5 Ways To Improve Your Garage Security And Avoid Break-ins

Given that the garage often holds valuable equipment and vehicles, it’s a prime target for theft. More than ever, people are using their garages as home offices or gyms, which means its contents are even more valuable.

If your garage leads to your home, breaching one leads directly to the other, making garage security just as important as your front door. Below we suggest five ways you can improve the security of your garage door through proactive methods and practical advice.

1. Remote device use and options

Remote controls are notoriously easy to lose track of, and many people keep their garage door remotes in their car. That means anyone using the car or breaking into the vehicle will also have access to your garage, which will likely also lead to your home. To prevent this threat, attach your remote device to your keys with a strong key chain. Keep your car keys inside your home, not in the garage.

If you’d like to avoid having remotes altogether, try a wall-mounted Entry Keypad. This is a good option for families with children (no more lost keys and remotes) or if you’d like to give access to a visitor. Provide users with a PIN and eliminate the risk of misplaced remote garage door controls.

One of the most secure forms of garage door access uses smartphone technology to operate and monitor the garage door. Smart Phone Control allows you to open or close the garage door from anywhere in the world, or to check that the door has been closed behind you after you’ve left.

You can set notifications to alert you if the garage door has been open for an extended period or if there’s been an attempt to force it open. Multiple family members can use the B&D App, with notifications letting you know who has used the garage door and when they used it. You can even open your garage with Google Home or Apple Siri, doing away with the need for a remote altogether.

2. Upgrade to a secure opener

Pair your garage door with an automatic garage door opener for convenient and secure garage access. However, most garage doors simply rely on the electronic opener to function as a locking mechanism. It’s wise to choose an opener with additional built-in security features.

When a garage door closes, it’s not necessarily locked and, in some cases, doors can be opened by sheer force. Automatic Backdrive, a standard feature in all B&D garage door openers, engages the motor to drive the garage door back down if someone tries to force the door open. Those with a Smart Phone Kit will also receive notification of a forced entry attempt via the B&D App.

Another criminals’ trick that came about with the increased use of automated garage doors is code hacking. Thieves can use inexpensive, easily accessed equipment to hack the code – via an app – sent by a remote control and gain entry to a property. Our Tri-Tran+ Premium remote controls thwart would-be thieves by using continually changing codes. Each time the garage door is used, the garage door opener selects a new code. With trillions of codes available, code hacking is essentially impossible.

3. Use of security cameras

Cameras are a worthwhile investment, considering that if a break-in did happen, how much would it cost in time and money to replace the items stolen?

Just the sight of a camera can be an excellent deterrent to those looking for an easy target, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that a fake camera will do the job. A 2015 study of police detainees found guilty of breaking and entering offences identified that false security systems were among the top seven mistakes made by homeowners.

There’s a range of cameras that seamlessly integrate with existing B&D openers and Smart Phone Control Kit. The range is suitable for your garage and home with indoor, outdoor and panning solutions to use alone or simultaneously. The motion and sound-activated cameras send alerts straight to your B&D Smart Phone App when someone is within range.

4. Eliminate hiding spots and hide valuables

Garage windows, whether it’s windows on the garage door or the walls, can be fantastic for letting in light as well as adding a feeling of openness to the interior. However, windows also let people see right into your garage. If thieves can easily see stored sports equipment, vehicles and keys on the wall, they may be more tempted to choose your home for a break-in over a property they can’t see into. Try adding curtains to large windows and keep valuables out of sight. Also, never keep keys to cars and other vehicles in the garage.

Thieves will usually choose the path of least resistance and if your property provides plenty of hiding spots, it could be at risk from opportunity seekers. Trim bushes and shrubs near your garage and home, clear piles of junk and don’t leave ladders and tools in clear view. Take a tour around your property and think like a burglar to identify break-in implements, hiding places and vulnerable entry points. Make it harder for burglars, and your home will become less of a target.

5. Locking technology

Your garage door may be closed, but is it locked? Many people assume that a garage door opener also locks the door, but that’s not the case. If you want to add an extra level of security to your garage door opener – and provide some assurance – invest in Auto-Lock. This durable device engages a heavy-duty bolt, preventing intruders from lifting the door from a closed position. Auto-Lock automatically activates with each use of the B&D garage door remote or Smart Phone App.