Updated: 4/21/2022
Your garage door is an important and convenient feature of your home, and it’s crucial to remember that your garage door also serves as a point of entry. In fact, thieves may see your garage door as the easiest access point, as most people tend to ignore garage door security — windows and doors are areas that are much more likely for a homeowner to reinforce.
Have you been giving enough thought to garage door theft protection? If you haven’t, you may want to consider these simple security tips to prevent garage break-ins.
1. Get a Smart Opener with a Rolling Code
Garage door opening systems that are a couple of years old or outdated most likely use a simple code system. Even though it may be easy to think this type of system offers protection and security, often they don’t because they just use one fixed code. Burglars can easily break into these dated systems by using a simple code grabber — sometimes even gaining access within just a few short minutes.
Rolling codes are commonly found in automatic and smart garage door openers, and they work differently than simple code systems. They are not as easy to hack because the codes rotate, or roll, through about one million codes. Each time you open and close your garage door, the code rotates again, and the previous one is useless. That means if a criminal is trying to gain access, their chances of finding the right code are very slim.
In addition to providing you with rolling codes, smart openers also offer other layers of protection — such as being able to open or close your garage door right from your phone even when you’re gone and setting automatic timers for your door’s operation.
2. Avoid Leaving the Garage Door Remote in the Car
This seems like an easy one, and it is, but too few people ignore this idea. Keeping your remote in your car is fine while your car is in your garage, but the first time you decide to leave it parked in the driveway, a thief has an ideal opportunity gain access to your home by simply breaking your car window.
Even if you never park in the driveway, thieves may follow you to local locations where you may park your car and steal the remote there. Take the remote with you.
3. Secure the Garage Door Emergency Release
There is an emergency release lever near the front of your garage door that will allow you to open the door in case of an emergency. While this is a convenient safety feature, many people may not realize that an enterprising thief can slip a coat hanger under the door, catch the release lever and pull it to open the door from the outside.
Loop a zip tie around the lever to prevent someone from being able to trip it from the outside.
4. Lock Garage Doors When Away for Extended Periods
You’d never think of leaving your front door unlocked — especially if you were going away on vacation — but what about your garage door? Even if you have a high-quality garage door or a security system, it is always best practice to lock it to add another layer of protection.
You can lock your garage door with the deadbolt found on the inside of your door. When you deadbolt it, the garage door will be locked into its tracks. This will help keep your home safe and secure when you are away for extended periods.
This may seem like an obvious one as well, but it’s important to keep in mind that it doesn’t take long for a thief to slip into your garage. Do not leave the garage door open and unattended, and close the door promptly after you enter.
5. Use Frosted Glass for Garage Windows
While garage windows may add a lot of natural light, especially if you do a lot of DIY projects in your garage, they can be another entry point for burglars. They also allow potential burglars to easily peek inside and see what you have stored in your garage. If you have tools, expensive equipment or other valuable items, you don’t want criminals seeing them.
If you are looking to purchase a new garage door, you can get one with frosted privacy glass. This blocks the view and prevents burglars from being able to peer inside.
However, if you aren’t ready to replace your garage door, you can buy various sprays or films to put on the windows and prevent potential thieves from peering inside.
Choose DistribuDoors for Your Secure Seattle Area Garage Doors
If you need garage door maintenance, repair or a new door with customized glass in the Seattle area, trust DistribuDoors. You will find a wide selection of quality Clopay® garage doors, along with professionals who have the experience to service doors of all brands.
We also offer state-of-the-art LiftMaster® garage door openers with Security 2.0+, which includes a rolling code lock system to make it nearly impossible for thieves to hack your garage door.
These garage door openers also include Smart technology that allows you to open and close the door remotely through an app on your phone, automate the opening and closing of the door and alert you when the door is being used for even greater security. Contact us for all the details or for an estimate on service today.