Home Security Tips for Your Garage

The number of callouts that alarm system monitoring companies get to houses where the burglar has gained entry through the garage is amazing. Most residents leave the door between their home and garage unlocked at all times, for convenience … and simply don’t connect the fact that their garage has thin, easily accessed windows, a less secure door, and possibly an automatic opener that high-school kids can hack into. Home security efforts must extend to your garage as well -- we look at the top ways to secure this unusual room of the house.

1. Always lock the door into your house

Your garage is inherently less secure than the rest of your brick-and-mortar home. Yet many of us leave the door from the garage to the interior of our homes open all day, every day. Just don’t do it! Make the only convenience of having a garage connected to the house the fact that you don’t have to walk outside in the rain.

2. Ensure your security system covers the garage also

Your alarm system monitoring company can make sure there are sensors in your garage also -- use this safety measure. A major portion of the time taken to break into someone's house is spent actually gaining entry -- if you give burglars that free ride at the start, you may lose more of your possessions.

3. Upgrade your door opening device, and lock your door manually when you go to work

Upgrade your door opener to a newer, more secure model that uses a variable radio code each time you open your garage door. This will prevent thieves using a code-recording system (a code grabber), and inputting your frequency into another opener. It will also prevent burglars randomly driving around the streets, clicking their own remote to find a house that uses the same frequency as theirs!

4. Upgrade your garage window-glass

Use window films, glass reinforcing or double-glazing to make your garage windows more difficult to break, especially if they are located below head height. Make sure that you have window locks and use them. A good security system is one where you utilize what you have!

5. Mark your possessions

This home security practice is applicable to every valuable item in your home, but especially so in your garage -- because most of your valuable in here are engravable metal or heavy duty plastic. Even if they are stolen, they are more likely to be recovered because pawn shops don’t like trying to sell items with somebody's name, address and phone number all over them.

Home Security -- What You Can DIY, What You Can't

Home security is definitely a collaboration between the home owner and the alarm systems monitoring firm. Each half of the collaboration fulfils roles that the other simply cannot. Here we look at the steps you can take to secure your own home, and the home security steps you'll need to call in pros for.

DIY Tasks for home security

• Visibility: Home owners need to be the ones to take responsibility for trimming trees and shrubs, and ensuring that there are no major blockages that help provide cover for burglars.
• Motion detector lights: The procedure for installing these is fairly self-explanatory. You can get motion detector lights at most hardware stores, and they will come with comprehensive installation instructions. You can get a security assessment through many home security providers, which may offer you advice on placement and angling.
• Locking: You are the only one that can make sure your home is locked each and every time you go out. Not locking that door is an invitation to opportunistic burglaries.

Call in the pros for these home security tasks

There are some things you just can’t do yourself, and even the most watchful neighbors can't do for you! The following are recommended home security tasks that you may need professional help for.

• Lock installation -- In some cases a qualified locksmith will be needed to install locks with a good security level on your doors and windows
• Alarm system installation -- These typically involve quite a bit of work, placing wiring, programming the system and making connections. You could have a few hours of high-pitched noise on your hands if you try to install one of these yourself! Alarm system monitoring companies generally also provide installation services.
• Alarm system monitoring -- If you have an alarm system, there is little benefit unless it is monitored. Some thieves will simply keep working if they know that the alarm system is not monitored -- unfortunately public police calls in response to alarms are less common than you might think.
• Camera system installation -- These systems are typically quite complicated and may need to be installed by a qualified electrician.