Believe it or not, your garage represents one of the highest security risks to your home. A garage door left wide open is an open invitation to a would-be burglar, who can steal lawn mowers and other high-priced items in a matter of minutes. The garage also typically provides access into the home, where the burglar can help himself to other valuables.
However, it is possible to minimize the chances of a burglary by adhering to some of the following tips:
1. Never leave the garage door open – Remember an open door, to the burglar, is an invitation. He can see what you have in your garage and how to access not just the garage, but your house as well.
2. Block windows or replace your windowed garage door with a windowless door – Burglars can easily peek inside if you have windows, and all it takes is seconds to case the situation.
3. Install lights near the garage – If the garage area is well lit, there is less chance of a break-in occurring at night. A light – or better yet a motion sensor light – will remedy the situation.
4. Make sure the remote for your garage door opener has “rolling code” technology – This is very important. Older automatic garage door openers allow burglars access to your garage through their use of an electronic device called a “code grabber,” which allows them to record the radio signal from your remote to the opener, which discloses the code. A remote with rolling code technology sends a different security code each time you use the opener, thus foiling a would-be robber.
5. Be sure to lock everything – Lock all the doors, including the garage door and the door from the garage into your home. Also, have a garage door specialist come in to check the locks and security of your existing garage door, and make recommendations for improvements.
