It’s no secret that burglars often target garages when attempting to break into a home.
A recent study by the FBI found that nearly 30% of all burglaries occur through the garage door.
Follow these 22 garage door safety tips to help prevent break-ins and protect your home and belongings. From using a security system to keeping your garage clean, these tips will help you keep your family safe and secure.
Prevent Break-Ins With These 22 Garage Door Safety Tips
Security systems
1. Install an alarm system. Having a security system notifies you right away if someone breaks into your garage. Additionally, it provides another layer of protection when you are in the house.
2. Keep in mind that there are also less expensive options available for garage door security in Austin, Texas than installing an entire home security system with multiple sensors and cameras.
Keeping Garage Clean
3. Keep your garage clean. The last thing you want is to come home to find that burglars have made themselves comfortable by hiding tools or random items inside your garage while they wait to strike. Make sure everything important is kept out of sight and off of the ground (like packages). It only takes a minute, but it could save your life.
Protecting Against Slamming Garage Doors
4. Keep garage doors in good working order. Make sure all the components are properly connected and that none of the screws are loose or falling off. Nothing gives away a burglar’s location faster than an unexpectedly opening garage door. Replace them if they are damaged or too old to work properly.
5. Make sure your garage door is not located right beside your front or back door, so burglars won’t have easy access to breaking into your home once they’ve entered through the garage doors by damaging them with excessive force (as needed). Aesthetically pleasing garage doors can also provide added security against burglars who want to gain entry by damaging the garage door.
Protecting Against Jumping Over Garage Door
6. Do not let your garage door open so high that it hits the vehicles parked inside. Make sure you have enough room for cars to drive through without difficulty, but also enough room to prevent burglars from jumping over on top of the garage door and entering right into your home once they’ve gained entry through your garage doors by damaging them with excessive force (as needed).
Keeping Gate Closed When Not In Use
7. Make sure you keep any gates or side doors leading into your backyard closed and locked when you’re away from home, especially if you live in a neighborhood with lots of foot traffic. This will provide another level of security against burglars who might want to gain entry to your home by jumping fences or pushing open unlocked side doors.
Keeping Windows Locked When Not In Use
8. When you’re away from home, make sure that all windows are kept securely locked with strong locks, so burglars can’t gain entry by breaking them out quickly with tools. Make sure these are the only points of entry for any would-be burglars before leaving your house. Your garage doors should be safe as long as they are installed properly and prevent access with alarms, but now it’s time to focus on securing window entrances inside your home.
Securing Any Off-Site Entry Points
9. If you have a back/porch that connects directly to your home by a door, make sure you keep that as secure as possible as well. This is especially important if it’s a sliding glass door with easy access to the interior. It only takes a second for someone to break open a sliding glass door and rush right in after they’ve jumped over your fence or unlocked a side gate.
Keeping Second Vehicle Access Locked
10. If you have an extra vehicle parked outside of your garage, be sure to keep it locked at all times so burglars can’t use it to enter/exit your garage doors before breaking them down with tools quickly (as needed) – whether it’s simply because you forgot to lock the front or back gate leading into your backyard or because you failed to secure your second vehicle.
Keeping Ladders Out of Reach
11. If you store your ladder against the side of your garage, make sure it’s locked up with a chain or key lock (as needed). If you can’t manage that, then just keep it as high up as possible so burglars have a hard time reaching it from the ground. Any tools on the ground are an open invitation for any would-be burglars who know what they’re doing.
Clearly Marking Your Home Address
12. Make sure your home address is clearly marked on both sides so police and other first responders aren’t confused about which house is yours once they arrive on the scene to offer help if something bad should happen while you’re away from home.
You don’t want anyone to accidentally enter the wrong house when checking up on things, which might happen if your house isn’t clearly marked with both numbers and street signage.
Keep Garbage Inside Shed Until Collection Day
13. Throw away any garbage in a shed instead of a trashcan, so burglars can’t use it to cover up their scent from being near your garage doors or windows before trying them out slowly (as needed).
Any food items left outside of a closed shed will be an open invitation for wild animals who would love to get their hands on some free food, but it’s even worse since this might also attract wild cats and dogs that will mark your property as their own by leaving evidence behind for anyone to see that they’ve been lurking around your yard.
Keeping Shed Locked When Not In Use
16. If you have a shed on your property, make sure it’s locked securely with a good cross-bar lock (as needed), so burglars can’t use it as an alternative entrance to gain entry into your backyard.
If you really want to prevent this from happening as much as possible, then just keep your garage door closed and locked at all times when not in use (so no one thinks the coast is clear and attempts to enter by other means).
Maintaining Solid Fences All Around Property
17. No matter what kind of fencing surrounds your home (or where it borders other properties), make sure it’s solid and can’t be jumped. Any serious burglar knows how to do this, which is why it’s important to check your property lines regularly (at least once every year or two) for places where fencing might need reinforcement.
Keeping Garage Doors Closed
18. It’s a good idea to keep garage doors closed at all times when not in use, but if you’d rather have sunlight coming into the garage from an open window, then consider adding a metal security screen that can’t be broken through easily with tools or weapons from outside of your house. It’s safe and effective, so there’s no reason not to use one on a permanent basis – particularly if you live in a high-crime area where break-ins are common.
