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A large garage door that makes it easy to move your car, lawnmower, and other equipment in and out easily also provides a large access space for intruders. Those stories you hear about burglars pulling a truck into the garage and stripping the house are not mere urban legends, but point out how necessary it is to make sure your garage is secure. Having an automatic garage door opener can lull you into thinking your garage is safe, when it may really be the Achilles' heel of your home security. Improving Garage Door Security Whether you have a manual door or one operated with an electric opener, here are a few things you should do to protect your home and property. 1. Make sure to lock the inside door to your house even when your garage door is down. In case burglars break into your garage, don't make access to your house as easy as turning the knob. 2. Make sure to shut your garage when not in use or when you're out. An open door is an invitation to thieves who can easily snatch an item whether you are home or not. 3. Secure your garage door emergency release to prevent thieves from tripping the mechanism from outside, even with a coat hanger. You can do this with a wire or a zip tie, which is easy for you to snip if you want to remove it. Also, remove the cord attached to the emergency release lever. If you have keypad entry, disabling the emergency release lever and removing the cord is simple. 4. Make sure your garage door opener has rolling code technology so that each time the transmitter is used, the codes change. Most garage door openers made since 1997 have this feature; more current versions have better encryption. 5. Add a wireless keypad outside the door that you open with a PIN or fingerprint rather than a key or remote. This is good protection in case you lose the key or remote. The types that operate with a fingerprint are excellent for families with children. 6. Even if you prefer to use the remote so you don't have to get out of your car to open the door, mounting the keypad at the end of the driveway offers the ideal combination of safety and convenience. A wireless keypad is a great option for vacationers, as you can leave the remote at home. 7. Get a key chain remote opener that you can leave on your key ring. Many people leave their remote in the car, providing an additional payoff for thieves breaking into cars. Tips For Vacationers 1. To protect yourself while on vacation, consider adding a vacation lock for the wall console switch. This feature disables the radio receiver so that someone else's opener does not open your garage. (With current technology, this should not happen, but you can't be too safe.) You can also get a solenoid-operated deadbolt that locks the door itself. 2. If you're going out of town, shut off the power to the garage door. If you have motion sensor lights, make sure that they are not attached to the same circuit, as they will lose their ability to alert neighbors if burglars try to break into your garage when you are not home. Keep the possessions in your garage and home safe by implementing garage door security measures. Thieves are always ready to prey upon your vulnerability, so make sure that your garage is not the Achilles' heel that makes your home easy prey for break-ins.
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garage door, garage doors, overhead doors, overhead door, garage door safety, garage door security, garage door opener, quality garage door,
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