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5 Ways To Secure Your Garage

The majority of the property owners take the appropriate steps to safeguard against robbery. Perhaps you have a barking dog, a security system, as well as security plants. However, is the garage leaving you unprotected?

Lots of people overlook their garage while they take home safety measures, and burglars understand this. Here’s why you need to take garage safety seriously.

In fact, its contents are precious, even though you do not have high-end items. Bikes, tools, and sporting goods items tally up. More significantly, in case you have an attached garage, getting into it possibly means gaining entry to the remainder of your home. In case your garage happens to be a separate building, it might be broken into while you’re home without you actually knowing it. Big thank you to the guys at garagedoorsatchandler.com for the useful tips!

In the subsequent paragraphs, we will mention 5 ways to secure your garage.

1. Always alarm the garage door

Alarm SystemIn case you have a burglar alarm, don’t fail to alarm the garage doorway. Lots of people leave their garage door un-alarmed by oversight or for avoiding the extra hassle. With the proper system, though, you may very easily add the garage entrance into your safety plan using a basic entry sensor.

In case you do not have a security system or you wish to avoid expensive enhancements to a pre-existing set-up, think about a standalone door monitoring method. These wall-mounted products sync to your cell phone through an app, which means you do not have to be concerned whether somebody left the garage doorway open. The app can confirm whether they did, and notify you regarding any suspicious activity.

2. Bolt-type Lock

In case your garage door or opener doesn’t include a bolt-type lock like the Chamberlain/Liftmaster Posilock system, then it’s strongly suggested that you fit one such lock to the door. Simply ensure that the lock you fit works with the opener. Whenever in doubt, phone customer service and understand the recommended method to include a bolt-type locking mechanism to your garage door.

Most garage doors include a cylinder-type locking system which thieves can easily defeat in mere seconds nowadays, so do not fool yourself on that.

3. Protect the garage door

Arrow E SeriesThe doorway which leads to your residence from your garage must be as secure as various other external doorways around your home. You would like to stop any possible intruders from gaining entry into your home in case they do by some means enter into your garage. Be sure your garage doorway safely locks, which could include a deadbolt, having several locks, or setting up padlocks having a programmed entry code. The doorway must also be manufactured from a durable material. Fiberglass, wood or metal doors are the best.

4. Use timers

Leaving your home in a hurry, forgetting to press the button, or overlooking to put the garage door down occurs to everybody. Nevertheless, whenever your garage doorway is left open, it is an open invitation for anybody to come in. Do not depend on your memory to ensure that the door is shut down; make use of a timer which signals the garage doorway opener to shut the door following a set period of time. You figure out the amount of time which can elapse prior to the door closes. The majority of the timers can be easily set up on the garage door track and also the keypad which links to the opening/closing control.

5. Do not leave the garage remote in your vehicle

garage remoteStay away from providing a burglar with a comfortable access to the garage by carrying the remote along with you, whether or not you’re parked on the driveway or should you be heading into your workplace. Never keep the remote garage entrance opener in the vehicle, even though it is parked inside the garage. You can acquire a small keychain remote to switch your remote at most of the home improvement outlets or the spot from where you purchased your door opener. You will wish to match the remote to the brand as well as the year of the current opener and stick to the enclosed directions to program it.

There is nothing as complete security; however, by taking several simple precautions you will be able to make it a lot less likely that you will undergo a loss from a break-in. It is worth the money and time to perform right and you should always safeguard your garage door for the security of you as well as your loved ones.

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Garage Door Spring Replacement – Make Your Home Even Safer

There’s one garage door repair job that most people shouldn’t even attempt to do without professional help. That’s to repair or replace the spring that operates the door. Since these springs are loaded with a lot of pressure, if you don’t handle them properly, they could basically explode. People have been severely injured or killed by garage door springs, so you should consider them very dangerous and handle them with care. If you have the right skills and tools, however, it can become a DIY project in order to save yourself a bit of cash.

There are two different types of springs that are used to operate overhead garage doors. These are torsion springs and extension springs, with torsion being the least common but the safest. There will be two of them, and you’ll find them located on a shaft over the door opening. Keep in mind that if one of the springs has already exploded, you’ll need to replace both of them, because the second one will soon follow. It will save you both time and money to replace them both at the same time. If your door operates on extension springs, there will also be two of them, but they’ll be located one on each side of the door.

The appropriate tools mentioned earlier are:

1. vise grip pliers in the proper size
2. winding bars, also in the correct size
3. socket wrench
4. adjustable wrench
5. ruler
6. rags
7. steady ladder

You’ll be able to do the safest, most secure job as long as you have these tools. Never try to make do using the wrong size of type of wrench or winding bar, because you’re only asking for trouble if you do.

Heavy Garage DoorAnother safety rule for working on garage doors is to keep in mind that a garage door is a very heavy item. Good, heavy-duty models can weigh several hundred pounds. At the same time, the springs that operate the door are under several hundred pounds of force when they let the door fall. Torsion springs are safer to use than the common extension springs are. They do not expand or contract, so they don’t move as the door operates. Torsion springs are recommended because they operate the door more smoothly and are much safer to have in your garage.

