Garage Security Tips – How To Secure Your Garage Door
There are are many common mistakes people make with their garage door security. For example, many homeowners like to keep their garage door remote on their car visor for easy access, however, if you are not locking up properly at night, this can give burglars the invitation to easy access. Once they have the garage door remote they will be able to enter your garage, even if your home is attached. We cover this and lots more garage security tips in our list below.
If you have a garage door opener that was made before 1999, we highly recommend that you upgrade your opener to a newer model. Old units are now discontinued by Doormatic and most manufacturers, which will make finding parts extremely expensive and much more difficult.
Today, our motors come with the standard safety features that are fully CE marked – such as rolling code technology. This means that with every press of the button on your remote control, a new code is selected from billions of enigmatic combinations that will prevent others from copying or using your unique frequency. Our new openers also come with wall stations that have a “holiday switch” lock that disables all remote access when activated, to provide your home with added security whilst you are on holiday. We also offer the Door Report remote which is created to answer the nagging question, “Did I remember to close and lock my garage door?” This unit will beep and light up if the door has been left open. You can read more about if garage doors with electric operators are safe in our dedicated article.
However, if a new motor is out of the question at the moment due to financial or other reasons, you can still help protect your family and your belongings with these simple steps.
How to make your garage secure
- Ensure your car is locked with the alarm set when it’s on the driveway, or in the garage.
- Never leave your garage door remote out in the open. If you keep remotes in your car at night, be sure to put them in the glove compartment or centre console so that they are less visible to passers-by.
- Lock all interior doors that lead into the house. This only applies if you have doors leading between your garage and home, of course. Should anyone manage to break into your garage, locking the interior door will ensure that your home, at least, remains safe.
- Never leave your house keys inside your car. Even if your car is parked in your garage, leaving house keys inside your car is not good security practice, and house keys are much safer stored inside your property in a secure location.
- Lock your garage door every night. When you are locking up at night, treat your garage door as you would lock your front door to your house. Most overhead garage doors will have a locking mechanism – a simple interior side lock or exterior lock can be purchased separately if this is not the case.
- Secure your garage when going on holiday. When leaving for a long period of time, such as going on holiday, please always remember to lock the garage door and set the holiday lock switch on your wall station. For extra security, you could also unplug the garage door opener.
- Never leave your garage door open when you are not there. Even if you’re just nipping back inside your house for a moment, leaving your garage door open will give everyone visual access to anything valuable that may be stored inside your garage.
- Consider a solid garage door without windows. If potential thieves cannot see inside your garage, there is less incentive to attempt a break in. If you would prefer a little daylight in the garage, we do have a range of garages with windows installed at the top so that your belongings are less visible.
- Cover or reinforce windows. If you don’t wish to sacrifice your garage door windows, instead you should opt for improving their security. One option is to simply install frosted glass to reduce visibility, and ensuring that relevant locks and alarms are installed all works to enhance the security and durability of your garage windows.
- Keep your security code to yourself. Never give it out through your exterior wireless keypad. However, there may come a time when you will need to share it, such as with the Doormatic team, when we are servicing your door – in these cases, be sure to clear out the old code and reprogram the keypad with a new code.
- Illuminate the exterior of your garage. Outdoor security lighting is an excellent deterrent for intruders, especially when you opt for a motion sensor light. It can also bring illumination to your outdoor areas, bringing you better security.
- Invest in a good quality alarm system for your garage. Alarms are staple elements of security and will give you the assurance of being immediately alerted to any break ins as and when they happen.
- Install a CCTV camera. Not only will CCTV cameras allow you to surveil the outside of your property and record any criminal activity, but their presence alone is very effective at warding off intruders.
- Hide away valuables. Make sure your most prized possessions are hidden away, either by storage or being covered over when night arrives. Obviously some items may be too big to cover up, but for those smaller valuable objects where obscurement is possible, always pursue this step.
- Consider a garage defender. Similar to its name, this is somewhat of a superhero for your garage door. In simple terms, a garage door defender is a security addition that can be fitted to the edge of your garage door – this robust accessory improves the strength of your door and provides one more barrier between thieves and the contents of your garage.
- Select the most secure type of garage door. By their nature, all garage doors are secure and durable, though some may offer more enhanced security. This is dependent on material, opening mechanism, and whether it’s automatic or not. Roller doors are generally viewed to be one of the more secure garage door options – see more in our article about why roller doors are more secure. Our experts can guide you on choosing the best option for your needs and desired aesthetic.
Helping You Make the Right Choice
At Doormatic, we’re dedicated to providing you with honest, clear and objective advice, so that you can make an informed and stress-free choice that fits your home and family’s needs today – and tomorrow.
Contact us today to learn more about our selection of steel garage doors and how you can carry out regular security checks. We’re always here to help.
