The topic of garage door security is one of the most important and yet most overlooked matters out there. Without proper education about this issue, and without the proper security installed, a garage door becomes a weak link in home security.
The do’s and dont’s:
Don’t leave the remote in your car – If someone breaks into your car and steals your remote, they will have access to your house, putting yourself and your family in danger. Keep them on your keychain instead of using the visor of your car. Your garage key should stay with you.
Don’t hit that button on the remote, and drive off before the door is closed all the way – This is FAR TOO COMMON. It’s important to stay in your driveway and make sure the garage door hits the ground. What happens is some people will press that button and rush off to work expecting the door to close all the way, and it doesn’t. There are several security reasons that a garage door is stopped mid track, and the most common issue is that something is in the way. Sometimes even the smallest interference of the laser eyes will keep the door from closing.
Keep the door to your house locked – People often miss this step when leaving their home for the day, and for a thief, this can make breaking into your home a much simpler task. You should also deadbolt the door. The door inside of your garage should be just as secure as your front door. The extra security never hurts.
Don’t leave your garage door open – Whether you are inside of the home, or out in the yard, it doesn’t make any difference. If you aren’t in the garage or utilizing it in some way, keep it closed. This is a sure way to lessen the chance of home invasion.
Make sure your garage door security is working is functioning properly – A broken garage door can result in serious injury (especially to children), and will likely increase your heating bill.
Frost your windows or cover them up – Garage door windows are dangerous because a burglar can see whether or not your car is there. They can also scope the space to come up with a swift plan of entry, depending on what is visually available to them.
Keep the garage door system maintained – Sometimes it’s easy to forget about this simple step because a noticeable issue isn’t what is necessarily being addressed. It’s important to keep up on maintenance, same as you would with a vehicle or locks. Make sure the hardware isn’t wearing down and needing replacement. If you are leaving town, double check the hardware of the locks on your other doors too.
If your garage door appears difunctional, you should:
- First and foremost – Check the remote battery and the transmitter battery on your wall.
- Make sure the security system is plugged in.
- Check the laser eyes at the base of the garage door – if there is anything under the door, the garage door will not shut.
- If you are unable to identify the reason for malfunction, call a locksmith. LPI Locksmiths are educated, trained, and ready to problem solve around the clock.
If you need to talk about your garage door options give our Locksmiths a call!
