Whether you are working, on the school run, or on holiday, your garage is most vulnerable when you aren’t home. If you find yourself worrying about garage door security, this is a clear sign that you need to review your garage door safety.
Follow our ten tips for keeping your garage safe while you are away, for extra peace of mind.
1. Close The Garage Door
It sounds almost too straightforward, but not closing the door properly gets overlooked far too often. Whether from forgetfulness or because you aren’t away for long, an open door can be seen as an invitation.
Many automatic garage doors have a built-in automatic self-closing feature. This doesn’t mean you have to just drive away and leave it down to the automated system. But it is a great, nice-to-have backup.
If you have access to your garage from your home, add a physical side-locking mechanism on the inside.
2. Keep Your Belongings Out Of Sight
When storing valuables or expensive tools and equipment in your garage, keep these covered or out of sight in a cupboard or lockable tool storage cabinet.
When you are purchasing a new garage door, then consider one without glazing or with frosted glass. If you want clear glazing, opt for glass panels positioned at the top to make it harder to see in.
3. Light Your Garage And Drive
Burglars and thieves don’t like being seen. So you can boost your garage door security by adding exterior home and garage lights. External lights can be connected to the automated garage door opener or use a motion sensor that turns the light on whenever someone approaches.
4. Secure Your Side Door
A service door on the side of a garage is a popular feature that allows access, often directly from your garden. You should upgrade to a secure door if yours is sub-standard, and be sure to keep this locked.
5. Protect Internal Home Entry Doors
If your garage is attached to your home, then it will likely have an internal access door. When you are away, keep this locked to create an additional barrier should someone break into your home.
6. Improve The Visibility Of Your Garage
Just like adding exterior lights, you will improve your garage door security if you trim back bushes and trees to improve visibility.
7. Hide Your Remote
Leaving your garage remote on view in your car or clipped to the visor is not a good idea. Most remotes have a design that allows you to clip them to your keychain, so you can take them with you. Don’t forget to lock your car and don’t leave your house keys in your vehicle.
8. Choose An Opener That Supports A Smartphone Connection
If you don’t like the idea of carrying a remote, then smartphone-operated openers are an excellent alternative. You can also see if your door is open or closed, 24/7, from anywhere in the world.
9. Ensure Your Garage Door Is CE Marked
Garage doors and openers made before 2000 might not be CE Marked. This is an indication that the security features do not meet modern standards.
The evolution of technology has been significant over the past twenty years. New garage doors have features such as rolling codes that change every time you use your remote and holiday modes, which disable remote access when you are away.
10. Choose A Secured By Design Garage Door
Secured by Design is an official police initiative and tells you that you are buying the most secure type of door with strong garage locks.
For more information on garage door security or a site survey and new garage door price, don’t hesitate to contact our team.