Improve Garage Security (Helpful Info and Tips)
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You probably have many things stored inside your garage. You may store power tools, bikes, or valuable items in your garage.
However, the garage may also be vulnerable to break-ins. It does not take long for a burglar to break into your garage and make off with your personal property. Is there a way to make your home safer and burglar-proof? How do you improve garage security?
You can improve your garage security by:
- Never leave your garage door open
- Install garage door sensor.
- Do not leave your garage door remote in your car.
- Install motion-detecting lights
- Cover your garage windows.
- Install garage door lock.
- Protect garage service door.
- Prevent garage door fishing.
- Use a smart monitoring system.
- Ensure your landscaping does not shade burglars.
In this article, let’s look at ways you can improve the security of your garage to make it as crime-proof as possible.
How To Improve Garage Security
You can improve your garage security by installing monitoring systems. You can also add or change your garage door locks or be vigilant about your garage.
Improving your garage’s security is not rocket science. In fact, it could be done rather easily. At the most basic, start by maximizing the security systems you already have. You can also practice good habits, such as always closing and locking your garage doors.
You can always install additional systems if you want to up your security game. These should really protect your garage, keeping potential burglars away.
Consider implementing these steps to improve the security of your garage:
Never Leave the Garage Door Open Unattended
Suppose you are working in your yard. In that case, have you ever noticed that your neighbor left his garage door wide open? Sometimes, the neighbor even has the gall to leave the door open while he drives away and leaves the house.
At the least, leaving your garage doors open carelessly is an open invitation. This is because anyone can enter your home and check out what’s inside your garage. At worst, you are asking for thieves to come in and take what they desire.
If you intend to leave your garage door open, consider at least being around so you can look at the door. In case anyone suspicious comes snooping around, you can see them.
If you cannot really monitor your garage while working, take out what you need and then close the door. It is always better to be safe first than sorry later. Even if you think you live in a safe neighborhood, take nothing for granted.
Suppose you are forgetful or lazy to keep opening and closing your door. In this case, consider installing a timer. After some time, the timer will instruct the motor to close the door automatically.
If your home already has a security system, check with the maker and see if you can further extend it to your garage. Chances are they may have systems such as an automatic garage door timer.
Install Garage Door Sensor
Some people may have had garage security systems installed to protect their garages. Yet, they still got broken into and robbed.
They at first blame the security system for not working. Then, they only discovered that the security system was working 100%. Supposedly, the systems should protect the garage. But since the garage door is left open, the thief walks in easy to take what he wants.
Don’t be this guy.
Some automatic garage door security systems work well. But you need to first ensure the garage door is closed. If you have it open, the security system may assume you opened it and stop protecting your garage.
You can deal with this by installing a garage door sensor. A garage door sensor sends a signal to the monitor, telling you if the door is open or closed. If you notice your garage door is open, you can go close it.
If you want to be more techie, hook up your sensor with a smart garage door opener. These machines will close your garage door when it detects that the door is opened.
To buy a monitor, search online or shop for a garage door monitor.(paid link) These monitors usually will work with any brand of door or opener.
Install Garage Security Cameras
Security cameras (paid link) can be a great choice to protect your garage. It is so good, people actually put up fake CCTV cameras just to deter thieves. However, installing a real security camera would be the best option.
You have several options with cameras. One to have a ‘dumb’ setup. The camera is not connected to anything else and runs similarly to a car dashboard camera.
It records for several minutes and then saves the file on an SD card. When the SD card is full, it deletes the earliest file and continues to record and save the video.
If you like a smarter camera, consider setting up one with a motion sensor. A motion-activated camera starts recording as soon as it detects a movement.
It could be your car pulling into the driveway or someone approaching on foot—even at night.
This allows you to record any suspicious activity.
You can also opt for a wireless setup. In this setup, solar panels usually power the camera during the day and run on batteries at night.
Don’t Leave the Garage Door Opener Remote in Car
You may leave your remote openers attached to your car’s sun visor or in their glove box. You probably want to make it easier to open the garage door when you need it. For example, when you want to drive in or reverse out from the garage.
However, it also opens up an opportunity for a thief to open your garage door. If you park your car outside, the thief only needs to open your car door, take the remote, and open your garage door.
Hooking the garage remote to your keychain may be better than just leaving it in the car. You are probably carrying your keychain in your backpack already. Why not just carry your garage remote along?
Plus, most garage door security remotes (paid link) are small enough to be set up with your keychain, so you can do this easily. They’re widely available, cheap, very convenient, and go with you when you exit your car.
Install Motion Sensor Lights
A garage with inadequate or no lighting becomes a juicy target for housebreakers. You want to ensure all entry points into your home are well-lit. It will go a long way toward keeping your house much more secure.
Bright lighting makes potential thieves think twice about getting near your garage. They may just go somewhere else instead.
Usually, having motion-sensing lights are better than on-all-night lighting. This is because it saves energy when it’s off and draws attention when it’s on.
Ensure the lighting is strategically placed around your home. Focus on the garage perimeter so a burglar cannot deactivate it. Installing any lighting approximately 10-15 feet above the ground is ideal.
In many cases, you can also set them to give dim lighting at night to prevent your garage from being all dark. When there are movements, the lighting then gives out bright lights.
This immediately illuminates your entire house, exposing the potential burglar.
Consider installing solar-powered flood lights with your motion sensor. This is because they do not require any complicated wiring. If you’re interested in the best motion sensor outdoor lights, you can find them on Amazon.
Cover Your Garage Windows
One of the best methods to protect your garage is to prevent people from coming near it. The next thing is to prevent people from being able to see what’s inside.
