One place people tend to forget about when evaluating their home security system is the garage. The garage is where we store valuables such as cars, trucks, boats, trailers, bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, etc. These “toys” are expensive and have valuable re-sale values. Most owners keep these items insured, but it is a hassle to report and replace stolen items. The scariest thing of all about garages is that they are usually attached to the house and therefore are a protected point of entry to your own safety.
home security system – garage is easy access
It is amazing how often it is heard on the news that burglars entered a home with a home security system through an unlocked garage. It is important to keep all garage doors and windows closed and locked at all times. When the garage door is open, you give anyone passing by a clear view of any valuable inside. A neighbor of mine years ago turned his garage into his “man cave” with a huge plasma tv, a sofa, arcade games, refrigerator, and video games. I know this because while taking the dog for a walk one day he had the garage door open and I was able to see all that he had inside. At the time I was simply annoyed at seeing this because my spouse said “oh, can I do that too?” My second thought was “boy, that’s stupid, now I know what he has in his garage!” And so did a burglar. A few months later, someone broke into his garage and stole all of his electronics. They apparently were able to duplicate the code in his garage door opener or they learned the code to his external key-pad. Either way, there was no sign of forced entry, according to the police. It was a solemn reminder to the rest of us that our garages are not always as secure as we like to believe.
home security system – garage door left open
The biggest and easiest point of entry is that big garage door. Examine it to make sure it is solid and not bent or dented that could allow someone to easily pry it open. By installing an automatic garage door opener, you prevent someone from being able to pry the door open, because the opener acts as a lock preventing the door from opening. However, unless you program your opener effectively, you may make it easy for someone to come along and simply open your door. In that neighborhood I mentioned before, it was common for someone to accidently open a neighbor’s garage door because the builder wasn’t careful about programming the remote controls. If you open your remote, or buy a replacement or universal remote, you realize how easy it is to program a remote. It works by a row of switches that are set to be either up or down. It is important to program your opener to have a complicated pattern in your switches. By reprogramming you garage door open you are decrease the chances of your home being burglarized and increasing the value of your home security system. Having only one in the “up” position means that someone with a universal remote driving by can easily open your door. The more complicated, the longer it will take them to “crack the code”.
home security system – loosing the garage door opener.
Keep track of your remote garage opener. If it is stolen, someone has quick access to your garage. Make extra sure they ONLY have access to your garage door by making sure any door from the garage to the house is always locked, preferably with a deadbolt. Don’t keep a key to the house hidden in the garage. Make sure any extra keys are stored off the premises, perhaps with a neighbor you trust.
Home security is best when you have multiple layers of defense. Keep the garage as your first level against a break in by making it impossible for someone to make off with those “toys” you value so much.
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