From the whole-home security system that you activate at night, to the deadbolt on your front door, to the automated lights that protect your home while you’re on vacation, there’s no shortage of things you can do to protect your home from burglars and thieves who might want to take what you’ve worked so hard to earn. But while you’re busy outfitting your home with a variety of security devices, you might not be paying enough attention to another aspect of your home that could prove itself accessible for unwanted guests: your garage door.
We don’t typically think of residential garage doors in Rancho Cordova as being an entry point for our homes, or a vulnerable one at that. How could something so large be a target for criminals? The fact of the matter, however, is that a crafty burglar might actually find your garage door an easier access point than your doors or even a window!
Take a look at some of the ways you can protect your home’s garage door and how you might be able to secure this often overlooked access point to your home:
- Don’t leave your garage door remote in your vehicle! If you’re parked outside for some reason, a thief will likely gain access to your car before they go for your home. If your garage door opener is sitting idly in your car, access to your home is only the press of a button away.
- Planning on going out of town for several days? Padlocking the throw latch on your garage door is one of the simplest ways to protect it and everything behind it from unwanted intruders. No latch? No problem! Crafty homeowners can c-clamp their doors from the inside to achieve the same level of security.
- Frost or tint your garage windows to prevent someone peeking inside. If the inside of your garage door is visible, thieves can see where your emergency release is along with any other security measures you might have invested in, effectively voiding them.
- Talk to your garage door professional about “rolling code” garage door openers. These openers look like regular transmitters, however instead of transmitting a sole signal that’s associated with your door they actually transmit a randomized code each time you use them. This means millions of possibilities and a tremendous amount of trouble for any burglar that might be monitoring garage door codes for malicious use later on. (Note: Lift-Master’s Security+ line of doors is a great example of rolling code transmitters.)
- Keep your garage door maintained! Rusted parts, worn components and other compromised areas weaken the structural capacity of the door itself, making it vulnerable to kick-ins or the like.
Your garage door may seem secure, but is it really? Take a look at some of the tips above and think about how you might break into your home if you were a burglar—chances are, you’ll be surprised at just how vulnerable this aspect of your home is compared to the other security investments you’ve made.