5 ways to protect your garage from burglary
For many of us, the garage is something of a sanctuary away from the noise and confusion of the rest of the world.
It can be a hobby room in which to store your various trinkets and tools, a workshop in which you slave away on your latest masterpiece or ingenious invention, or a place to keep your car. Whatever the use, garages are a common target for thieves.
The garage is one of the most lucrative parts of a typical home for a burglar, as the average garage is where we’ll keep all our expensive tools and as it’s separate to our homes, it’s also a room where they can make a fair amount of noise without being caught.
So, why are our garages often given so much less consideration than our homes when it comes to home security?
If we’ve hit a nerve here and you are interested in keeping your garage safe and secure, here are our five top tips to consider.
1. Shine a light
There is nothing a thief savours more than the cover of darkness and many homeowners choose to aim their exterior lighting towards the front door, leaving that space around the garage clouded in shadows.
Install a second set of motion-activated flood lights directed at the entrance to your garage to dissuade burglars from having a crack at it.
2. Secure the door
An open garage door is an open invitation to thieves but still, drive down any suburban neighbourhood on a Sunday afternoon and you’re likely to see dozens of wide-open garage doors as homeowners leave them open while they get on with mowing the garden or sorting out something in the kitchen.
Automatic garage door sensors are an ideal solution here, as they can be set to roll down automatically if left for a certain amount of time. Or better yet, why not invest in a system that can be controlled remotely?
3. Install a garage security system
If you have an intruder alarm and CCTV security system in your home but not in your garage then it might be time to rethink your priorities.
Thankfully, if you already have a home security system installed, you should be able to hook into the same infrastructure and add your garage to the existing system.
It might be as simple as installing a new camera and alarm and syncing them with your home setup. Not only that, but the security system itself can act as an incredible deterrent.
4. Consider the other entrances
It’s not just the main entrance you’ll need to secure if you really want to protect your garage.
The garage can typically also be accessed from inside the house itself and from a side access door. The side access door to your garage should be just as secure as your front door.
5. Don’t make it easy
Finally, there is nothing a burglar appreciates more than having everything conveniently laid out for them.
Try to either have sections of your garage with their own locks or find a more secure location for your most valuable toys and tools.
It also wouldn’t hurt to make sure the garage doors themselves are in a decent state too. Because older garage doors can prove quite flimsy.