Suppose the potential burglar cannot see what is inside. In this case, they are less tempted to take the risk and try to break into your garage.
This is because breaking into someone’s house is a massive risk. They want to make sure it is worth it. They may not see the benefit of taking that risk if they cannot see anything.
Start with at least covering the windows with paper. You can also use some adhesive window covering. You can also use curtains and blinds for a more proper setup. You may want to do the same with your garage door windows too.
However, suppose you still prefer to have some sunlight. You can still get natural light to come in a while, blocking people from being able to see what is inside your garage.
In this case, consider changing the windows with frosted glass instead. You can also install window privacy films. (paid link)
Install Garage Door Lock
This option is probably the bare minimum you can do to protect your garage door. Have some sort of garage door lock to prevent people from opening it.
At its most basic, it could be a simple padlock that keeps the door panels locked to the floor. This is if you are trying to lock the door from the outside.
Many garage door installers can create this locking mechanism for you. You can also do it yourself. However, you may need a concrete breaker and the ability to mix and lay your cement.
If you try to lock the garage door from the inside, you can “lock” the door by unplugging the opener. That’s a good idea, but locking the door is even better.
However, an unplugged opener cannot prevent ‘fishing.’ This is a common method house breakers use to open your garage door. This means you will need better security than just a simple lock.
Secure the Door Between the Garage And House
The weakest link in your garage security may be the connecting door. This connecting door usually links your house and the garage.
This door may be called a service or side door, depending on where you live. Its major function is to allow you to access your garage from your house. You do not need to open the main garage door.
If you want to keep your garage safe, consider locking the connecting door. Do this whenever you leave your house, especially if you are leaving your house for a long time.
Suppose the burglar manages to break into your house. If your side door is locked, the thief may be unable to access your garage easily.
Aside from having a locking mechanism to lock the door, consider more security options. You can also beef up the security of your side door by having a deadbolt or a heavy-duty strike plate.
Prevent Your Security Lever From ‘Fishing’
Most garage automatic door openers have an emergency release lever. The lever usually has a cord attached to it. Its primary function is to allow you to open or close your garage doors when there is no electricity.
However, this cord can become a security risk. This is because some clever thieves have used them to break into garages.
Burglars usually start by pushing in atop the garage door and creating a gap. They then use a wire hook to try to access the cord or lever by fishing for them.
Once they found it, they then pull it. This then opens your garage door manually. This method of breaking into a garage is called ‘fishing.’
To prevent fishing, secure the release lever or cord with a small zip tie to keep them safe from tampering.
Suppose there is a power outage, and you need to use the emergency lever. In that case, just cut off the zip tie and use the level. Replace it later when the electricity comes back on.
There is also an option to use a lever shield. This option may be more suitable if your garage is on the smaller side. When the garage is small, it may be hard to cut the zip tie, especially when your car is parked inside the garage.
Ensure Your Landscaping Does Not Invite Thieves
Many of us enjoy some gardening work. This means we may try to grow trees, plants, or hedgerows around our garage.
These plants may look beautiful and fancy. However, do understand that they can be security risks.
This is because when grown in the wrong place, they can end up shading the burglars from being seen.
As a result, they can hide away safely while slowly working their way into your garage. Even worse, these landscaping works may block out your security cameras. As a result, they may become unable to record anything well.
As a start, ensure your neighbors and any passersby can easily see your garage doors at your home. This means keeping large trees and shrubs well-trimmed and managed.
You also want to avoid placing large items that may obscure views of your garage, such as sheds or your car.
Smart Garage Security System
Some smart and modern garage door openers have innovative technology. You can use them to monitor and operate your garage doors remotely.
You can set up a smart garage security system to protect your garage. In many cases, a smart garage security system protects your garage in several ways:
Monitoring: You will love this feature if you hate crawling out of bed at night to check the garage door. Your smart security system may have a monitor placed near your bed, so you can see if your garage door is open or closed.
Self-closing system: Smart garage security system also comes with a self-closing system. Usually, a sensor is able to detect that the garage door is opened. Depending on your settings, the security system may close the garage door after some time.
If you forget to close the door, the self-closing system does it for you. You can usually adjust the timing and even override the system if you wish.
Lighting controls: Many smart garage security systems also come with lighting controls. These lighting controls usually work together with a motion sensor and lighting. Whenever the sensor detects a movement, the lights are turned on immediately.
This helps in several ways. One is when your car is approaching your garage, the lights come on immediately. This allows you to see your garage door and all.
Secondly, the lighting comes on immediately if anybody comes snooping around your garage. This deters them from trying anything nasty.
Smart Sync: Some smart garage security systems may also be able to sync to your voice assistants. These may include Amazon Alexa. This allows you to control your garage doors by voice. You may also receive notifications about your garage door from these assistants.
Smartphone connection: All these special features usually culminate on your smartphone. This means you may be able to receive notifications on your phone if your garage security is at risk.
For example, you have left your garage door open for several minutes. The smart system may send you a message asking if you want to keep the door opened or closed.
Suppose the security lights get turned on because the sensor detected movements. In this case, you may get a notification too. You can then access the security camera to see what the sensors detected.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we have looked into what you can do to improve the security of your garage.
You can start by setting up security systems and keeping your garage in open view with good lighting. It also helps to have good security habits, such as not leaving your garage doors open. You can also invest in a smart security system to make monitoring and controlling your garage easier.
Overall, improving the security of your garage is essential. This is so you can better protect your home and your loved ones. It helps to implement many of the steps we discussed here to achieve that.
