According to statistics, burglars often target garage doors as an entry point. Garages are vulnerable because they usually directly connect to the house's interior. As a result, it is essential to enhance this weak access point. The truth is that the expense of securing your garage becomes much more economical than the potential damage caused by a break-in. This article will explore the top 10 tips to help protect your garage door, deter thieves, and gain priceless peace of mind.
Note: In addition to the garage door, your home may have other vulnerable security points. Check our comprehensive guide on how to burglar-proof your home.
Top 10 Ways to Make Your Garage Door More Secure
Sometimes, securing your garage door can be easy. Here are some practical ways to follow.
1. Always lock your garage door
An open garage door is an invitation for burglars. Additionally, people walking by on the street can easily spot the vehicles in your garage and the arrangement of your belongings through the open door. So always keep your garage door locked, even if you are working in the front yard or a safe neighborhood.
2. Use a smart garage door opener
You can add a smart garage door opener. The smart technology can allow you to monitor and operate your garage door remotely. You can monitor your door through a smartphone app, open or closed. If someone tries to break into your garage, your phone will receive an alert message and automatically take action, such as automatically locking the garage door and windows.
The smart opener also offers convenience if you forget to close your garage door when you leave the house. Just tap your phone's screen to open or close your garage door, even if you're far away.
3. Cover your garage windows.
Burglars will look inside your garage through doors and windows. They will search not only for tools or other goods but also for vehicles to see if anyone is home.
You can completely cover the windows or add garage-specific shades or drapes. If you enjoy soaking in sunlight in your garage, you can add translucent material to the windows. Frosted glass windows can let in light while concealing the contents of your garage.
4. Upgrade the garage door
You can also upgrade your garage door to a solid one. However, a new door can lead to a substantial expense. The average cost ranges from $700 to $2,000, depending on materials. Installing an electric garage with an automatic opener can cost up to $4,000. The weakest part of a garage door is the strike plate, the metal plate where the primary latch extends into the hole. Replacing a soft impact plate with a thick, reinforced one can reduce a burglar's chance of break-in.
5. Lock the door between your garage and house
Many homes have attached garages, which make it easier to go in and out of your home without having to walk through in bad weather, but if you lock the door that connects to your garage, it may be a significant security issue. A burglar can enter your home directly from the garage. You should always keep the connecting door closed and add a steel security gate with a deadbolt in this door to strengthen the security.
6. Install surveillance cameras
Garages that store valuables, power tools, exercise equipment, and cars or provide access to the house are attractive to burglars. Installing surveillance cameras can significantly improve the overall security of your home. They deter potential burglars and offer valuable evidence for insurance companies and criminal investigations in burglary cases.
7. Put away valuables
If you must open your garage door, hide or cover your valuables with cloth. It would help if you kept your safe out of the plain sight.
8. Install floodlight
Automatic floodlights can also deter burglars. The motion-activated floodlight will turn on automatically if it detects irregular movements. The bright light may scare off the burglar or draw attention from people around. Floodlights create an ambiance that gives the impression of complete surveillance in the garage, serving as a powerful deterrent to potential burglars.
9. Lock the track
You can lock the tracks from the inside to prevent burglars from forcing the garage door open with tools. All garage doors run on trails; you can use your existing latch or drill one to lock the tracks.
You can also secure a padlock above the rollers to prevent the garage door from opening. Even if they enter the garage from inside or outside your home, locking the tracks makes their job more time-consuming and challenging and gives you time to respond and call the police.
10. Assume you are a burglar
How do you get into a garage if you can think like a burglar? Where is the weakest security link if you want to enter a room yourself? You can take a few minutes to look around the outside of your garage and the rest of your home to check for any security gaps. It may be beneficial and enlightening to look at your security measures from a burglar's point of view. You can also perform this exercise at night, where you can get a better idea of the effectiveness of your home's exterior lighting.
