Did you know that the second most common entry point for burglars is through your garage? While you probably are great about locking all of the doors and windows at night and while you are away, you may unwittingly be tempting bad guy fate with a vulnerable garage door.
Needless to say, you do not want thieves anywhere near the interior of your garage. If you’re a car enthusiast, you may have a valuable vehicle in there, along with other items that are worth plenty of money like tools, car parts and memorabilia. And as a loving Dad, remember that your most precious property — your beautiful kids and spouse — are right behind one more garage door, the one that leads into your house.
Fortunately, upping the security of your garage door is not that difficult. You can also take these steps in stages so they don’t hammer your budget too much at one time.
Install a Home Security Camera System
If a burglar is casing your neighborhood, chances are good he will skip the home and garage that have a visible home security camera system in favor of an un-monitored property. If you have considered adding this type of security feature, now is a great time to do just that. Thanks to the proliferation of some pretty amazing technology, you can now purchase home security camera systems that feature long-range night vision that allow the cameras to literally see in the dark. The beauty of these home security cameras is impressive: the Lorex Nocturnal security cameras, for example, have the longest night vision ranges that are currently available, which means that if some creep is on your property at night, your camera system will capture him in living color, right down to the color of his baseball cap and jacket. The wired Nocturnal cameras can be installed above your garage door, front entrance or wherever you choose.
Invest in a Garage Door Monitor
Sometimes, notes Family Handyman, the security of a garage will be undermined due to the simple reason that someone forgot to close the door. Or, you may have pushed the button on the remote as you drove away, but didn’t realize that a box or toy got in the way of the safety sensor, and prevented the door from closing. To avoid this scenario, invest in a garage door sensor that sends a signal to the monitor, thus telling you if the door is opened or closed. While you can purchase a sensor that will alert you if the garage door is open, but not close the door on its own, it might be a better option to upgrade your garage door opener to something like the Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener. As CNET.com notes, this opener lets you open and close the door from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection, and it will also monitor if the door is left open. This way, if you get to work 20 miles from your home and the Chamberlain alert says “hey man, your door is wide open” you can close it remotely rather than having to drive all the way home — now that is pretty cool.
Replace Your Old Garage Door With One That Is Insulated
If you are ever tempted to leave your garage door open a crack during the hot summer months to keep your garage and the rooms adjacent to it a bit cooler, you are also giving thieves an easy way into your abode. Instead, consider upgrading your garage door to one that is well-insulated. Most garage doors have virtually no installation at all, which is why the spaces are like igloos in the winter and ovens in the summer. But if you purchase an insulated model, you can significantly reduce the amount of heat or cold that transfers from the garage to the house, as well as stop keeping the door open a few inches and tempting burglars.
Follow These Tips for a Safer Garage and Home
In addition to the aforementioned tips like installing a home security camera system, be sure to also keep the interior door between your garage and your home locked at all times, and also never keep your clicker in a car that stays out overnight on the driveway or street. All a bad guy has to do is break into your vehicle and he can help himself to the remote control, open the door and start stealing your valuable stuff that’s in the garage, and possibly the house too. Fortunately, making a garage more secure is not a Herculean task, and it’s one that you can do in steps — starting today.
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