How to Keep Your Garage Door Secure
- Install an Alarm: An alarm system can deter burglars and alert neighbours if a break-in is attempted. Visible alarms are especially effective.
- Secure Adjoining Doors: Ensure doors connecting the garage to the home are secure to prevent intruders from accessing the house.
- Keep the Garage Door Closed: Avoid leaving the garage door open. Use a security timer to automatically close the door if left open.
- Maintain the Garage Door: Regularly check for and repair any damage, such as loose panels, faulty locks, and rust, to prevent attracting burglars.
These days, you can’t be too careful when it comes to home security, and if you own a garage door – you have even more to think about. Consider this statistic from Nationwide Insurance: around one in ten burglars enters a home through the garage. Now while that number might seem low, if the study focused purely on homes in suburban areas, the results would be alarming.
So with that in mind, take note of the following tips about keeping your garage more secure.
Get an alarm
Whether you extend your current alarm or have a separate one installed, this will beef up the security of your garage dramatically. Firstly, if visible, the alarm itself will act as a deterrent, and if a burglar does decide to take their chances, everyone in the vicinity will be alerted.
Secure the adjoining doors
For many, entering the home through the garage is the norm. If this is the case for you, it’s absolutely essential to make sure that the adjoining doors to your home are completely secure. So, if someone actually does manage to gain access to your garage, they won’t be able to get any further.
Don’t leave your garage door open!
While this might seem like an obvious one – never leave your garage door open for long. If opportunistic thieves see that your garage is open, they could well try and snoop around regardless of whether you’re in or not.
One of the best ways to ensure that your garage door is always closed is to put it on a security timer. These timers automatically close your garage door if it’s left open for a set length of time. This way, if you do drive off for a long weekend and forget to close your garage door, you don’t have to worry about your home being exposed all weekend long!
Be wary of garage windows
Garage windows are growing in popularity, as they can offer the front of your home a unique, modern look. However, you also have to consider that you’re offering would-be burglars a peek into your home. If you would like to opt for garage windows, we would advise against keeping an expensive car stored in there!
Maintain your garage door properly
Maintaining your garage door properly is the best way to guard against break-ins; if your garage looks visibly weak or damaged, thieves will be much more likely to target it. Be sure to check for loose panels, damaged hinges, faulty locks and mechanisms, and rusting or missing screws. If you do find any problems with your garage door, don’t attempt to tackle them yourself – your best bet is to call a reputable garage door company and ask about repair and maintenance plans.
Associated Garage Doors are a family-run business, providing a personal and tailored service to each of our clients throughout Kent, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, East Grinstead, Hastings, Heathfield and beyond. Whether you’re looking for a new garage door or a new front door, Associated Garage Doors offer a free, no-obligation survey and quotation, so you can be secure in the knowledge that you’re getting a fair price before you continue. We also offer a stunning range of front doors and composite doors. We hope you found our garage door buying guide helpful, for more information, get in touch today.