How to Secure Garage Door From Inside/Outside
In many burglary cases, criminals may cause damage from both sides of the door. So you can secure your doors from both sides separately.
Secure garage door from inside
Using a cable tie is the cheapest and quickest way to secure the door security from the inside. Binding a cable tie to the emergency release lever would be best. Only two things are necessary for this process: cable tie and scissors. Here are some steps to follow.
- Unplug your garage opener.
- Find the emergency release lever.
- Insert the cable tie through the hole where the release rope is coiled.
- Loop the cable tie again on the hole at the bottom of the trolley carriage.
- Lock the cable tie
Secure garage door from outside
You can also add equipment to secure your garage door from outside. For example, the following ones:
- Install the outside keyed handle and inside release handle on the garage door.
- Place the spring latches to the ends of the lock section and connect them to the release handle.
- Install the garage door lock strikers & apply lubrication.
How to Keep Garage Doors Safe During Hurricane
What should you do when confronted with extreme weather? Most people may think it is a hard nut to crack.
Put up garage door brackets
Installing reinforced brackets on its interior can be a quick way to strengthen your garage door. Utilizing these temporary brackets as a preemptive measure before an anticipated hurricane is an affordable solution.
Install hurricane panels
Hurricane panels prevent windows from being broken by flying objects during a hurricane. Most of the panels are made of rigid materials to protect the exterior of your garage door from damage after the installation. Adding hurricane panels can significantly strengthen your door in extreme weather conditions.
Purchase a storm-resistant door
Invest in a garage door specifically designed and tested to withstand hurricane conditions. These doors are constructed to resist high winds and impact from debris.
Bonus Tips: How to Lock Garage Door Manually Without Power
If your garage door opener fails or there is a power outage, you may need to lock your door manually before calling a professional to replace your opener.
It is a pretty straightforward process, but it is critical to follow the instructions carefully to avoid damaging the door. You must first pay attention to the red cord hanging from the motor unit. This cord is commonly connected to an emergency release handle. Pull the cable down until fully extended, then pull the release handle away from the motor unit. This will disengage the trolley, allowing you to operate the door manually.
Lift the door until it is completely open, then pull the emergency release handle towards you to lock it in place. Finally, manually close the garage door until the latch is in place. Remember that a manual garage door can be heavy and difficult to operate. Therefore, exercise caution when employing this method. After finishing all these steps, you can manually lock the garage door.
FAQs
What kind of lock do I need for a garage door?
Garage door locks can be categorized into four types: keyed locks, electronic locks, automatic locks, and smart locks. Each type of lock has unique features and benefits, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs, budget, and security requirements.
How to make an up-and-over garage door secure?
Increase the security of walking through your garage door by adding bright moving lights. This typically serves as a deterrent to nighttime thieves. Simple garage door locks can also increase the security of your garage. These door locks can secure your up-and-over garage and are easy to install.
Are automatic garage doors secure?
Automatic garage door openers offer great convenience. But they can also be a weak point in garage security. If there is ever an electronic malfunction, it could become a breakthrough for thieves. Garage door openers come with an emergency release lever and usually have a cord hanging down, which would be a useful tool sometimes.
Is it safe to manually open the garage door?
Manually opening a garage door can be safe without significant issues with the door or its components. Remember to unplug the automatic opener before starting the process.
Conclusion
From the perspectives of both garage owners' awareness of hardware upgrades, this article enlists top effective ways to secure your garage door, including replacing your garage door, installing security cameras, covering garage windows, etc. We hope that you find this article useful. Please leave the comments below and share this article with your friends.
Conclusion
From the perspectives of both garage owners' awareness of hardware upgrades, this article enlists top effective ways to secure your garage door, including replacing your garage door, installing security cameras, covering garage windows, etc. We hope that you find this article useful. Please leave the comments below and share this article with your friends.
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To learn about improving the security of potential entry points in your home that burglars might target, continue reading the following articles.