Most homeowners are vigilant about checking if the front and back doors of their house, as well as all windows, are locked before they turn in for the night. However, one often forgotten area of the home is the garage. Leaving this space unlocked and easily accessible by anyone is a major safety risk. Not only can burglars enter the garage to steal valuable items like vehicles, lawnmowers and power tools, but they can also go through it to reach the door that leads to the actual home.
Your family must have a system in place to keep the garage door locked and the entire space secured at all times. To help you set this up, here are six important tips that can serve as your guide to improving garage door security at home:
Choose a highly durable garage door, and fit it with the appropriate locks.
It's best to have a solid wood, metal, solid wood core, or fibreglass door installed in your garage so that it can serve as a solid barrier against potential intruders meaning to break it down. Make sure it comes with excellent locks, too — install more than one lock, add a deadbolt, or use padlocks with programmed entry codes.
Install a security system.
Your best line of defence for keeping your garage entrance well-guarded is to rig it with a security system that is linked to the overall home security system you have. A loud alarm will sound in the event that a trespasser gets into your garage, and emergency services can be alerted of the break-in immediately.
Don't give outsiders an opportunity to look into the garage.
If your garage has any windows, make sure they're covered with blinds or curtains so that no one can peek inside and check out what can be stolen or where the door to the house is. Alternatively, you can apply an opaque or translucent film to the glass — this works to allow light in while preventing people outside from seeing what's inside.
Use timers.
If you have a tendency to forget to lock doors, especially when the whole family is in a rush or tired from all the day's work, a timer would be an essential tool for the household. You can set the timer to signal your garage door opener to close the door at a specific time.
Never leave the garage door remote inside your car.
Most homeowners keep their garage door remote on the dashboard of their car, but this is a risky thing to do in the event that your car is parked in the driveway for the night — and even when your car is parked inside the garage. It's best to keep the remote with you — use a small keychain remote instead of a big one so that you'll always have it handy and no intruder can get to it.
Consider having motion detector lights installed in and around the garage.
These would be the type of lights that come with your home security system, but you should go the extra mile and have them put up around the garage as well. These lights are designed to use infrared waves that can detect body temperature and movements. When a movement is detected (like a passing person, animal or car), a light is turned on and stays on for a set period of time.
Secure your garage door with the help of the top garage door manufacturers in Australia today.