How to Secure Your Garage

Your garage door is a modern convenience that makes your life easier. But it's also a relatively easy entry point for burglars.

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Learn how to secure a garage door to protect what's inside your garage and keep intruders from continuing into your home.

Garage security methods span a range of options, from high-tech to low-tech. Consider your current garage situation to decide which upgrades to make when deciding how to secure a garage door.

1. Install a Locking System

A physical lock makes it more difficult for anyone to enter your garage uninvited. These locks prevent the door from opening even with the electric opener and can be engaged from the inside. One option is placing a padlock on the throw latch. There are several separate lock options, including a sliding bar lock and a T-handle lock.

A sneaky way burglars can get into your garage is by pulling the release cord with a wire. This allows them to open your garage door manually. You can get devices that protect the emergency release to foil the plans of these creative burglars.

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2. Upgrade Your Door and Opener

If your garage door and opener are becoming relics of the past, upgrading them can improve your security. Plus, you boost your curb appeal. Older garage door openers often make breaking in through the garage easier, so upgrading gives you better security. A heavier-duty garage door is also more challenging to breach. Work with an experienced garage door company and let them know security is a priority to choose a solid option.

3. Use a Garage Door App

Smart home features can make life convenient and more secure. Garage door apps let you open and close your garage door from anywhere, taking the place of your garage door opener remote. It's an easy way to check in on your garage door status at any time, so you can see if you accidentally left it open or if someone broke in. Some apps also send you notifications about your door's status, so you'll know immediately if it opens when you weren't expecting it to.

4. Add Video Cameras

Cameras inside and outside your garage can detect movement and alert you to someone trying to enter your garage. Many cameras come with apps that send notifications when the camera detects motion. Some also allow you to talk through the camera.

5. Install Motion-Sensor Lights

Exterior lighting can scare away would-be criminals because it puts them in a spotlight. If you don't want nonstop lights on, install motion-sensor lights on either side of your garage door. When someone approaches to break into the garage door, the triggered light makes it difficult for them to hide, and it might draw attention to the situation.

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6. Secure Your Interior Door

Upgrading the door between your garage and home gives you another layer of protection if someone enters your garage. Install a heavy-duty door with a deadbolt to make it difficult to get inside your home.

7. Cover Garage Windows

Garage door windows let in lots of light and add character to the door, but they can also give burglars a free peek at what's inside. Covering windows with privacy film or other materials blocks the view of any valuable items you have inside the garage. Don't forget the windows on the sides of your garage. Hang curtains or blinds to block the view there.

8. Take Your Remote With You

It's tempting to leave the remote for your garage door in your car for convenience. But that also makes it easy for thieves to grab if they have access to your car. For instance, say you forget to lock your car door while you're parked in the driveway. Someone could easily grab the opener and come back later to enter your home. You can get garage door remotes that go onto your keychain, so you can keep the remote handy with your keys.

9. Keep the Door Closed

This might seem simple when considering how to secure a garage door, but keeping your garage door closed could be enough to deter burglars. An open garage door provides an opportunity for an easy in-and-out job. Thieves can walk into your garage and help themselves to tools, bikes and other items or continue into your home. Get in the habit of always closing your garage door if you're not using it or doing something in the garage.