Keeping Windows And Doors Locked At All Times
19. Keep all windows and doors locked at all times when no one is home, even if you enjoy fresh air from an open window (if you can’t afford a security screen for your garage window, for example). Don’t give burglars the impression that it’s okay to enter your property by leaving any doors or windows unlocked – not even for a minute unless you’re right there watching over everything.
Use Bright Lights Around Garage Door(s) And Walkway Up To Front/Back Door
20. If possible, leave bright lights on near garage areas and up to the front and back door of your house throughout the night (when no one is home), so burglars can’t sneak around without being seen easily.
If your yard is very dark, then consider investing in a few bright outdoor security lights that will make it difficult for anyone to hide or stay hidden within shadows created by other light sources (especially true near the door).
Be Sure All Locks Are Installed Properly And Function Effectively
21. Make sure all locks are installed properly and work effectively so they can be opened quickly if an emergency arises without having to fumble with keys long enough for potential thieves to come out of hiding after hearing you coming through the front or back door.
It’s not fun having to deal with this kind of quick-access lock replacement every time you’re locked out because of something breakable inside the lock (such as a toothpick), but it’s better than having your property broken into by criminals who are all set to go once this kind of issue is taken care of immediately.
Using Routine Security Checks On All Doors And Windows Every Night Before Bed
22. Make sure you perform routine security checks on all doors and windows every night before bed, so no one has an opportunity to come home after dark (or during the day) to find evidence that someone tried entering via these means without proper permission.
If you’re lucky, then everything might be fine even if there’s no sign of forced entry or tampering with your locks – just remember to do these security checks regularly for peace-of-mind purposes.
Did you know that a good-quality garage door can increase a home’s resale value?
When you live in an area where break-ins are common (such as Oak Park, River Oaks, and other communities), it’s crucial to make sure your garage door is secure at all times. If someone can break into your garage quickly and easily then they have a clear path to the rest of your property, so the last thing you want is for them to enter from this area instead of being forced to jump over your fence or climb it. Garage doors are usually tough enough to stop unwanted intruders from entering this way, but there’s really no harm in taking extra precautions (such as adding an alarm system) just in case.
When it comes to home security, a good garage door is essential. That’s why it’s no surprise that a home in Markham, Ontario sold for $1,253,188 in February 2018 because of its quality garage door. The homeowners had installed an upgraded garage door with an alarm system, and this was one of the major factors that led to them getting such a high offer for their property.
If you’re looking to sell your home in the near future, then a similar upgrade might be a good idea for yourself if you want the best possible price. A garage is one of the most underrated areas of a home where people can spend more money on upgrades – they don’t realize how much potential buyers will appreciate these features until it’s too late and a sale has been completed without them getting their share of benefits from such an improvement.
In this day and age when many individuals are giving up their cars or downgrading to less expensive models that use less gas, it might benefit you to consider having a manual garage door installed instead of only focusing on automatic ones since there will likely always be demand for this type in years to come.
If you’re looking to add value to your home, then upgrading your garage door is a great place to start. Not only will it make your home more secure, but it will also improve the look of your property and make it stand out from the rest. So if you’re ready to sell your home, be sure to upgrade your garage door and see what kind of offers you get.
Everything You Need To Know About Garage Door Safety
That’s all there is to know about garage door safety, whether you’re looking for tips on how to install a new garage door or maintain the one that already exists (either way, it should be cheap and easy with this kind of simple advice).
If you want to go above and beyond on your own, then consider investing in a couple of solid metal security screens at least – they’ll keep anyone outside from being tempted to come closer.
Are you looking for ways to prevent break-ins? Do you feel like your garage door is a vulnerability and it’s weak?
When people think of home security, they often think of locks and alarm systems – but this isn’t the only way to protect yourself from potential intruders or burglars that want to get into your property without permission. Sometimes the most common entry point for them is right through one of the doors in your garage, so be sure you know what kinds of problems this can cause if it’s left unprotected with no way for you to secure it.
It’s easy for your garage door to be targeted because it’s either at ground level or close by – that means burglars won’t have any problems getting into this entryway unless you make sure they don’t have any opening in there at all. For example, if you’re planning on selling your home soon then one of the first things potential buyers are going to do is enter through there, but if you ensure that everything is locked up tight then no one will want to go down that path since it would take too much time and effort (with absolutely nothing to show for it in the end).
That’s why garage door safety should be first and foremost on your mind if you want to make sure that no one has any chance of getting inside without your permission, like during Spring Cleaning when you might not be at home. It’s also something that shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re planning on selling your home or moving into a new place – people will always appreciate these simple but effective steps since they want to ensure that everything is kept safe around their property (and this includes their garage).
Garage door safety is important!
Did you know that most break-ins occur through the garage? Follow these simple tips above to help keep your home and family safe.
You can rest easy knowing that your property is protected by a sturdy garage door. Install a new one today with the help of Austin Car Key Pros. We’ll make sure it’s installed properly and meets all safety requirements.