Some ways to prevent garage break-ins

Did you know that there is a residential burglary every 90 seconds in Canada and every 18 seconds in the US? As well, respectively 80% and 60% of these break-ins occur during the day?

You also ought to know that the garage is a good entry point to do this, as very often valuable belongings are kept there, such as motorcycles, mountain bikes, etc. And do you know another thing: it is often through negligence that these robberies occur? How? We too often forget to properly lock our car doors, like when we go to the mall…

Thieves know how to be discreet while walking through parking lots and checking if the doors of your car are locked. If they aren’t, they will check if the remote opener for your garage door is clipped to your sun visor. If that is the case, they then look for your registration to get your home address. And that’s it! … In less than 30 minutes, they will have committed their crime.

That only happens to others? Perhaps… But just in case, here are some tips that will help you avoid this kind of situation.

First and foremost, do you know how old your electric garage door opener door is?

• Not sure or no idea? Then take a look at the label on the motor housing. This information is most often found by lifting the plastic cover that protects the lightbulb.
• If the date is before 1993, now is the time to seriously contemplate changing it for the sake of your safety and that of your family.
• Prior to this date, the way of coding the signal to operate the opener was via dip switches (in position +, 0, -). It is very easy then for thieves to “scan” your code and come back later to enter illegally.

Never leave your remote in plain sight in your car

• Do not leave it clipped it on your sun visor.
• Hide it in a place where thieves won’t think of looking for it. If needed, bring it with you.
• Use a mini remote control (375UT) that can be clipped on your keyring. However, a word of advice: if you happen to leave your keyring in a coat or jacket pocket at home, make sure no one inadvertently sits or leans on it because it only takes a small amount of pressure to activate the door opener. Instead, get in the habit of leaving your keys on a table near the door.
• Since the summer of 2017, it is now possible to operate your garage door from your smartphone using Chamberlain / LiftMaster’s MyQ

Leaving home for an extended period?

• The safest way is to disconnect the motor from the electrical outlet. This thus makes it impossible to use a remote control or to tamper with your exterior keypad to open the garage door.
• Another option is to press the lock button on the control panel near the access door to the home. Ensure you have firmly pressed the buttons and that the indicator light is blinking so you know it is engaged.
• You can add on a side lock that is installed on the inside of the door and has a steel rod that engages in the vertical rail. You can even lock this side lock with a padlock. Remember to unlock it when you come back from your trip and especially before operating your garage door with your remote.
• Finally, LiftMaster has recently starting selling an automatic lock (841LM) that can be activated from your smartphone. This means though that your door opener must be connected to a Wi‑Fi system.

Do you have windows in the top section of your garage door?

• Without much effort, burglars can quickly observe what you have stored in your garage.
• And if they are armed with a wire clothes hanger, they can easily pop the manual release latch on the track of the door opener.
• If the windows are clear glass, cover them with a curtain or opaque or reflective privacy film.
• In the event you are planning on changing your garage door soon, make sure you order windows that have tinted or frosted glass.

Get a more rigid garage door

• This applies especially if you have a non-insulated garage door or one that only has a single panel of polystyrene insulation.
• Select a sandwich‑style garage door, one with both sides covered in steel sheeting. Built to be stronger, this type of door stands up to being hit by a steel bar or even an electric saw. And if you choose a door injected with 1 3/4-inch (45‑mm) thick polyurethane, it’ll be even stronger.

A few more tips to keep you protected day and night

• Double check that your garage door is closed for the night. As any police force will advise you, make the rounds of your different access doors around 9 pm to ensure they are all properly locked. For your garage door, there is a monitor (829LM) that will tell you if your door is firmly closed. What’s more, if you are equipped with LiftMaster’s MyQ technology, you can see from your smartphone.

• Exterior lighting for your home and around your garage is essential. Even better is installing lighting combined with motion detectors.
• Think about connecting a security camera to your Wi-Fi system for added protection.
• Look into getting an alarm system connected to your garage door system.
• A simple but effective means: leave a radio playing at all times in the garage. Tune it to talk radio so that a voice is heard most of the time.

If the word security means a lot for you…

It is time to contact us, at 607-687-5126. We know garage doors inside and out and will be able to advise you and explain the best choice to make based on your specific requirements, especially concerning your security, all the while respecting your budget. If you’d like, we can easily send you a quotation by email.

Another option is to come and meet us at our showroom. If changing your garage door is in the plans, a useful tool is to try out our Design Centre that can help you choose the style of door that suits you best. Need inspiration? Then peruse our image gallery for lots of examples.