Garages Are The Number Access Point For Break-Ins, Are Your Garage Doors Secure?
Unknown to many in South Florida and across the United States, one of the most vulnerable locations to a break-in around nearly any home is the garage doors. Many of us naively use the push of a button to be on our way in our vehicle thinking all is safe and secure as we drive away. But what many do not realize is the garage door may seem impenetrable, yet is one of the more common areas thieves use to gain access to the inside of our home.
False Sense of Security
Many fall into the category of believing that since garage doors are big, usually made of steel and controlled by technology that they are safe from entry by intruders. Unfortunately, statistics show that the garage doors are all too often the location of choice for thieves to enter the home. Knowing the vulnerability of the garage door and opener in most homes, criminals choose to make this their focus when attempting to gain access to the inside of a home. We will show you 5 of the most simple and effective things you can do to make your garage safe from being the point of entry by intruders trying to gain access into your home.
1. Lock Your Garage Door Opener’s Emergency Release
Place and lock a heavy-duty zip tie through the hole in the emergency release latch on your garage door opener. This allows the release to have enough resistance to prevent anyone from pulling and activating it from the outside using a coat hanger with a hook bent on the end. This action is attempted by thieves when pushing the device they made from a simple coat hanger through the location where the top of the door touches the house while the garage doors are closed. The good part is that inside your garage you can still grab the emergency release cord and by giving it one quick, forceful pull downward, you will break the zip tie and can easily open your garage doors. With this method, you are keeping your home safe from intruders while not risking the safety of you and your family, while at home, from other dangers like fire. It really is the best of both worlds.
2. Always Have Your Remote With You
Do not leave your garage door remote control in your vehicle even for a short period of time. If you do not already have one, consider investing in a key chain remote control for your opener. These are great for those of us who are always in a hurry and on the go. When you have your keys, you always have your remote too. One less thing to have to remember.
3. Keep Windows Covered
Cover any windows in your garage or on your garage doors with curtains or frost coating on the glass. Not being able to see inside the garage easily prevents thieves from having an edge on knowing what is on the other side if they proceed with breaking in. If they can see that there are no vehicles or activity in the garage, they have a pretty good idea no one will be home for a while.
4. Manually Lock Your Garage Doors
Manually lock your garage doors from the inside when you go on vacation or leave town for a few days. This can easily be done by clamping vice grips or a c-clamp on the tracks just above the top of the door on both sides. If you do have a latch lock type assembly on your garage door, put a heavy-duty padlock on it when you are gone for more than a day. If you do not have this type of manual locking assembly, you can have one installed on your garage door.
5. Install an Alarm
Install a garage door alarm or sensor on the interior of your garage. Many of these can be bought at a hardware store and installed in minutes. Once the alarm is set, any opening of the garage doors will activate a high decibel siren that will draw the attention of the homeowner or neighbors to the crime in progress, often scaring the intruder away.
You as the homeowner do not have to be the next victim in South Florida of a garage door break-in. Taking the necessary steps to prevent thieves from gaining access to the inside of your home through the garage is a task that will pay off for years to come. Following these steps will give you peace of mind knowing you did what was needed to make your home safe for you and your family.
If there is a break in it’s a good chance you’ll even have to get your garage door repaired. When this is the case we’ll be available for you.