Garages are often neglected when it comes to home security, but they are just as necessary to protect as your home, particularly if you keep valuable items inside it, or if it’s attached to your home and an intruder could gain access to it from inside.
With this in mind, here are 6 ways that you can give yourself, and your garage, a higher level of protection:
- Limit exposure
Many modern garages have windows, and if you leave valuable items stored inside clearly visible to anyone who cares to look, you’re asking for trouble. Conceal them where possible, and make it look as if there’s nothing worth stealing.
- Be mindful of overrides
While the emergency release on your motorized garage door is intended to help you open the door in the event of a power outage, it can easily be accessed from outside by someone with a long-reach tool, and used to open the door and get inside. To prevent this from happening, install barricades to deflect tools or zip tie the release latch.
- Strengthen the door
If your garage door was professionally installed, there shouldn’t be any gaps for a burglar to push their way in through, but it’s always worth checking. You may also want to consider upgrading your door if it’s damaged in any way that might make it vulnerable to opportunistic criminals.
Check that your garage’s side doors are string enough, too, since these can also be vulnerable in the event of a burglary. The door should have a solid core not a hollow one, and be installed with 3 inch screws.
- Secure the door
Your garage door may be in great condition and be plenty strong enough, but if the lock is faulty in any way, this will instantly make it vulnerable. Talk to your local garage door specialist or licensed locksmith about upgrading the lock on your garage door if it doesn’t appear to be sturdy enough, or is damaged in some way. In many cases, you can use door lock cylinder replacement to upgrade the locks without changing the full garage door lock assembly.
- Check visibility
The more visible your garage is to other properties in the neighborhood or passersby, the less likely it is to be targeted by criminals. Remove any plants or trees that might be obstructing the door and place motion sensor lights strategically to help act as a deterrent for burglars, or to illuminate their illegal activities should they be brave enough (or stupid enough) to continue while lit up.
- Add security cameras
With the use of cameras for real-time response and crime documentation, you can help to make your garage and your home, more secure, and deter anyone who doesn’t have the right to be on your property, from being there and attempting to break in.
It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to protect your garage, but it is worth doing. If you’re concerned that your garage door might be leaving you vulnerable to crooks, seek advice from a local garage door specialist or licensed locksmith.
