Garages are particularly vulnerable to burglaries because they are not inhabited and are often overlooked by homeowners trying to protect their homes from an invasion.
Some burglars are so bold, in fact, they’ve actually pulled moving vans and trucks into easily-accessible garages, emptied the houses of all the things they wanted, and left undetected by neighbors. If your garage can be breached to this level, your house and family are merely crime statistics waiting to happen.
Here’s a look at a few things you can do to secure your garage, which in turn can prevent a whole host of potential crimes against you, your family, and your property.
Deadbolts and Sash Locks
Let’s start with the obvious one – keep your doors and windows in the garage locked. Many garages have one or more doors in addition to the actual garage door, and one or more windows, which aren’t as secure as they could be. Locks are an affordable deterrent and a legitimate form of home security often overlooked by homeowners. In fact, some deadbolt locks can provide extremely good security when made from tempered steel and include complex keying for the lock tumblers.
Window locks, often called sash locks, will help keep any sliding window safe and secure. When paired with a metal or wood dowel in the window track, you are further preventing a sliding window from being opened from the outside.
Opaque Windows
The relevant feature of a window—its transparency—is also its most relevant weakness. An uncovered window in a garage is an open invitation to any burglar who wants to peek through it and take inventory. The fix, however, is easy: cover the window.
This can be accomplished in a few different ways, from curtains, to Mylar adhesives, to spray paint. The idea, of course, is to prevent outside eyes from being able to easily peer in at your valuables.
Monitored Home Security System
Home security burglar alarm systems can easily be extended into a garage. Typical security components include door and window sensors, motion sensors, wireless cameras and microphones, and motion-activated security lighting. Don’t forget about the door leading from the garage into the house. A door sensor, deadbolt lock, and security camera positioned on that door will adequately secure your home from unauthorized entrance through the garage.
Exterior Lighting
Burglars live in the shadows, and target homes that offer great nighttime hiding places. Fortunately, you can easily combat against this, forcing would-be burglars to find easier targets. One of the best ways to prevent a burglar from even approaching your property is to light the exterior of your home, including the garage.
A few well-placed exterior floodlights, connected to motion-sensing ballasts, will illuminate the dark areas of your property, effectively removing the shadows and hiding places burglars prefer.
Securing your garage, the by extension your entire home, comes down to common sense. Could the doors and windows use better locks? If so, get better locks. Can burglars look through transparent windows to see what’s in your garage? Cover them. Would you like to detect unauthorized motion? Install or extend your home security system into your garage.
What measures have you taken to make your garage more secure?
Image taken from crawfordcustomhomesinc.com
