Each year, thousands of homes are broken into because thieves are able to gain access via the garage. So today we thought we would talk about some of the ways you can make your garage more secure to avoid break-ins and stop burglars from gaining access to your home.
One of the more common ways criminals are able to get through the garage is not by breaking into the garage, but by breaking into the cars parked outside the garage. Many people will leave their garage door openers inside their cars in conspicuous places so that the opener is in plain sight of anyone walking by the car. If you have a remote that you leave in your car, make sure to hide your opener from easily been seen. But a better option is to invest in a key chain remote garage door opener so that you don’t have to leave an opener in your car at all.
Another vulnerability that crooks exploit is when the garage door has windows. First, windows allow people to see if any cars are parked in the garage indicating people are home or away. Frosting or tinting windows will make it harder for criminals to see in and further protect your home. Burglars will sometimes break windows on garage doors and trip the automatic release with a coat hanger. A simple zip tie around the auto-release can stop thieves by making the release harder to trip, but will allow you to pull the release in case of an emergency.
Ensure the door that accesses your home from the garage is made of a strong, solid material and secured with a deadbolt. Always lock the door when you leave. Having an peephole installed is another good idea as this will allow you to look into your garage if you hear a strange noise without actually having to open the door.
You may want to consider investing in a new automated garage door opener that allows control via a smart phone, tablet, or computer. This will allow you to see if your garage door is open or closed from even remote locations. Most of these systems allow you to control lighting in your home so you never have to come home to a dark house again.
Lastly, a security system is always a good way to protect your home. Many of these are also becoming automated and will alert you if your garage or home is accessed unexpectedly.
