When you think about keeping your home safe and secure, you likely focus on doors and windows. And for good reason! They are the common entry points for burglars and break-ins. But are you paying the same attention to another door on your home—your garage door? Are garages easy to break into?
Unfortunately, yes. Garage doors can be easy to break into if they aren’t properly secured. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, approximately 9% of break-ins happen through the garage. It’s important to understand how thieves break into garages, and the steps you can take to keep your garage door secure.
Read on for our Top 10 tips and suggestions to secure your garage.
- Add garage security devices to your security system.
- Install motion-activated lights near the garage.
- Remove landscaping near your garage that could provide cover.
- Keep your garage door closed when you aren’t using it.
- Add privacy to garage windows and doors.
- Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car.
- Secure the emergency release and maintain your garage door.
- Secure service doors and doors to your house.
- Be smart about what you store in the garage.
- Be a good neighbor.
How to Secure a Garage Door & Keep Your Home Safe
Add garage door security devices to your security system.
At CPI Security, we offer a variety of products that can be added to your whole-home security to make your garage more secure. For example, outdoor security cameras or the Floodlight Camera Pro help you monitor your garage door from anywhere. Our Smart Garage Door Controller allows you to open or close your garage door whether you’re at home or away.
Learn more about the Garage Door Controller here.
Install motion-activated lights near the garage.
Dark shadows around your garage door make it easier for burglars to sneak around at night in search of an entry point. Add motion-activated flood lights near your garage doors and windows. They shine a literal spotlight on anyone snooping around your home with an intention to break in. Motion-activated lights should be installed in other key areas around the perimeter of your house, as well.
CPI’s Floodlight Camera Pro features high-definition video, two-way audio, customizable lighting, perimeter theft alerts, and rapid PIR motion-triggered light activation. It even includes deterrence features like red and blue lights and a powerful siren. Backed by CPI’s 24/7 alarm monitoring, the Floodlight Camera Pro provides best-in-class perimeter defense for your propert
Remove landscaping near your garage that could provide cover.
Landscaping can improve your home’s curb appeal, but tall shrubs and trees can also provide cover for suspicious activity. Keep the landscaping around your garage and other exterior entry points trimmed to a reasonable height. That way, they can’t be used by a potential burglar to hide.
While trimming your house landscaping, examine the entire exterior to identify vulnerabilities. Get into the mind of a burglar and consider how you might enter your own home. Then, you can plan to mitigate those risks by fixing weak entry points.
Keep your garage door closed when you aren’t using it.
You wouldn’t keep your front door wide open! So why should your garage door be any different? If you aren’t using your garage, keep the door shut. That way would-be burglars can’t check out your garage’s contents or look for easy ways to gain access.
Add privacy to garage windows or doors.
Similarly, consider using interior curtains or blinds in your garage windows and doors. This will provide added coverage so no one can peer inside. It serves as a deterrent so they can’t see whether your car is parked inside or take stock of what you store in your garage. You can also add translucent or frosted film over windows to conceal what’s inside, without sacrificing light coming into the garage.
Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car.
If your car is accidentally left unlocked in your driveway, a thief can easily reach in and take the garage door opener. Then they’ll have access to your garage and potentially even your home. Always keep it safely with you, in a bag or your pocket. You can also put a remote opener on a keychain to streamline everything you need to access your home, without giving access to a stranger.
Learn more about the benefits of a CPI Smart Garage Door Controller.
Secure the emergency release and maintain your garage door.
A quick, simple way to secure a garage door is to zip-tie the emergency release. This release allows the door to open when there is no power. Burglars can use a coat hanger to reach in and pull this release, even when the door is shut. Securing the release with a zip tie helps prevent this from happening. And in case of a power outage or emergency, you can easily cut the zip tie to use the release as needed.
Garage doors should also be well-maintained to keep them in safe, working order. It is also important to ensure that all seals in the garage door are tight and secure.
If you’re headed out of town, consider taking the extra step of unplugging your automatic garage door opener or adding a locked padlock to one of the tracks.
Secure service doors and doors to your house.
Make sure that all other doors are secure as well. This especially includes service doors and the door from the garage into your home. If you don’t already have one, add a deadbolt lock, as well as a reinforced plate installed with 3-inch screws. Always lock your deadbolt for extra security. While you’re making these changes, also make sure that all of your exterior doors are protected this way.
Interested in adding Smart Locks to your home? CPI has those too!>>
Be smart about what you store in the garage.
When possible, store high-value items inside your home rather than in the garage. If you have expensive items that need to be kept in your garage, use locked garage cabinetry to add an extra level of protection and security.
Be a good neighbor.
Forming relationships with your neighbors goes a long way to keeping your home, and your entire neighborhood, more secure. Take the time to get to know your neighbors. Then, you can being to recognize what is normal activity and what may be suspicious. Arrange with a neighbor to pick up newspapers, mail, and packages when you are out of town. When neighbors know each other and look out for each other, the entire neighborhood is better off!
For more tips on keeping your garage—and your entire home—secure, get in touch with the experts at CPI Security!
