10 Point Security Checklist – Guide On Boosting Your Garage Door Security

No one can fully comprehend the awful feeling of coming home after a break-in.  Your personal belongings are scattered across the floor, your treasures and memories are missing or destroyed but worst of all is the feeling that it could have happened while someone you cared for was home and now you think about how close you came to tragedy.  Most homeowners practice some common sense security like locking the doors, the windows and closing the curtains. Unfortunately one area of the house that is often overlooked is the garage. Garage door security levels are usually pretty low, therefore burglars prefer to take a first look here.

With such a large door in place, you’d think that break-ins through the garage would be a deterrent by itself, but you’d be wrong.  The garage can be surprisingly vulnerable when it comes to possible forced entry.  Following is a simple 10 point security checklist you can implement today to enhance your garage door security.

1. Consider the Obvious Vulnerabilities in Your Garage Door First

Starting with the basics of garage door security, this one should be common sense to anyone whenever away from home .  Make sure your garage door is closed.  There are some built-in devices that help prevent an unauthorized opening of your automatic garage door. Also there are even apps that can alert you to such openings.

2. For Thieves, it’s Always Fishing Season

Every automatic garage door has an emergency release lever. This is so that, in case of a power outage, you can still open the garage manually.  While newer models have designed these levers to be less resistant to burglary attempts, some older models can be vulnerable. They use a practice called ‘fishing’ in which inventive thieves can utilize wire hangars or some other kind tool to ‘fish’ the handle from a side window or crease between the door and wall.  Whichever model of opener you have you can often secure this linkage with a zip-tie to prevent this underhanded tactic.

3. A Well Lit and Monitored Area is Always a Better Deterrent

There are many kinds of motion activated flood lights you can mount outside of your garage. Couple this up with night time security cameras to help capture potential break-ins on film and most will back down.  Thieves want easy targets with poor lighting to cover their tracks.  If they see these measures in place, they’ll think twice before attempting anything.

4. Check and Reinforce External Doors

Most garages have a door that leads into the house as well as a side door that goes outside.  This side door is one you should pay particular attention to as it could be the first point of breaking-in.  You’ll want to properly reinforce it and install heavy duty locks to deter potential thieves.

5. Don’t Leave Your Remote In Your Car

If you park outside, you’ll want to bring your garage door opener remote in with you.  It’s simple enough for a burglar to break into your car and have access to your garage with the click of a button, so do yourself a favor and make it a habit to keep your clicker on you when you go inside for the night.

6. Tint or Frost Your Windows to Hide Potential Security Flaws

When burglars can see inside your home, it makes their job easier.  You can shut out any prying eyes with any number of tint films, from heat-trapping to frosted glass.  Don’t give thieves a chance to inventory your stuff.

7. Leave the Radio On to Make Them Think You’re Home

Another simple but effective technique to deter unsavory characters is to turn on a radio/small TV in the garage.  Most thieves prefer to be alone when they break in. Planting a seed of doubt into their head, they may conclude that your home isn’t worth getting caught, or worse.

8. Apps Can Help You Keep Track of Unwanted Visitors

Most people have some smartphone or tablet these days. It’s only natural that automatic garage door systems have incorporated this technology into their design.  With remote notifications and sensors, you can keep track of any unwanted garage door tampering while you’re away from home.

9. Lock Your Garage Door Down on Long Trips

May seem like mundane, but unplugging your garage door opener while you’re away on long trips is an effective deterrent.  For more reassurance, you can drill a hole into the tracks behind the rollers and install a padlock. This prevents the door from going anywhere while you’re gone.  Sometimes the most straightforward solutions are the most effective.

10. Consider What Materials You’re Using For Your Door

Solid steel or wooden garage doors are much harder to force open than thinner materials like aluminum.  Using sturdy components that can withstand harsh weather as well as forced entry is a worthwhile investment. You might want to look into this if you plan on upgrading your garage door.

Ran K. is an experienced handyman who’s been working for https://www.elitegaragelynnwood.us  for 10 years. When he’s not fixing garage doors, he likes to share his repairment ideas and knowledge with others.