How to Secure Your Garage Doors

Garage doors can often be the easiest point of entry for house burglars. Some buildings have a door inside the garage that leads straight into the home. What about you, is your garage door the weak point into your property? What type of door do you have, manual or remote? This matters because the way to secure a garage door depends on its type. One way thieves get into residential properties is to steal a garage remote that the owner leaves in their vehicle for convenience. Well, it’s convenient for the burglars too. Once they break into the car, they’ve got a one-way ticket into your home.^[1]

Point to note:  Experienced burglars can break into a standard garage door within 10 seconds or less. They can do this using nothing but a wire coat hanger.

In this short video, Spencer Scott shows you how to burglar-proof the standard garage door. As you will see, it’s a simple, yet incredibly effective solution.

 

 

Other Considerations

In general, people should take garage door security more seriously. Many don’t though, and this is why thieves are having a great time stealing from homes that have garages attached. If you don’t know how to secure garage doors, you will want to get up to speed as quickly as possible. This is one security hole in your home protection that you will want to plug as fast as you can.^[2]

Here’s a quick list of 10 garage security measures to consider:

1. Never leave the garage remote inside your vehicle, not ever!
2. Invest in a good quality keychain remote opener
3. Secure the garage door’s emergency release
4. Keep the garage door locked at all times
5. If there’s a door from the garage into your home, make sure it is also secure and always locked
6. Never leave the garage door open, not even when you’re home
7. Consider a wide-angle peephole for the door in the garage to your house
8. Cover your garage windows or use frosted glass
9. Whenever you’re away, make sure you padlock the throw latch
10. Keep the garage door well-maintained at all times

Don’t forget to search the site for more detailed tips on how to deter burglars and secure all the doors and windows at your property. A little bit of knowledge can save you a whole lot of grief.

Resources

1. http://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/physical-security/top-10-garage-door-security-tips-to-prevent-break-ins/
2. http://www.familyhandyman.com/home-security/home-theft-protection-secure-your-garage/view-all