Garage Door Security
It's amazing how many people install sophisticated home security systems without giving much thought to garage doors and their security. Even if you
have a detached garage, it's important to consider this part of your home. Cars are some of our most costly possessions--and they're the easiest
to drive away!--so you'll want to make sure yours is safe. Also, if you have tools in the garage, know that if a burglar gained access
he could use them against you to get into the house (the homeowner's own ladders are often used by thieves to gain access to unlocked second story windows).
So what can you do to make sure your garage security is ironclad? Pay special attention to the doors!
Garage Doors
Don't rely solely on automatic garage door openers for security--you should install a separate keyed lock as well. Also, if you have
a garage door opener unit that is from earlier than the 1990s, consider upgrading it to a modern unit.
("Older garage door openers relied on a unique I.D. number programmed into each remote and the receiver sold with it. If the remote sends the right I.D. to the receiver, the receiver opens the garage door.
Rolling code technology, introduced in the early 1990's, added another layer of security by ensuring that a garage door opener never transmits the same sequence twice. As implemented by Chamberlain in its Liftmaster Security+ line of garage door openers, the remote and the receiver keep internal counters that begin in synch, and are incremented by a constant value (three) each time the door is opened. When the user presses the button on the remote, the remote transmits the current value of the counter, along with the static I.D. number. The receiver will only open the garage door if both numbers are correct." -- "Garage Door DMCA Case Dismissed" from securityforcus.com))
If you are going to be away from home overnight, it's wise to use a padlock and hasp to secure the door leading from the (attached) garage into the house.
Taking a longer trip? Consider placing a padlock through the garage door track just above one of the rollers. This will keep out those
techy burglars who can tinker with automatic door opener devices to trick residential units into opening.