Transform Your Garage into a Safe

The garage is often times the best place to store expensive belongings. The list of things individuals or families store in the garage is relatively standard – sporting goods, your car or truck, bikes, work tools, etc. While it’s assumed that the garage is a safe place to store these items, often times homeowners make mistakes that can lead to break‑ins or thefts from the garage (and often times then the home). Garages are indeed not the safest places to store goods (given the high amount of traffic in and out of the home), unless proper precautions are taken.

You can live in the safest part of your town or city, or think that moving to the country means you are not a target for thieves. Think again. A garage is the ideal target for those looking to make a quick buck through theft, and we have some important recommendations for you to transform your garage into a safe:

Lock your Doors

Many people do not lock their home or garage doors, out of absentmindedness or the belief that they are safe from thieves. Even if you are working around the home, make sure that your garage is not left open and unattended. Those skis or your power tools that you left lying around are the perfect invitation for would‑be burglars.

Make sure that all your garage doors and windows are closed when you’re not around, and if your garage is attached to your home, make sure the interconnecting door is locked, and install a double lock on that door, just to be safe.

Light Your Garage

A properly lit garage will scare off even the most hardened thieves. Lighting means running the risk of being caught in the act of theft, which of course no thief would dream of doing. The best option is to install an effective lighting system around your doors and windows. And as a bonus, external lighting means that your home will be beautiful at night!

If you are energy conscious, install motion detectors that light up when someone enters their range. This increases the security of your home, as you’ll know when someone is on the premises, and will save you money in electricity. And if you have teenagers, what better way to catch them coming home late!

Reduce Visibility into the Garage

You can increase the security of your garage by making sure that its windows do not provide thieves the opportunity to scout out what can be stolen. Use curtains and/or drapes or plastic sheeting to reduce the ability of those outside to see inside the garage. And using semi‑transparent materials means that natural lighting will still allow you to move around the garage at ease.

Choose a Reliable Garage Door

Your garage door is the first line of defense against those who want to break into your garage and/or home. As a first line of defense, it makes sense to purchase only the best possible product on the market. GARAGA garage doors are the ideal first line of defense. They offer garage doors that are handcrafted with the strongest material while remaining esthetically pleasing. Garaga has several options made out of 1¾" galvanized steel with a polyurethane‑injected core, including the classic or elongated Standard+ raised‑panel garage door, the Cambridge recessed panel door, and the carriage‑house style Eastman Estate door.

For those concerned with the maximum amount of security for their garage, including those protecting very valuable equipment or belongings, Garaga offers the Top Tech garage door. Without windows or easily accessible openings, it is made out of 23‑gauge hot‑galvanized steel with 14‑gauge reinforcements that protect the handles and the hinges.

Add an Alarm System to your Garage

Alarms serve to scare off thieves, but also warn homeowners of potential break‑ins. By simply adding a door sensor to your garage door, you’ll have a great way to warn off thieves. Its loud alarm, which sounds if the door is opened, will likely scare off even the hardiest of burglars. If you add a remote sensor to your garage door, you’ll be notified the second someone tries to open your garage door.

Many garage door openers on the market today come with added security features. Some will monitor when the door is opened or closed, while others have a self‑closing garage door system. Even some of the more recent additions to the market come with smartphone apps that let you open or close your garage door from a distance.

Your Security Code is the Key to your Garage and/or Home

If you use a keypad to access your garage and/or home, don’t let just anyone get their hands on your code – keep it a secret. Those who know it should be limited to your close family members. If you do share your code with, for example, your neighbors or friends/colleagues, make sure they will only use the code for emergencies or when asked by you.

When using your code, protect yourself from passersby who might take a look. Additionally, you should often change your code to ensure that a stranger doesn’t have it, and ensure that the code you use is not something that can be easily guessed (such as your last four digits of your telephone number or your street address).

Don’t Leave your Keys at Home

When travelling, whether for work or vacation, bring your home keys and garage remote with you. Don’t try to hide them or leave them in your car in the airport parking lot. Hiding spaces are sometimes not that, well, hidden. Also, by leaving these items in your car while travelling, you have provided an eventual thief with the means to get both your home address (from your car registration) and keys to your home in one fell swoop.

Also, instead of that monster garage door opener, make sure that you get a keychain model for easier portability.

Don’t Leave the Remote on the Dash

We’ve all seen the garage door opener clipped to the sun visor or sitting between the driver and passenger seats. Bad idea. Hide your garage door opener in the car, and not in what could be called "normal" hiding spots (such as the glove compartment). If you throw your remote on top of your car registration and insurance documents, a potential car thief can get both your home address and access to at least your garage, if not your entire home.