A garage door is arguably one of the easiest ways through which a perpetrator can gain entrance to a home in order to commit crimes. Numerous property owners assume that because most garage doors are motorized and constructed from heavy materials, they cannot be opened with ease.
Unfortunately, this gives many individuals a false sense of security, some of whom even allow the door from their garage into their dwelling to remain unlocked, as they believe they are adequately protected. However, many consumers would be surprised to discover just how quickly a burglar can enter a home through its garage. Below are some essential facts about garage door security.
Construction and Reinforcement
The garage door should be made from reinforced steel or solid-core wood. Doors made from other materials are typically not strong enough to withstand the determination of a skilled and experienced burglar. Ultimately, reinforcing the door or purchasing a new model made from one of the aforementioned materials is in the best interest of essentially any homeowner.
Securing the Emergency Release
A technique favored among many burglars is wedging a coat hanger above the door’s automatic opener track. In this way, the emergency release handle can be hooked with the coat hanger or wire and pulled, thus opening the garage door. It takes very little time to enter the garage using this method, and experienced thieves can often accomplish this trick in less than ten seconds.
Fortunately, individuals can prevent thieves from entering their homes in this manner by simply securing the emergency release handle with a strong piece of wire or zip tie. It is basic preventative measures such as this that often avert robbers and other criminals. The zip tie will be too strong for a wire to pull the emergency release open, but if the owner needs to open it from the inside, one strong pull will break the tie.
Maintenance and Repair
Garage door repair is also an essential consideration, as burglars often look for weak spots first when attempting to gain entrance to a home. Any areas of the door that warp or gap should be repaired or replaced. If there are problems with the mechanism that opens the garage door, a perpetrator may be able to simply lift the unit by hand. Therefore, if the mechanism appears to be failing, repair it as soon as possible.
Security Alarms and Spotlights
Simple measures such as installing a wireless security system or spotlighting the garage area can also help to prevent burglaries. Perpetrators obviously prefer to work in the dark when they have little chance of being seen, and they are likely to pass up homes with generous lighting in place.
Never place a sticker displaying the name of the security system or company. It is not a deterrent to professional thieves, as they study the schematics of various security systems and learn how to circumvent them.
The Benefits of High-Security Deadbolts
As previously mentioned, it is never wise to depend solely on the garage door to maintain safety. Most people do not think of locking a door inside a locked door. If the automatic garage door is closed, they feel safe enough. However, if anyone gains access through the garage door, they can easily just walk into the house if that door is not locked and secured. Rather, a high-security deadbolt should be placed on the door that leads to the dwelling from the garage. Such locks are virtually impossible to penetrate, as opposed to a lock in the doorknob.
The Importance of Implementation
Understanding how to secure a garage door will go a long way in preventing theft and other crimes. However, it is essential that one implement these security measures in order to realize their benefits. Procrastinating is never in one’s best interest concerning home safety. Instead, property owners should make garage door security a priority at all times.
