving hair on top and keeping that beard. Just a random side thought

zip tie

Pool noodle is almost as cheap as untying the top at the end of the rope

Just remove the cord. Reinstall it when you need to use it Simple.

This does nothing. When I was broken into, thieves removed pin at connection to door and were in the garage in 2 seconds.

I just cut the cord shorter.

Are used a cheap double barrel 12 gauge shotgun that I got from the pawnshop. I have it mounted so that if I don’t disable it as I open the door, it fires two rounds of 00 buckshot through the door and through the intruder.

1 min garage security fix (we did this!) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mE6A14-k3J4.html

I just removed the rope

or a smart person would just shorten the cord so its cant be pulled out the front-----DER

I am a thief. the door still easily defeated. all I have to do is lift the door up enough to get my hand under. and then I easily pop the wheels off the track. and I'm in

Anyone else find his user ID "Outlaw" ironic?

Just remove the rope. I have only needed to use it a couple times in my life. I will just re-attach it if I need it.

Not dangerous to not have you can exit through the man door

i use a pool noodle.

Why are all these posts telling people how to break in a garage?

I get a big kick out of these videos. Just remove the rope. And if you want to be even more secure add a zip tie so the latch can't be pulled. In 40 years of home ownership I have never once needed to pull the rope. If I had to, cut the zip tie and pull the latch. My rope now has a small carabiner and is clipped in a hole at the end of the track in case someday it's needed

Pair of Visegrip Pliers clamped to track, next to a roller .... door cannot be moved, easy to unclamp in an emergency, easy, very effective 👌 look no further 😀

Could just cut the cord. Free.

Come up with something your average person can do that doesn't have all of that ability. Or tools

Y du u taak like a rObOt hiiihiiheehehh🐷🐖😆😆