Garage Door Monitor Makes Security Sense
Monday, April 14th, 2008
A garage door monitor is a device that simply lets you know if your garage door has been left open. If you’ve found yours up more than once (hey, it’s easy to forget to push the button when you’re herding kids inside while toting bags full of groceries), then his gadget could make sense from a home security standpoint.
If you have an attached garage that provides access to the house, then you don’t want any old person to be able to walk in from the street and get into your house. Also, you don’t want them to be able to steal your valuables out of the garage.
Most thefts are simply crimes of opportunity, so a garage door monitor can help you ensure your door is never left open, inviting a theft from a random passerby. Knowing you have a monitor like this one can provide peace of mind.
The unit shown here is from Chamberlain, and it’s supposed to be easy to install (no tools required). Just stick it up in the kitchen by the refrigerator, in your bedroom, or in some other area you visit frequently, and you’ll be alerted if your garage door was left open.
Available via Amazon for less than $30:
We’ve talked about what a good idea
I’m not one to advocate putting fake security company stickers on the windows in hopes of fooling burglars into thinking you have a high speed, professional alarm system installed, but I can certainly understand the allure of paying $3 for some stickers instead of $3,000 for a full-fledged home security system.
Do you ever forget to close the garage door at night? Then in the morning when you leave for work, it’s sitting there gaping open, and you realize anyone could have walked into your garage (and probably right into your house, if you have an attached garage) any time during the night? Kind of creepy, hunh?
Even if you haven’t experienced mail theft in your neighborhood, a secure mailbox just makes sense. Why take chances when you’re mailing out checks? And in this day and age, sometimes all it takes is for someone to snag a piece of your mail to perpetrate identify theft on you. That’s why locking mailboxes are smart ideas in any neighborhood.
A driveway alarm or monitor can be a handy device since it chimes when someone drives up to your house or comes up the walkway. It alerts you to a visitor before they’re actually on your doorstep (and if the alarm chimes but no one ever knocks on the door, you can check outside to see if something nefarious is going on). Installing a system can be a bit of a project, however, if it involves running a lot of wires. (Usually there’s the alarm outside and it has to be hooked up to an announcer inside the house somewhere).
If you have a fence that extends all the way around your property, then you’ve likely got to drive through a gate in the front to get to your garage. Let’s hope you’ve got an automatic gate opener, so you don’t have to get out of your car every time you drive home. As important is convenience is, you’ve probably got the fence there for security purposes.
You can spend a lot of money having someone else install a home security system for you, or you can join the DIY (do it yourself) crowd and install your own system. Home Depot, king of the DIY home improvement movement, has DVDs on numerous topics including this one.