How to improve the security on your garage door

Just because your garage door closes properly each time you use it does not mean that it is 100% safe from intruders. Overlooking your garage door can be detrimental to the overall safety of your home. Taking preventative measures is the easiest way to ensure that your garage door is secure. Check out these simple yet effective tips on how to improve your garage door security.

As a homeowner, you would want to have that certain feeling of security in your households. You want to have the ability to effectively separate yourself from the outside world in order to feel safe and secure. But what if your home is not really that secured? What if there is a loophole that allows would-be criminals easy access? This is actually a recurring case for people who tend to overlook their garage door. This loophole, without taking proper preventive measures into consideration, can be an access point for those looking to steal from or, worse, harm you.

Below are simple yet effective tips that you should heed to ensure that both your garage door and garage are well-secured.

#1. Install a Robust Security System

When talking about the best line of defense, installing a security system is the best option. This must be installed in your garage and is connected directly to your home security system. As long as your system is set and someone tries to open the garage, the alarm will automatically sound and can even be set to alert emergency services for dispatch.

#2. Keep the Garage Door Opener With You

It is really not ideal for you to leave the garage door opener inside your car. If someone gains access to your vehicle and finds the opener, he now has easy access to your garage. You can invest in openers equipped with an app, so you can control the garage door with one click. And, as much as possible, do not leave it inside your vehicle. Keep it with you at all times.

#3. Install Motion Detector Lights

Unlike in the past, motion detector lights nowadays are quite affordable. Invest in this technology and add it as part of your overall security system. Motion detectors are basically infrared waves that can detect moving objects and body temperatures.

photo/ Champions Garage Door Repair

#4. Secure Your Garage Door at All Times

This seems to be a pretty straightforward tip, but most homeowners tend to neglect this part. Apart from keeping your garage door closed, you should also secure the door that leads to your house from the garage. The last thing you would want is for intruders to breach it in seconds and find their way inside your house.

#5. Perform Maintenance and Repairs

Regardless of how futuristic your garage door may be, it still requires maintenance and repairs from time to time. Check if its springs are in good working condition and make sure that they are properly attached. If, in some ways, your garage door is broken, seek the help of a professional garage door repair technician right away. You want it to be fully functional in order to veer away from intruders.

#6. Add Exterior Lighting

You also need to consider everything that is happening outside of your garage. If it is quite dark, then thieves will feel more comfortable approaching. Adding exterior lighting can be a powerful and effective way of preventing break-ins. Just simply install security lighting around your home’s exterior, but make sure it is of highest-quality. Also, this lighting system should cover the area near the garage door. It is definitely a huge deterrent that keeps your property secured.

#7. Lock Garage Door if You Are Away

Like it or not, a padlock can work as an added security in your garage. The idea is to lock the garage door with it if you are going to be gone for weeks or months. While your current security system is without a doubt top-notch, there is nothing wrong with adding more security such as a padlock.

#8. Use Timers

From leaving your house in a rush to your kids forgetting to push the button in your garage door opener remote, it is very likely for the garage door to be left open. And when it does, it automatically sends an invitation for anyone with a motive to come in. Sure, your memory is still sharp, but it is not best to solely rely on it. Instead, use a timer that tells your garage door opener to close the garage door in a certain amount of time. Interestingly, these timers are super easy to install on the door track. The keypad, on the other hand, can be connected to your garage’s opening/closing control.

#9. Go for a Solid Metal Door

Do you plan on replacing your traditional door? Or perhaps you have already scheduled a garage door repair service? In any case, you might want to consider installing a solid metal garage door. This is a surefire way of giving would-be criminals a tough time if they plan to gain access from your garage. Keep in mind that an old, saggy wooden door is prone to cracks which usually form at the bottom. This only makes it easier for burglars to break in.

#10. Cover the Windows

Obviously, you do not want thieves to have a look-see at what is inside your garage. You could have bikes, tools, gears, or car parts that you definitely want to protect. And if they see something valuable, which they will, they are likely to be encouraged to break in. Do not give them this opportunity and start covering your garage’s window. You can either tint or frost them, so thieves will have a hard time peeking through inside.

Keeping your garage door safe is a big step towards securing your entire house or property. The aforementioned tips are designed to help you do just that. Keep them mind at all times and, as much as possible, apply them.

Author: Rami F.

Source: http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/10-tips-to-improve-your-garage-doors-security-65597/