Interiors

Security Tips for Your Garage Door, the Easiest Access to Your Home

garage-doorsYour garage is a security weak spot for the entire house. Many would-be intruders look to the garage as a sure-fire way to gain entry to the rest of the house. Unfortunately, most home owners don't see the garage as a potential security problem. Most home security professionals encourage home owners to consider the weak spot that their garage poses and find ways to make it more secure. By looking at a few key areas, you can make your garage and your home more secure against intruders.

The Garage Door Opener – Garage door openers are truly something most people don't want to live without because they are just so convenient. However, as with all electronics, garage door openers can be a security risk in different ways. Two of the main ways garage doors are compromised are by an intruder getting a hold of the opener itself and disabling the electronic part of the door lift system so it can be opened manually. Addressing these issues is easy with a little forethought. Never leave your garage door opener in the car in plain sight - even if your car is parked in the driveway of your home. If an intruder can access your car, they can also access the house. Talking to a garage door professional can help you address the issues of an intruder accessing the pull cord to disable the lift system and opening the door manually. There are several types of garage doors that simply will not allow this to happen.

The Door Leading Into the House – Many home owners forget about this door when installing new locks or are locking up for the night. If an intruder can get into your garage, this door is the only one that stands between them and the rest of your home. Therefore, this door should be a strong, exterior type door with a deadbolt lock on it. Screen doors or lightweight interior doors should be replaced with a metal security door in order to give you a strong door which adds to the overall security of this entrance. While a lock in the door handle will provide extra security, if you have a deadbolt on your front door, you should also have a deadbolt on the door leading into the house from the garage.

Shut it! – Strangely enough, many break-ins aren't break-ins at all. They are simply walk-ins from home owners forgetting to close the garage door in the evenings. Particularly in the summer months and in warmer climates, many home owners leave their garage doors up all day and into the evening. No one wants to keep opening and closing the doors all day while kids are going in and out with their bikes or while getting out gardening and yard care tools. One of the easiest security issues to address, home owners should double check that their garage doors are down and secured at night and any times you are not at home.

Security While on Vacation – When you are on vacation, your garage door lift systems should be unplugged and locked with a bar-type, manual lock. The openers themselves should be stored somewhere secure in the house, not left in your car regardless of where you are parking it. If a friend or neighbor is watching your house while you are away, do not give them one of your garage door openers as a means of getting into your house.

Windows – Usually not a feature in newer homes, windows pose a security issue for home owners who have them in the garage or in the garage door. Many home owners will replace the clear glass with either glass block or frosted glass in order to obscure the view into the garage. Remember, windows aren't suddenly impenetrable because they are in the garage. Most security experts will tell you to somehow obscure the window so it doesn't serve as a means of previewing your things for a potential intruder. Windows in the garage door also can be a means of accessing the emergency disconnect pull for the garage door opener, again, making it easy for an intruder to get into your garage.

When thinking about home security, generally people don't think of the garage door as being a major issue. However, because most people don't think about it, intruders count on being able to use it as a point of access to your house. By knowing how to keep your garage door secure, you will also be keeping your home and family safe and secure.

Published on behalf of Tommy Mello who owns garagedoornation.com, a website specializing in wholesale garage parts. He enjoys sharing garage improvement ideas and maintenance tips.

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