When thinking of home security, we often don’t give much thought to our garages. We should, however, as there’s a universe of items inside a garage that could be attractive to a thief. From tools to sports equipment, to bikes, there are plenty of garage-stored items that would fetch a decent price at a pawn shop or through an online purchase.
While not securing your unattached garage puts your personal belongings at risk, not securing an attached garage is worse — it provides a potential entryway into your home.
No matter what type of garage you have, follow these tips for keeping your garage secure in order to keep your possessions and your family safe.
1. Don’t leave your garage remote in your car.
Garage remotes are convenient little items: you pull up, click the button, and the garage door magically opens. Pull inside, click the button again, the door closes, and you’re safe and secure. Unfortunately, the same device that provides convenient garage access for you is also the key to your garage should a thief break into your car. One quick look at the address on your insurance or car registration and they’ll know just where to go.
2. Keep doors and windows locked.
Many people are surprised to learn that in many cases, thieves break into places simply by entering through an unlocked door or window. Don’t leave safety up to chance; make sure that all of the doors and windows leading into your garage are locked and secured. This not only acts as a deterrent, but it ensures that if a thief does force their way in, they’ll have to use more effort and make a lot more noise in doing so.
3. Keep windows covered.
Most thieves don’t just happen by and break into a home, garage, or business. Typically, a burglary happens after a property has been thoroughly watched and examined so that a thief understands access points, what they’d like to take, and the routines and schedules of anyone coming and going from the property. To make things tougher for would-be garage plunderers, cover any windows that may provide an easy view into your garage with blinds or another window treatment. This will prevent them from scoping things out, knowing what’s available to steal, or plotting garage access into your home. Are there expensive golf clubs in there? Is there a workshop that might contain pricey tools? If they don’t know, they’ll likely move on to a property where the answers are more clear.
4. Install motion detectors, lights, and cameras.
The ultimate deterrent to thieves is feeling as though they’re being watched. Install motion detectors all around the exterior of your garage and tie them to floodlights. To really make a potential burglar uncomfortable, add in a few security cameras so they know they’re being watched from different angles. There’s nothing a thief hates more than a call of “Lights! Camera! Action!” when they’re up to no good.
In addition to this, make sure the exterior of the garage is free of anything that could make your garage a target. Get rid of anything that may obstruct views and give criminals a place to hide. This includes clutter, shrubbery, overgrown tree branches, or anything that creates a good place for people to lurk outside of your home.
5. Include your garage in your security system plan.
If you don’t already have a home security system, there’s no time like the present to make the most of 21st century home security and safety. A home security system isn’t just good for securing your home; it’s also perfect for keeping your garage secure. Door and glass break sensors will notify you and authorities right away if someone attempts to force their way inside. You can also link your security cameras into the system in order to view a live feed and check up on things from inside your home (if you hear a bump in the night) or from anywhere if you’re at work or out of town.
Another plus of including your garage in your home security system? With today’s home security automation, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to grab the garage door opener and take it with you whenever you leave your car. Z-Wave garage door openers function through an app on your smartphone, meaning that as long as you’re carrying your device, your garage door opener is already with you.
Keeping your garage secure isn’t hard. In fact, with a little planning, your garage can be just as buttoned down and safe as your home.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
