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You have many valuables in your garage, including vehicles, tools, and sports equipment. A garage may also offer an entryway into your home. Unfortunately, residential garages are often weak spots in terms of security.
Follow the tips below to ensure that your garage is burglar-proof.
Prevent Fishing via Emergency Release
Pulling down an emergency release will unlock your garage door and make it possible for a burglar to open it without using electricity. In some cases, intruders use hooks to pull down the release from outside your garage. Prevent this from happening by fastening the release to the motor track. This will give you a more secure garage door.
Don’t Unnecessarily Keep Your Garage Door Open
If you are working in your garden or washing your car, don’t leave your garage door open. Experienced thieves will have no problem sneaking in and out behind your back. Many people think that their presence is a deterrent to theft, but if you are listening to music and paying attention to something else, you may just as well not be there.
Reinforce the Service Door
A service door provides access to your garage from the outside, and can potentially be one of your garage’s weak spots. The security of this door should ideally match that of your front door, especially if it is located at the back of your garage.
Lock the Entry Door
The entry door is the one that provides access to the rest of your house from the garage. Keeping this door locked when you are away (or sleeping) will prevent burglars from coming into your home after they have broken into your garage.
Cover Your Garage Windows
Burglars look through garage windows to find out if there are enough valuables to make a break-in worth their while. They also look for vehicles to find out if anyone is home. To reduce the risk of a burglary, cover your garage windows with curtains or blinds, or apply a frosted window film.
Add Lighting (Motion Detection Lights)
Dark areas around your garage are ideal lurking spots for burglars who are waiting for an opportunity to enter your home. Motion-activated exterior lighting will illuminate the area around your garage and keep burglars away.
Don’t Keep the Garage Door Opener Remote in Your Car
Many people make the mistake of leaving their garage door opener remotes in their vehicles. If someone breaks into your car, they can use the garage door opener remote to access your garage. Attach your remote to your keychain and keep it with you at all times.
Install a High-Security Garage Opener
The codes of older garage door openers are easier to access with scanners than modern ones. Smart garage door openers that work with smartphone apps provide the most optimal security and control.
Lock the Overhead Door
Some kind of garage door security lock is essential. Lock your garage door when you go to bed or leave your home for a long time, for example, when you go on vacation. Most doors that open and close manually are fitted with locks. If you have an automatic garage door opener, you can install a padlock by clamping it over one of the garage door tracks.
Install an Alarm
Some homeowners don’t think it necessary for their alarms systems to cover their garage. An alarm system in your garage is one of your first lines of defense against break-ins and theft.
Install Garage Doors Made out of Secure Materials
If your garage doors are deteriorating, your garage is more susceptible to break-ins. Garage doors made of fragile materials are easier to break open, or gaps may form that allows access to the release lever.
Keep a Radio On
Burglars don’t want to run into someone while they are breaking into a home. Keeping a radio on in your garage will create the impression that there are people inside and reduce the risk of a burglary.
Install a Peephole in the Door
Installing peepholes will make it possible for you to see what is going on inside your garage whenever you hear a noise. Entering your garage when your alarm is triggered can be unsafe and will provide access to the rest of your home.
Maintenance of Mechanical Parts
Over time, the mechanical components of your garage door will disintegrate, which will make it easier for someone to open it from the outside. To ensure that your garage doors are in the best possible condition, carry out regular maintenance on the parts, and replace them when they near the end of their functional lifespan.
Avoid Keeping Valuables in Your Garage or Vehicles
Your garage is more susceptible to break-ins that the rest of your house. Keep valuable items in your home to prevent them from being stolen. Keeping tools and other items neatly organized in your garage will also prevent someone from taking a valuable item without you noticing.
Be a Vigilant Neighbor
Vigilance is crucial to prevent break-ins. You should always be on the lookout for suspicious activity around your home and neighborhood. Maintaining communication with your neighbors can also be effective in preventing burglaries and other forms of crime in your area.
Lock Up Your Tools
If a burglar gains entry to your garage, you can minimize your damage by keeping your tools locked up in durable cabinets that are bolted to a wall.
Use a Manual Latch
A manual latch provides you with additional security when someone tries to open your garage door. When the emergency release is pulled, the garage door can move independently from the motor’s crank. A manual latch prevents this from happening.
Turn Off the Power
Automatic garage doors use electricity to open and close. If you are going on vacation or leaving for a long time, switch off the power to your garage door. If someone has your garage door’s access code, they will not be able to use it to break into your garage.
Install a Smart Garage Door Opener
Many people forget their garage door is open when they go to work, which leaves their home vulnerable to burglars. An automatic door closer will close the garage door after a pre-set time and eliminate the security risk.
Conclusion
The garage is typically more vulnerable to burglaries than the rest of the house. By following these tips you can protect your belongings, prevent unwanted entry into your garage and home, and keep your family safe.
