The garage door is the largest opening on most homes – and one of the most commonly overlooked security vulnerabilities. While most homeowners lock their front door without thinking twice, the same careful habits often do not carry over to the garage. Burglars know this. A garage that is easy to access provides shelter while they work, direct entry into the home, and in many cases, access to a vehicle as well. Here are the most effective steps you can take to make your garage a much harder target.
Do Not Leave the Door Open
It sounds obvious but leaving the garage door open for extended periods – while working in the yard, running a quick errand, or just airing it out – is an invitation. An open garage lets anyone passing by see what is stored inside, assess whether anyone is home, and in some cases simply walk in while you are occupied elsewhere. Make closing the door a habit any time you are not actively moving in and out. If you want ventilation, use a side door or window rather than leaving the main door open.
Frost or Cover Windows If You Have Them
Garage door windows add natural light but also give anyone on the street a clear view of what is inside – vehicles, tools, bikes, and seasonal equipment all telegraph both your valuables and your schedule. Frosted window film or privacy cling applied to the inside of the glass maintains the light while eliminating the view from outside. It costs a few dollars and takes an hour to apply.
Use the Lock When You Are Away
Most garage doors have a manual throw latch or slide lock that can be engaged independently of the opener. Get in the habit of using it when you leave for extended trips. For added security, a pair of C-clamps tightened onto the track on each side of the door prevents the door from being forced up even if someone defeats the opener mechanism. The manual lock and clamps together make the door essentially impractical to force from outside.
Treat the Interior Door Like a Front Door
The door from the garage into your home is a secondary line of defense, but many homes have a hollow-core interior door in that location – the same type of door used for bedroom closets. That door would not survive a determined kick for long. Replace it with a solid-core wood or steel door, install a deadbolt, and add an anti-kick plate to the door frame. If someone does get into the garage, this door is the last thing standing between them and your living space.
Add Motion-Activated Lighting
A dark garage exterior makes it much easier for someone to work unnoticed. Motion-activated spotlights covering the driveway and garage approach are inexpensive to install and highly effective as a deterrent – most opportunistic thieves move on when lights come on. Position them so that the entire driveway apron and the approach from both sides of the garage are covered.
Never Leave Your Remote in the Car
A garage door remote clipped to a sun visor is one of the most common oversights in home security. If someone breaks into your car – or if your car is stolen – they have a button that opens your home. Keep your remote on your keychain instead. If your car was broken into and the remote was inside, reprogram your opener immediately to invalidate the stolen remote.
Secure the Emergency Release Cord
Most garage door openers have a red release cord that disengages the door from the opener for manual operation. This cord can be triggered from outside using a thin wire or hook passed through the top of the door frame – a technique that takes seconds and is well-documented online. You can prevent this by threading a zip tie through the hole in the release lever that connects to the cord, which prevents the lever from being tripped externally without preventing your use of it from inside.
Upgrade to a Modern Opener With Rolling Code Technology
Older garage door openers transmit a fixed code every time you press the remote. Code-grabbing devices can capture that signal and replay it to open your door. Modern openers use rolling code technology, which generates a new encrypted code with every button press – making code interception essentially useless. If your opener is more than 15 years old, upgrading to a current model addresses this vulnerability and brings better safety features, quieter operation, and smartphone connectivity at the same time.
Questions About Your Garage Door System?
Discount Garage Door installs and services garage door openers throughout Tulsa and the Oklahoma City area. If you want to upgrade to a more secure modern opener or have questions about any of these security measures, give us a call or request a free quote online.
Get a free quote online or call your nearest location:
- Tulsa: 918-234-3667
- Oklahoma City: 405-525-3667
- Edmond: 405-348-2000
- South OKC: 405-848-6700
Related: Garage Door Opener Repair and Installation | Garage Door Repair | Preparing the Garage for an Emergency
