If you are like most people, you have many tools and other items stored in your garage. These items may or may not be valuable, but they are yours and you want to keep them as safe as possible. Many thieves like to target garages because in most cases they can be broken into without the people in the household hearing what's going on. Garage doors can be quite vulnerable to break-ins and you can learn about some of those vulnerabilities in this article so you can secure your garage door better to prevent a break-in.
Windows
While windows along the top of garage doors are great for aesthetic reasons as well as for allowing natural light in the garage they also pose a risk. Windows in garage doors can often be popped out and a person who's on the thinner side can squeeze their way into the garage where they can then open the door from the inside and leave with your belongings.
If you have windows in your garage door, make sure they are securely in place and change out the glass with plastic glass so a person can't break the window out to get inside.
Wooden corners
If you have an older wooden garage door then it may be possible for one corner of the door to be pried or cut open by one person while another person shimmies their way into the garage. Since this is done lower to the ground, it is less likely that your neighbors will be able to see anything odd going on.
If you have a wooden door then secure the corners by using 2 x 4s to reinforce the inside of the door. You can nail them in place in a diagonal manner so the corners are no longer a weakness.
Emergency release handle
Doors with automatic openers can make it extremely easy for a thief to break in. These doors have an emergency release handle located at the top, near the ceiling. Some thieves have become proficient at using a long and thin item, such as a metal coat hanger, to reach through the top of the door from the outside and pop the release handle which will cause the door to open.
You can put a piece of wire through the hole in the emergency lever and secure it to the nearby track. This will make it so a person can't pull the lever from outside.
Now that you have a better understanding of how you can protect your garage, you can rest easier knowing your belongings are better protected. For more information, contact a company like Garage Door Systems Inc.
