A few years ago a Home Owners Association (HOA) I work for purchased a $6,000.00 pressure washer for cleaning their own side-walks and driveways. The pressure washer with it’s own water tank fit on a trailer and could easily be hitched to a car and towed to the job. The HOA was worried someone would hitch the trailer to a car and steal the unit as soon as no-one was looking. My job was to secure the garage where the pressure washer would be stored over night. I chose locks which had patent-protected keys so duplicate keys could not be made without someone’s knowledge. The locks were also pick resistant and drill resistant.

The challenge was securing the overhead door. In the past the only option for more security was to drill a hole through the roller track and insert a padlock through the hole blocking the door from lifting. Although this method is still effective, the padlock is often exposed to bolt cutters. I researched the locks available for overhead doors and discovered the Major “Garageblok.” The lock uses a hardened steel bolt, protective hardened sleeves and a protective padlock shield. The lock is made up of a, “tough armored 2 ¼ lb 3/16 inch steel housing, plated in zinc chromate.” The lock can be locked in the open or closed position. The Major “Garageblok” is handed for the right side or left side of the door. I locked both sides of the garage door for maximum security.

I reinforced the entry door with a wrap-a-round plate, steel strike box and Mul-T-Lock deadbolt. For convenience all three locks were opened with the same key.