It’s never worth a human life to tackle a dangerous job without the proper skill level. If you have any doubt about your abilities, call a garage door professional who has been trained in the safest ways to handle the job.

Garage Door PanelsWhen you remove the spring, the door is no longer supported by the trusted device. If the door is in the up position, it can fall along the tracks unless it is properly supported. Remember that the garage door opener is designed to lift the door with the aid of the spring, and is not trustworthy to support the door by its self. If the door falls down the track without a spring, then its weight could crush a human or cause significant property damage. Doors with glass windows could send broken glass shards flying upon impact. This glass may be flying both inside and outside of the garage. The glass itself presents significant danger to persons.

Garage door spring installation is not a job for an amateur, but should be left up to a professional. Not only will he have the correct tools for the job, but he will have a better knowledge of these springs, since this is his day job. He should have been trained to install these springs so that there will not be injury to people or harm to property.

If the above has not convinced you to bring in a professional, at least call for a price quote before attempting the job yourself. You may find that since a professional can do this installation in less that one hour, the cost is little more than you would pay for the replacement springs. If you have to buy special tools, any savings may be lost on a tool that you will not use again for seven years. You may spend even more than if you had the job done professionally.

Since there are garage door spring installation dangers, make sure that any contractor making repairs has insurance and is bonded. Then in the unlikely event that an accident does occur, his insurance will cover all costs.

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Why A Safe Home Starts With The Garage

Most people invest heavily in their home security systems and forget about the garage yet according to FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) nearly 4.5 billion dollars worth of property was lost to burglars gaining entry through the garage in 2014. This revelation acts as a wake-up call to most home owners who don’t invest in ensuring the safety of their garage. The garage is used to store some of the most valuable items in your home including the car, your lawn mower, your kid’s bikes, tools and other equipment. Further, it acts as a potential entry point to your home and one of the most vulnerable to burglars since they know that most homes pay little attention to securing their garages.
Research indicates that most burglars gain access to an efficiently secured garage in less than six seconds; imagine how easily they will access yours if it is unsecured. Once they are inside the garage, they get away with valuables and gain easier access to the inside of your home. Thus, there are enough reasons to understand why A Safe Home Starts With the Garage, and reason to start investing in enhancing security and safety of the garage.
Resources:
Columbus Garage Door Pros
homedepot.com
lowes.com

Keep the garage door locked

Garage Door LockThis might sound obvious but you will be surprised at the number of people who leave their garage doors open with the presumption that someone is home or that they stay in secure neighborhoods. Ensure the windows and both doors are closed, whether someone is home or not. If you have a detached garage, keep the door to the house locked and if possible, ensure it has a double lock for extra security.

Lighting

Nothing attracts burglars to your garage more than darkness, these people hate light and will take advantage of any poorly lit garage. Motion detector lighting is the best option since apart from spooking a thief; it is also highly cost effective. The interior of the garage should be dimly lit and make sure that visibility from outside is difficult; a burglar is less likely to break into a place that they can’t see clearly.

Install a reliable door

Secure GarageAnother thing that seems obvious yet it is a strong deterrent to burglars. Ensure the door is made of high quality material such as galvanized steel and reinforced with hinges, handles and gauge plates. The service door is another think to consider since it acts as a potential point of entry to burglars. Ensure that you install a dead-bolt to make forced entry difficult. The best dead-bolt to install is Grade 1 since it offers free spinning known to deter wrench attacks; has anti-pick top pins and ball bearing cylinder to deter drilling. Be sure to strengthen the lock area of your door with a metal sleeve. Afterwards, install a strike plate (strong) attached to the wall frame using long screws.

Bar windows

Although windows are the last option for burglars to use while breaking in due to the noise, they still try to break in or pry open. Always keep them locked. Add strong bars to ensure that they don’t get in even after breaking the glass. Also, install curtains or covers over the windows to prevent anyone from seeing the contents of your garage from outside. Use sheer material like plastic sheets or fabric which allows light from the inside but makes it difficult for anyone to see the inside from outside.

Alarm system

The alarm system can be a simple door sensor that sends an audible alarm whenever the door is opened. The remote door sensor is another option, this function by sending a signal to a remote receiver or monitor when the door is opened. Chamberlain wi-fi door opener is one of the latest inventions in garage door security. It operates with an app that keeps track of all people coming in or getting out of the garage. Further, using the app, it is possible to lock the door from a remote location thus adding an extra layer of security.

Bring your garage keys

If you are going on a trip, take your keys rather than hiding them somewhere in your home or living them in your car. If someone breaks into your car, they can easily gain access to your garage and get away with valuables. If you operate your garage with a remote, explore the option of a key chain remote which is highly portable and can be carried in your pocket.

Thus, with these simple tips, you can rest assured that security of your garage and your home is in place. After investing heavily in keeping your home safe, there is no reason to give burglars an opportunity to rope you using your garage as a potential entry point and this is why A Safe Home Starts With The Garage.

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