Basic Guide for Securing Your Garage Door

A garage is usually the weakest security link in a home. This is mainly because this is where most people keep valuables such as cars, power tools, and art. Additionally, it is most often an access point to most homes. 

Most times when burglars want to break into a home, the most likely point of access is the garage. That is why it is important to choose the right kind of garage door or fortify the existing one. 

In this article, we will explore some basics about garage doors and how to secure them. We will also share tips on how to assess your garage door to know whether it needs to be changed or just fortified. Meanwhile, you can visit this site: https://staysafe.org/ to learn more about garage doors. 

Understanding the Vulnerability of Your Garage Door

Having established that this space is one of the easiest access points in a home, we will further explain how this happens:- 

1. Doors made with single-skin metal in the up-and-over design can be easily breached by just hitting hard at the lower part of the middle. This hard kick will dent the material thereby allowing the door to be forced open for the burglar to crawl under.
2. The regular single-skin designs and wooden doorways can be breached by leveraging the points that are easily accessible at the bottom and sides and using a crowbar to force it open.
3. For those that use simple built-in lock systems or padlocks, these can drilled out or just cut open with a bolt cutter.
4. For roller shutter designs, there is the possibility of a small gap at the lower end that can allow a car jack to be used to crank open and push the shutter up.
5. Even with the electric version of the above design (the roller shutter), chances of a breach are high if they are mounted outside the house. Burglars can easily override the system manually and access the mechanism to breach the security. Click here for tips on how to secure your home.

From the above, you can see that each design and installation of this entryway has its vulnerabilities. It, therefore, behooves the homeowner to consider each option carefully to know how to safeguard their home. 

Tips for Assessing Your Garage Door

You may have already installed an entryway to this space in your home. However, it is still expedient that you asses your present installation to know whether it is the right one for your home or not. 

Find below some tips to help you in this assessment: -

1. Look at the current condition of the door and asses its functionality and any issues that you may have been experiencing with it
2. Evaluate its functionality as regards the weather conditions of the region you live in. Does the region experience frequent storms, heavy rainfall, or extreme weather? If yes, then you know that your garage door must of necessity be insulated and weather-resistant.
3. You might have bought a home that already has a garage and its entryway which you do not like. So the process of this assessment for you will include looking at the accuracy of the measurement of the space and the entryway. This will help you know the type and size of installation to look out for.
4. Consult Professionals- Oftentimes, the best option for assessment for home improvement is to seek expert opinion. Brands such as bnd and other reputable professionals in the field are always available to help with this process. Consulting experts at this stage help you to avoid some pitfalls and get it right from the onset.

Tips for Choosing a Secure Garage Door

 Below are some tips to help you choose a garage door that is secure and cannot be easily breached:-

1. Choose a material that is naturally strong and cannot be dented by hard kicks. It is recommended that the material contains some infill and is twin-skinned. Examples of such materials are aluminum or steel.
2. Choose installations that have very few leverage points. For example, double side hinged doors that swing outward, sectional overhead doors, or roller shutter designs.
3. If you must use a roller shutter, ensure that it is electric and that the mechanism housing is not installed outside or the purpose is defeated. For the sectional overhead door, ensure that the lock is built into the motor.
4. In the event that you go for a manual roller shutter design, ensure that the slats lock firmly into themselves. This will make it more difficult for a car jack to fit in and be used to force the door open.
5. Ensure that the locks you use (if you choose this option) are properly installed and cannot be drilled into or easily snapped or picked.

Visit this site: https://home.howstuffworks.com/ for more lock security tips. 

Conclusion

We have briefly discussed how you can make your garage door more secure. If you are installing a fresh entryway, it is expedient that you get it right from the onset. Do not leave your home security to chance by being careless with this part of your home.