Security is one of the most important responsibilities you have when you’re living on your own. Whether you own your home or rent it, you need to take some steps to make sure that your garage isn’t any more vulnerable than it has to be. The tips provided here are primarily geared towards homeowners, but some of them – especially the advice on safe behavior – will help renters as well.

The Door Between Your Garage And Your Home

Even if you consider your garage to be highly secure (if it has alarm sensors installed, for instance), you should still treat your internal garage door like an exterior door. It ought to be as heavy as possible. Install either a solid-core wood door or a metal door in this location and make sure it is mounted in a sturdy frame with a deadbolt.

If your garage has a door leading to your backyard or another exterior portion of your home, this too needs to be treated as a security concern. It should match your internal garage door and your front door in terms of overall toughness.

Your Garage Door And Its Opener

The garage door itself is sometimes the single most vulnerable part of a home. You can take steps to ensure that this isn’t the case for your own home by investing a little bit of effort and money in security when you pick out your door. Install a heavy-duty door that will stand up to malicious attacks. A door that can be bolted from the inside or a manually-fitted bolt can help keep your garage secure during extended absences.

You should resist the temptation to buy garage doors that have windows in them. These allow would-be burglars to survey your garage and inventory potential targets for theft. If you move into a home with windowed garage doors, invest in a frosting film to obscure the line of sight into the garage.

The earliest automatic garage doors were infamously vulnerable to a number of different security exploits. Thieves could use a surplus opener to gain entry to multiple garages, even after the introduction of the first security features. Modern systems are a lot more robust, being able to stand up to even targeted hacking tools. Make sure your door opener uses rolling code technology to protect its openers’ transmissions.

Cultivating Safe Habits

Finally, you can go a long way towards protecting your garage by simply treating it right. Don’t make a habit of leaving your garage door open any longer than you need to. Doing so gives potential thieves another look at your belongings. Make sure that no one in your family gets into the habit of leaving car keys in their car after parking in the garage. It’s also a good idea not to leave your garage door openers in your cars. Bring them inside where they will be less vulnerable.

Having a garage is supposed to keep your car safe and secure. It should not expose the rest of your home to greater risks while it is doing that job. Take the time to assess the potential vulnerabilities presented by your own garage. Fortunately, most of them can be taken care of with the right equipment and behavior.

About the Author

Ross Germano is a self-defense and security enthusiast. You can check out his site, RevereSecurity.com for great information about self-defense and security, as well as the best in security products.