Garage Door Safety
Posted by Erica Pool on Thursday, 16 July 2009
Tags: Garage Door, Garage Door Opener, Garage Door Repair, Garage Door Replacement, Garage Door Safty
Your garage may not be secure and why you should care.
A lovely Iranian couple down the street from me had their home broken into, apparently through the garage. They and their children were unharmed, but the burglar took off with a lot of stuff from the garage including their TV. This scary event really got me thinking- how can you be sure that your garage isn't a liability? How can you ensure safety for you and your family when it comes to garage doors?
People should treat the door to their garage (if it connects to their house) as an external door, and fit it with a good deadbolt lock. And no matter how much of a pain in the butt it is, be sure to lock to door whenever you're not using it.
Your garage door is the biggest door on your property, and it can often be the least well-guarded. Old door opener radios, for example, all use the same code, and if a thief has a remote to one or a 'code grabber', he can open any door, i am not trying to spread panic just laying out the facts.
The latest garage door openers all use 'rolling code' technology to generate a new code every time you use it- if your door operates on the old system, upgrade as soon as possible, because you are putting yourself at risk. But making sure the opener is safe is useless if the garage door itself is easy to break into. If the door is too flimsy, it will be all too easy for someone with a crowbar to break in. Be sure to check the condition of the door and its frame, to make sure no rot or corrosion has occurred, and that none of the panels are loose or easily pried apart. It may seem silly to worry over such things, but think about what your have in your garage: you car, your bike. Maybe boxes of precious old photographs. Maybe expensive tools and equipment. Don't leave yourself open to exploitation!
If you can look up a local garage door company and inquire id they have a free in-home inspection most reputable garage door installers will offer this, take advantage of it, book an appointment and walk along with the technician have them explain their findings as they do the inspection, some items you may diy it while others may require a professional, either way you will know where you stand in regards to your homes security.