Garage Door Security 101
Even the most modern garage doors can be vulnerable to evildoers seeking to do your family harm. Garage Door Doctor would like to impart to you some practical wisdom to keep your home and garage safe, secure, and out of harm’s way! You’ll be thanking yourself for taking these precautionary measures. Don’t let garage security be something you wish you’d have done! With that said, here are our best recommendations for keeping your garage locked up tight.
Keep Your Garage Locked Up Tight
Hold it right there, we just said that twice! That’s right, because it’s that important. If you have an old garage door that you need to manually open and close (first of all, hello from the future! We have automatic doors now!) it goes without saying that you need to lock it up when not in use. That being said, however, even modern garage doors are not immune to being opened by someone with ill intent. If you plan on going out of town for an extended period of time, it may not be a terrible idea to place a padlock on the inside of your garage door that would inhibit it from opening. Even if your garage door sustains damage from someone trying and failing to pry it open, that will be a favorable alternative to someone making off with all of your tools.
Assess Your Garage for Burglary Potential
Something handy that you can do is to take a few moments and take on the role of burglar. Look at your garage and think about how somebody could try to break in or take advantage of a weak spot. If you could think of a way in, rest assured that someone who makes a living out of theft can think of it too. You might just see a crack in the armor if you take a moment to assess your property.
Do Not Leave Garage Doors Open Unattended
Imagine removing an entire wall of your home, free for anyone walking or driving by to see all of the things you’ve stored away, and just letting it sit there for hours, unattended? That is essentially what you’re doing if you leave your garage door open unnecessarily. We’re sure you’ve seen this before around Indianapolis — someone was taking the groceries in and forgot to close the garage door, or somebody was working in the garage, then ran out to get something that should only take “a minute or two.” You would be surprised how easy it would be for a passersby to casually walk up to an open, unattended garage, and pick and choose from your belongings like it’s a buffet. Always be aware of the state of your garage door!
Update Your Old Garage Door Opener
More recent models of garage door openers are difficult to take advantage of, but older models can be vulnerable to tampering. If you’ve had the same garage door opener for years, have never changed the code, or aren’t even sure how it works, you need to call your friends here at Garage Door Doctor. We can determine the safety value of your garage door opener, and recommend a replacement if we think it is necessary. There are several smart garage door openers available today that let you remotely control your garage doors, making it easy to check the status of your garage from your smartphone! Now that is handy.
Pro Tip: Consider using a garage door opener that attaches to your key-chain. Leaving a garage door opener in your car is just about as safe as leaving the keys to your house on the front porch.
Invest in Appropriate Exterior Lighting
Having exterior lighting around your garage can be an incredibly simple deterrent for potential thieves. Motion-activated lights behave like little sentries that you can set around your home, making your house a less-likely target for exploitation. You’ll want to install these lights high enough that a burglar couldn’t simply walk up and unscrew them, defeating their purpose.
Replace Damaged Garage Doors
If you’ve been living with a damaged garage door, then you really need to give us a call! Garage Door Doctor has been serving the Indianapolis area for years, and we love taking care of our neighbors. Having a damaged garage door only puts you at risk for a burglar having a free-for-all in your garage. If you notice any gaps or openings around your garage door, contact us today, and we’ll come out to your home for a free inspection and estimate on getting you fixed up with a new garage door.
Be Careful of What You Store in Your Garage
We know, it’s incredibly tempting to store things willy-nilly in the garage for the mere convenience of it. However, if you’re storing something very valuable in the garage, even if you leave valuable items inside of unlocked cars, they become prime targets for break-ins. If you have something particularly valuable, try to consider a better place to store it than in the garage.
Help Your Neighbors By Being a Good Neighbor
Can we agree that we’re all in this together? If you notice anything suspicious about a neighbor’s garage, live up to the high expectations set by the great people of Indianapolis and communicate with them! When a garage door has been open for hours on end, with nobody in sight, give your neighbor a call or go knock on their door and make sure everything is okay. You would hope that your neighbors would do the same for you, right? Of course, if something seems fishy or dangerous, don’t put yourself at risk, but use discretion, and be a good neighbor. That’s what we’re all about at Garage Door Doctor.
Call Us For a Free Inspection!
If you need a new garage door or just want to make sure that your current garage set-up is optimized for safety, give us a call and we’ll come out for a free inspection. We love serving Indiana with superior garage door repair, maintenance, and replacement. We look forward to hearing from you, and stay safe out there neighbors!