Guest Blogger: Justin White
The key to protecting your home from a break-in is finding the weak points where potential thieves could gain easy access. Prevent that access and you will protect your home.
Your garage door is one of the biggest weaknesses in your home’s security. While they may seem solid to most homeowners, a savvy thief knows how to easily bypass most garage doors. So what can you do to prevent this? Here are some garage door security tips.
Think About the Remote
Your remote is like the key to your house. It gives a thief instant access to your home, with no challenge. Because of this, be careful where you store it.
Many homeowners keep their garage door remote in their cars. This seems like the most convenient spot, as you will be in your car when you are accessing your garage door — yet cars are easy targets for thieves. If the thief knows where you live and breaks into your car, you have given him an open invitation to rob your home. Even if the thief doesn’t know where you live, if you have “home” programmed into your GPS, he can figure it out right away.
Instead, keep your garage door opener in your purse, pocket or briefcase. If you must keep it in your car, choose a locked storage compartment.
Another option is to invest in a key chain remote opener. This is easier to keep with you and harder for someone to steal.
Lock the Door
Keep your door locked, and not just your garage door. Make sure the door between your house and garage are also locked. Even with the best possible security measures in place, your garage door is vulnerable. If your garage door can be locked and you will be away from home for an extended period, lock the garage door as well.
Many homeowners have a door between their garage and their home that is less than secure. This door needs to be strong, kick-resistant and fitted with a deadbolt. As you are making your door more secure, consider installing a peephole. This will give you a visual of the interior of the garage should you hear something unusual, without forcing you to open the door and give someone access.
Don’t Provide Visual Access
As you consider ways to keep your garage door secure, make sure you provide no visual access to what is inside. Never leave your home with your garage door opened. Even if you are just going around the block with the dog for a walk, close the door. It only takes a moment for a thief to enter your garage and take off with something valuable or, worse, enter your home through the garage. If your door has windows, consider frosting or tinting them to prevent access.
Lock the Disengaging Arm
Automatic garage door openers have handles that be pulled to allow access without the opener in the event that the opener breaks. These can be tripped with a simple coat hanger. To prevent this, use zip ties to connect the arm to the opener. In an emergency, you can break the zip ties with a strong yank, but the zip ties will prevent the door from being accessed by a thief.
Keep It Well Maintained
Your garage door is going to be at greater risk if it is not well maintained. Have it serviced annually and check all mechanical parts on a regular basis for signs of corrosion or other problems. Also, check the replaceable parts on the door from your garage to your home. Simple routine maintenance can help keep your garage door as strong as possible.
Install Motion Detector Lights
Install motion detector lights in front of your garage door. When a thief approaches and the lights switch on, it could cause them to leave, thinking you are home. Even if they know it’s a motion detector light, most thieves prefer to do their work under cover of darkness. This addition could add significant protection to your home.
Remember, as you seek to protect your home, you have to think like a criminal. What would a thief do to gain access to your home through your garage door? When you answer that question, take the preventative measures like these garage door security tips to keep your home and your family safe.
Author Bio:
Justin White has vast knowledge on all garage door products, including garage doors, garage door openers, and garage door operators. Mr. White is currently the Marketing Director for Mid-Atlantic Door Group, a leading distributor for Overhead Door Corp.
