Tips for Garage Security
Because many of us leave the door from the garage to the house unlocked from time to time, it’s crucial to learn how to secure your garage door properly. Locking your garage door may easily be one of the most important steps in securing your entire home. This guide highlights garage security tips to help you keep your home safe.
Importance of Garage Door Security
Garages often hold valuables in an area separate from the main living space, and that makes them vulnerable. Securing your garage door using reliable safety measures offers you as a homeowner a number of benefits, such as:
- Prevents authorized access: Securing your garage door creates a robust barrier against unauthorized access, effectively protecting your valuables from theft or vandalism.
- Enhances privacy: A secure garage door improves privacy as it prevents onlookers from peeking inside your garage and violating your space. It also discourages intruders from scouting your items.
- Improves home safety: Garage doors can be easy entry points for intruders who then find their way to other areas of your home. A robust door serves as an additional layer of defense, contributing to the overall security of your home.
How to Secure a Garage Door
One of the most straightforward ways to ensure that you’re practicing optimal garage door security is always remembering to lock the door behind you like any other exterior door in your home. You can also make sure it’s connected to the same alarm system you use throughout your house.
Learn how to secure a garage door with these additional security measures:
1. Secure the Emergency Cord
Pulling onto the emergency release cord or lever disengages a garage door from the garage door opener, allowing for manual operation. If you’re relying on your opener’s lock mechanism, anyone pulling on the release cord or lever from the outside can gain access by throwing the door into manual mode. You can prevent an intruder from reaching and tampering with the release cord or lever by zip-tying it.
2. Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener
Upgrading a garage door opener to a newer, more secure model is the easier way to ensure the security of your garage. Older openers that reuse access codes are vulnerable as tech-savvy intruders can capture these old codes using code scanning tools. Prevent this by investing in new opener models that use a rolling code system that generates a new code every time you press the remote button.
3. Integrate Smart Technology
New opener models have an inbuilt smart technology that allows you to control the door wherever you are through smart connectivity using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. These features let you operate and secure your garage door with a few taps. You can still take advantage of smart technologies even if you have an older opener model. Here are two options to try:
- Smart plug: A smart plug turns your traditional outlet into a smart outlet, allowing you to control whatever device is connected to the plug, including your garage door opener.
- Smart lock: A smart lock is a strong barrier that gives you complete control over how you access the door. You can use codes and biometrics, set auto-lock schedules, and even integrate the lock with home voice assistants.
4. Install Deadbolts
Knowing that openers can be vulnerable, it’s important to reinforce their security features with manual locks. Have a professional garage door service provider inspect and install deadbolts to keep the door secure. These are engaged from the inside at the end of the day when you no longer use the door.
Invest in a single-sided deadbolt. These locks are impossible to pick thanks to their solid plate on the outside. If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, a sliding bar lock like the Prime-Line Products GD 52118 Inside Deadlock is a good solution.
5. Invest in Alarm and Lighting
Alarms and lighting offer one of the most reliable ways to strengthen garage door security. Alarm systems are effective deterrents due to their loud sirens that alert anyone in the vicinity. You can combine an alarm with bright outdoor lighting or motion-sensing fixtures that flick on when they detect movement near the garage door.
6. Cover the Windows
Intruders are more likely to break into your garage if they have seen something of value inside. If your garage door has windows, you may want to cover them with temporary shades or replace clear glass with frosted. Obscuring your windows makes the contents of the garage and security measures inside a mystery, which discourages intruders.
How to Secure a Garage Door From the Outside
To ensure garage door security from the outside, simply secure the emergency garage door release. Most garage doors have an emergency release located on the inside of the door. With just a wire from outside the door, a burglar can activate the release and break in. To protect your door against outside break-ins, secure the emergency release with zip ties.
Zip ties are easily broken, making your garage door still able to function from the inside — but it won’t be openable from the outside.
How Secure Is a Garage Door?
If you’re wondering how secure your garage door really is or you’d like a professional technician to take a look at your door for security features, idcAutomatic is here to help. We specialize in commercial and residential garage door manufacturing and service. For more than 41 years, we’ve grown to set the standard for high-quality garage doors in the Twin Cities area.
We pride ourselves on providing our clients with first-rate customer service, or idc signature service. We have less than a one percent recall rate and offer one-year warranties on labor and materials. Request a free quote or contact us today, and one of our service representatives will be more than happy to assist you.
