Garage Door Repair & Gate Universal City, CA ? Burglars know how simple it is to break into your garage. They target this entry specifically because it is where people store valuables; from prize collectables in storage to expensive vehicles and appliances. It is also the easiest way to enter your home, putting the rest of your possessions (even your lives!) at risk. Is your garage door secure? Read on to learn how to make sure it is.

Easy preventative measures

  • Chamberlain Key Chain remote

    Leaving your remote clipped to your car’s visor: Thieves know to look for openers here, therefore opt for a smaller, portable remote you can add to your keychain. This keeps your opener near you at all times and eliminates a reason to break into your car!

  • Leaving car keys in the garage: As convenient of a location this may be for you, it is just as easy of a location for a thief. Keep your keys in a secure location in your home at all times.
  • Opener settings: Leaving your garage door opener set to the default factory settings leaves your door vulnerable. Reset the code to something more custom.
  • Watch your door shut: After you close your garage door with your remote, do not drive off until you have seen your door come to a complete close. There are thieves who wait for you to drive off before running inside your garage – do not give them this option.

 

Security measures

Securing your Emergency Release lever is a very inexpensive and effective way to prevent home invasion. As shown above, it only takes 6 seconds and a coat hanger for a burglar to break into your garage. You can prevent this by tying a zip tie or plastic cord around your emergency release handle. As demonstrated in the video, simply loop the tie around the handle and the old coat hanger trick is useless! Since the ties are made of plastic, you can still easily cut or pull the handle open in an emergency.

Unplugging door opener motor: Unplug your motor when you leave your home for a long period of time to protect it from thieves rummaging the neighborhood for possible entrances. When you return, simply plug it back in and continue use.

Reinforce your door lock: Lots of people are careful about locking their garage doors but leave the service door leading to their homes unlocked. Make sure to ALWAYS lock both doors. For added security, install a lock reinforcer like the metal sleeve pictured, and a dead bolt. This makes kicking the door in or picking the lock completely ineffective.

Get a motion-sensing alarm: These can either be installed by a home security agency, or bought inexpensively online. When motion is detected the alarm is triggered, alerting you there is an intruder. This prompts you to either call the police yourself, or if you have a more sophisticated alarm system, the authorities will be notified automatically. Either option is a great safety measure.

Lastly, don’t forget to shut your doors!

This last tip may seem like a no-brainer, but lots of people forget to close their garage doors after leaving the house everyday. Kids especially! It happens. The best solution for this is to install a door opener with a timer. You predetermine the amount of time that can pass before the door closes on its own. You are able to override the control if you want the door to remain open. There is a keypad that connects to the opener control and sensors on the garage door track. This takes less than an hour to install. There are also openers that allow you to open and close your garage door from your smart phone!

We hope you found this article helpful! Be sure to contact Garage Door Repair & Gate Universal City, CA for a service call to see what security options we have available for your garage!