In this article, I’m going to discuss how to secure your garage, how a garage can be exploited and why it is so important to our home’s overall security.
In addition, I’ll share two hacks for garage storage.
So, what we can do to keep our home secure as it pertains to our garage (whether or not you have an attached garage or that is just elsewhere on your property) this information can be used for both.
The garage is really an overlooked piece of your home security puzzle. For most of us a garage is used only to store cars and random stuff we can’t put in the house.
So, it is out of sight and out of mind when it comes to thinking how we secure our home.
Restricting access to your garage is vital to keeping your home secure.
Importance of securing your garage
First, let’s understand the importance of securing your garage by thinking about what can be done when someone has access to this area of our home.
If a bad guy gets into your garage, things can go bad quickly. Here’s a few ways that it can:
A thief can run in, grab your valuables, and run out.
Many of us keep tools in our garage. If you leave the door open, thieves can quickly see what’s inside, grab your power tools, dump them in an empty bucket that you have, and then run out.
Power tools can easily be pawned, which makes them a favorite for crooks.
Some people have gun safes in their garage so you really need to keep it secure.
Don’t give someone passing by a glimpse as the valuables inside your garage.
For a more savvy thief, they can get into your garage, close the door behind them and work in secret to steal your stuff.
An experienced criminal can use the tools in your garage to break into the rest of your home.
For these reasons, make your garage an important part of your layered home defense strategy.
Securing your garage - basics
1: Keep the door closed
The first thing we can do to secure our garage is keep the door closed.
I know that sounds very basic, but we all know people that live in our neighborhoods who keep those doors open all the time.
If we keep the door down, then we conceal information like whether or not we’re home, people can’t see the valuables that we keep inside, and we make our home a harder target.
If we leave our garage doors up and there is no car parked inside, it is reasonable for someone to think that you are not home.
If your garage door is up and your neighbors isn’t, that might be the deciding factor in your home being a target for a thief.
So, keep your door down.
If you have a garage that is attached to your home, then you know to ensure that the door leading into your home from the garage is locked all the time, no exceptions.
Many people leave this door unlocked. It's easier this way for them to get in and out coming home from places like the grocery store. It is also easier for kids to come and go. I get it!
However, when a bad guy has access to your garage, bad things happen.
If you leave the door leading into the rest of your home unlocked, and a thief finds their way into the garage, they now have access to the rest of your home, and things can only get worse from there.
It is better to deny access to your home than fight it out with a stranger in the kitchen
2: Hide your remote
We also have to be mindful of how we grant access to our garage.
Most garages are operated with a remote – just like a key for your home.
We don’t park our cars in the driveway and then just leave our keys sitting on the dashboard. That would be crazy!
However, most do this with our garage remotes. How many readers have theirs clipped to the car visor, while anyone standing outside our car can see it?
We need to consider storing the garage door remote somewhere that it can’t be seen.
Making your garage door more secure
1: Install a deadbolt
You can add a deadbolt lock to your garage door.
This isn’t the same deadbolt that you’d put on your front door but it is similar.
For about $20, you can buy a deadbolt lock that can be put onto your garage door.
There is a lock on the handle that can be engaged and disengaged.
The downside of this is that it can be cumbersome to use. You actually have to get out of your vehicle, get out the key, unlock the door, and twist it open, then get back in your vehicle and push the button for the garage door to come up.
I wouldn’t use this every day, just for extended periods away from home like when you go on vacation.
2: Have a camera covering your garage
Also, make sure that you have an outdoor surveillance camera covering your garage.
Adding a camera can let you know if anyone has been snooping around or if you’ve left your garage door open by accident.
Garage Storage Hacks
Hack One
How do your kids store their bikes? Trick question – they don’t!
When they are done riding, they hop off the bike and leave it wherever it lands.
The bike could end in your driveway, in your yard, or in the case of my neighborhood, it could end in the street.
So, let’s make it easy and fun for your kids to put away their bikes. Let’s give them their own parking space inside the garage.
What you do is find a space big enough to store each of your kids’ bikes and then you mark off a parking spot on the floor with painter’s tape or duct tape.
For added fun, you can get each kid to make their own unique parking sign just for them and you can hang it on the wall in front of the parking spot.
This way, they can ride right into their spot, put down their kickstand, and go on their way.
No more bike-shaped impressions on your grass.
Hack Two
If you have a crowded garage – a lot of us do – if you have some space behind your door, you can use a hanging shoe organizer to store paint, tools or anything else that you’d need.
Buy an inexpensive, hanging-over-the-door shoe organizer and place it over the door to your garage. Amazon.com have a ton of these and some of these are see through. This will help you know/find what’s in each pocket quickly.
I hope those two hacks help your garage become less messy and more organized.
Conclusion
Now you see the importance of including the garage in your home security planning. A lot can go wrong when we allow someone into our garage.
Securing your garage is essential to making your home a harder target for a criminal.
For more tips on buying a garage door, check out this article.