If you have a garage, it’s a great place for extra storage. But not all garages are the safest place for you to store valuable, precious, or meaningful items. Luckily, with a few modifications, your garage can become a secure location to keep items you need to store. If you would like a more secure garage for storage, check out these tips.
Use Secure Locks
First and foremost, make sure you have locks on any doors leading outside, including the garage door and the side-entry door. Most automatic garage doors come with a code you can enter to open or door, as well as a garage door remote, which allows you to open and close the garage door from your vehicle. Make sure to keep these remotes in a secure location.
The side door also needs secure locks, and many homeowners go a step further and install a deadbolt. A deadbolt that screws into the ground can also help stop thieves from kicking in the door.
Get a Strong and Insulated Garage Door
With an insulated garage door, you aren’t just protecting your belongings from thieves; you are also protecting them from the cold and heat. Many items you store in your garage may be sensitive to extreme temperatures. For example, photos, old home movies, etc. don’t do well when it gets too hot.
Other materials may shrink and expand as the temperature drastically changes, causing wear and tear. For this reason, an insulated garage door is important. Most insulated garage doors are steel (with the insulation in the middle), which means they are strong. Wood doors may not require extra insulation to help regulate temperatures, but they tend to be more expensive.
Maintain the Sensors
If your garage door isn’t shut, it isn’t providing any security, especially if you aren’t at home. Imagine you hit the remote to close the garage door and head off to work before you’ve actually seen the door hit the ground. If there is something wrong with the sensors, however, the door may bounce back open at the last minute, leaving your garage exposed until you get back home.
The sensors are activated anytime they sense something is under the door. This security feature prevents injury and death, but the sensors aren’t perfect. Damage and wear and tear can cause them to dislodge or get dirty. Keeping them well maintained and cleaned will go a long way to increase security.
Limit Windows
Too many windows in your garage cause several problems. First, windows increase the chance of heat loss or gain, especially if they are old or worn. Therefore, even with a good insulated garage door, old windows (including windows on the garage door) can affect the temperature inside the garage.
At the same time, windows provide peak holes for criminals, so they can see if you have anything to steal. If they can’t see inside your garage because there are no windows or the windows are frosted, they are more likely to move on to the next house.
Provide Lots of Light
Thieves thrive in the dark where no one can see them, so if the area right outside your garage door is dark, it attracts thieves. These thieves will use the darkness to hide while they find any way inside your garage. Installing a flood light with a motion detector will detour any trespasser who approaches your house at night.
Inside the garage, make sure all the lights are working. This will make it safer for you to navigate your garage, but it will also ensure you can actually see if something is missing, if a window is broken, or if the garage has other problems.
A garage is a great place for storage, but you may need to make a few changes to prevent damage or theft. If you would like to know more about how to secure your garage or if you need a quote for a new garage door, contact us at Raynor Door Company today.