How to make a garage door more secure

A garage door can be one of the weakest links in a home. Many people don’t consider it to be important enough to spend time, money and energy securing, when in actual fact it should be a top priority, especially if the garage has a door to your house. Your garage may also be the place where you store expensive tools, and wouldn’t you want to protect those, too?

Most garage owners will close the door and assume that it is as secure as possible. While this door does a great job, there are always ways to get around it. SimpliSafe’s guide to garage door security will help you keep unwanted visitors out, and your belongings protected.

Don’t forget to close the door

It may sound simple, and it is, but so many people just forget to close the door behind them, and before you know it, it’s open all night. If your garage is a thoroughfare into your home, you could pin a sign to the door into your home reminding you to check. Or you could simply get an ‘automatic garage door closer’, which is easy to find on Google. The sensor will recognise when the door is still open - whether you’re home or not - and it will close it for you.

Cover windows

Larger garages tend to have windows, which allow for more light to enter, but they’re also another weak point. Make sure you’re securely locking them at night and when you’re away and, for an additional layer of security, install blinds or curtains. If people outside can’t see what’s in your garage, then they’re motivation for breaking in is drastically reduced. Translucent or sheer curtains will still let light in but make spotting valuable tools difficult.

Light it up

Burglars much prefer the cover of darkness as it makes them difficult to spot, and a big shady garage can provide great protection. A quick and inexpensive way to deter burglars is to install motion-activated flood lights near your garage windows and doors. This is an especially useful tip if your garage is detached, as it gets its own bit of protection.

Install security cameras

One way to really up your garage door security is by adding security cameras. SimpliSafe’s SimpliCam can be adapted for outdoor use with the addition of one of our Outdoor Kits. When connected to your Base Station and the free SimpliSafe app, your garage door camera will allow you to keep a watchful eye and alert you if there is movement detected.

Protect your service door

The big pull down door is usually not the only way to get into a garage. Most of them come with a service door to the side, which is often out of sight of the front of the house, and therefore potential watchful neighbours. Service doors can quickly become a burglar’s main target as they’re kept out of sight. And most of them are fitted with standard locks which can be broken with a well-placed and powerful kick. Thankfully it’s quick and easy to toughen up your door.

A deadbolt is a great place to start, as it’s not easy for a burglar to break through a door by force when there’s one of these in place. Also, remember that a standard door’s weakest point is where the lock meets the door - also known as the strike plate - so replace this with a reinforced one, and use longer screws to attach it.

You’ll also want to do this with the entry door to your home if there’s one that leads there from the garage!

Keep your remote safe

When they get an automatic door opener, a lot of people like to keep them handy in their cars, usually clipped up to their sunshades. Not only does that mean they are easy to spot, but they’re also surprisingly easy to grab, too. It’s basically another key into your home, sitting right there for the taking.

Instead, clip it onto your car keys or house keys instead by attaching it to a keychain so you can keep it with you at all times.

Securing your garage doesn’t have to take a great deal of time or cost you a huge amount of money. Follow these simple steps for a little more peace of mind.