Garage Door Security
Garage door security is an area that is overlooked often by homeowners. It is also one of the preferred penetration points for burglars as garages are not in use during the night and the chance to run into a homeowner is minimal. As wise people say, prevention is better than cure, and we will point out some areas that should be looked into and beefed upwhere necessary. Most garage burglaries can be averted by exercising a few precautions related to the reinforcement of service doors, overhead doors and windows. What’s more important is that these measures are relatively cheap and they work.
Deadbolts and Hinges
Looking at the service door first, installing a good-quality deadbolt is a place to start. Reinforcing the doorjamb and hinges to resist a brute-force attack is next. Most good quality dead bolts have an ANSI Grade 1 rating although even a Grade 2 lock will do an effective job. Remember that the best dead bolt will be of no use if the doorjamb and door are not reinforced. It is a good idea to install a metal sleeve to strengthen the deadbolt base. You can pick this item up from any hardware store. It is simple to install before putting in the deadbolt. Next step is to install a sturdy strike plate securely to the wall framing with long screws. Again, these are available in the same places as the metal sleeves and deadbolts.
Most door hinges are installed in place with small three quarter inch screws and are easy to kick in. Replacing these will be your next target. A three inch screw should suffice in place of the shorter screws. If your garage is attached to the main house, which is the case in most modern constructions, repeat this method of reinforcement to the door connecting the garage to the house.
Windows
If you have any windows that look out from the garage, cover the lower part of the windows with an opaque plastic sticker sheet so as to keep prying eyes out. If that is not to your liking, install blinds or curtains and try and keep them drawn at all times. In this era of electronic surveillance and counter surveillance, most modern crooks are equipped with scanners that will pin point your garage door openers frequency. The best idea to counter this is simple. Disable the mechanism by installing a simple lock.
Remotes
On the subject of garage doors, remotes are often left inside the car. You can swap your bulky remote with a key fob that is just as effective. When you take your car keys inside, the door opener goes with you. Sometimes it totally slips the mind to activate the garage door to close it. A timer installed on the door opening mechanism will close the garage door after a safe period has passed.
For those who want all the bells and whistles, you can now install an integrated security solution which will automatically close your door, monitor motion within the garage, is equipped with automatic lighting controls and also has a smart phone connection to dial a pre-set number in case of break-in at odd hours. Cheaper electronic prices have made solutions like this within the pocket range of the average homeowner.
Remember that most garage doors nowadays come with emergency release mechanisms. It is very easy to install some zip ties and still retain the function it was intended for. Lastly, install a wide angle peephole in the door between your house and garage along with a light switch that turns on the garage lights. Make it a habit to look through it when you suspect that there is an intruder in the garage.
Click below for a free e-book on Garage Door Security from All Four Seasons Garage Doors, Powder Springs, GA
Contact your Garge Door Pros- All Four Seasons, Powder Springs, GA today! find out how you can secure your biggest asset- your home- by securing your garage doors. Call 678-981-8454 or click All Four Seasons Garage Doors Powder Springs GA.