1. Keep your garage door closed
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, it’s not as obvious as you think. People often leave their garage door open when they pop to the shops or drop someone off, thinking that it’s easier than closing and opening it again. But leaving your garage door open, whether it’s when you’re home or out for a short time, is a sure way to tempt an opportunistic thief; it’s also a chance for someone with more serious intent to have a good look at what’s inside and work out entry points to your home. Basically, leaving your door open at any time, other than when you’re working in the garage or front yard, is a big no-no.
2. Lock & cover garage windows
If your garage has windows, make sure they are locked when no one’s home and overnight, as garage windows provide easy access for burglars. For enhanced security, you should also cover your windows to prevent people from being able to look inside your garage. While some people install frosted or tinted glass from the get-go, you can also purchase frosting and tinting in the form of plastic film that you can retrofit to your windows – an economical and effective way to add security while still allowing light into your garage.
3. Lock entry doors
A crucial element of garage security is to keep all entry doors locked when you’re not home and overnight. This includes those doors from the garage to the house and any leading from outside into the garage. If you don’t have a lock on the door from the garage into the house, thinking that the garage door is security enough, well, it’s definitely time to install one.
4. Keep valuable items out of sight
Does your garage look a bit like a junk yard with some really expensive gear scattered around? If so, it’s time to have a good sort out and store your valuable items out of sight. After all, there are many occasions during the day when your garage door has to be open, the most obvious being when you are leaving or coming home. And these necessary times when your door is open are perfect opportunities for a passerby to check out your stuff. If expensive items, like bikes and power tools, are in plain view, it’s an incentive for someone to return when you’re not home and attempt a break in. If your valuables aren’t visible to the passerby, it’s a really good deterrent, as no one is going to risk a break in if there’s nothing worth stealing.
5. Don't leave your remote visible in your car
Again, this seems obvious but a lot of people do leave their remote visible in their car, whether it’s stored on the windshield visor or in the space between the front seats. Just don’t do it. If you do keep your remote in your car for convenience, keep it out of sight in the glove box or in the centre console.
6. Install sensor lighting
Sensor lighting is a great way to deter break-ins, whether it’s through the house or via the garage. Usually, a number of lights suddenly coming on is enough to scare off anyone who’s considering something nefarious, and will alert you to unusual activity around your house. Install them above the garage door, the front door and on either side of the house for the best coverage.
7. Service your garage door regularly
Ensuring your garage door is operating properly is the best way to secure your garage, so having the door and motor serviced regularly, and repaired when necessary, is extremely important. If you need further convincing that you should adhere to a regular service schedule, have a look at our article on the topic.
8. Invest in a ‘smart’ garage door control kit
A number of the major brands have developed ‘smart’ garage control kits that you download onto your phone, giving you a whole raft of security measures that simply cannot be provided by traditional openers. These include real time notifications when your door is opened; the ability to customise your door for partial opening modes and restricted access times; an activity log so you can view the historical activity of your door from your phone; and, most importantly, you can operate your garage door from anywhere and at any time, provided you have Wifi connection. You can find out more about the benefits of a smart phone control kit here.
For more information about garage doors, openers or smart control kits, contact the experts at Best Doors on 1800 066 142 or via the website.
