Garage Door Security
At Garage Doors Ltd., as well as our range of high-security garage doors, we offer a selection of additional garage door security options, plus all the advice you need to help keep your commercial or domestic garage door secure at all times.
Whether you’re looking for an up-and-over garage door, a roller shutter garage door, or a side-hinged or sectional garage door, we’ll use over 50 years of experience to make sure you have exactly the right level of security for your garage door.
Just like the security at any entry point to your property, the security at your garage door is vital for both your and your family’s safety, as well as for the protection of your treasured and valuable possessions.
Plus, with many modern domestic and commercial properties having direct access to main areas through their garage or garages, it’s essential the level of garage door security matches or exceeds the level of security at other access points.
How do criminals break into a garage door?
Although most of us don’t like to associate intelligence with criminals, thieves who break into garages often do know what they’re doing and have a good understanding of how garage doors are secured, and the weak points that exist.
To help you fight against these ‘thieves in the know’, knowledge is one of your most effective weapons. With this in mind, below you’ll find a list of the 4 most common methods used in garage break-ins.
Forced entry
One of the most basic and destructive methods of breaking into a garage is by utilising brute force. This is often accomplished with a crowbar, large screwdriver, claw hammer or similar tool; with the main aim to remove the front panels.
Pushing and Pulling
This method will only be effective on a manually-operated up and over garage door and involves pushing and pulling at the door in the hope the locking mechanism will be forced to pop out of its fastening bracket.
Lifting and entering
This slightly tedious method of breaking into a side-hinged garage door involves using a hammer and screwdriver to tap out the hinge pins so the garage door can simply be lifted off or forced open from the back to allow for entry.
Walking in
Sadly, this method of the thief simply walking into a garage and taking what they please is far too common and is usually a result of garage owners not thinking garage theft could happen to them, and leaving their garage unlocked.
Stealing garage door remotes
Garage thieves will often find ways to get hold of garage door remotes, whether it means feeding a fishing rod through your letterbox to take the remote from the hallway table, or stealing it from the glovebox of your car.
There are a number of steps you could take to improve security at your garage door, some by simply investing in modern garage door security, and others by using common sense and keeping one step ahead of the criminals.
See below for 12 of the most effective steps for securing your garage door and garage.
Install a garage door alarm system
Like garage door CCTV, a garage door alarm system (preferably waterproof) acts first as a highly-effective deterrent and secondly as a practical method of preventing a garage break-in.
Available as either wired or wireless, many modern alarm systems can be configured with your smartphone, and come with multiple remote controls so other people using the property can activate or deactivate the alarm.
To make sure you get the right alarm for your garage door, it’s best to speak to your garage door provider or a security specialist, who’ll be able to offer advice based on their knowledge and experience of dealing with garage break-ins.
Install CCTV
By installing CCTV cameras at various strategic points at your garage entrance, you not only create a powerful deterrent, but also arm yourself with valuable evidence should you fall victim to a break-in.
But do bear in mind, when installing CCTV, if you have cameras recording outside of your property, to adhere to UK privacy laws, it’s important you follow the recommendations set out by the ICO (Information Commissioners Office), which include:
- Making sure you have a good explanation as to why you feel filming outside your property is necessary
- Not capturing more footage than is necessary
- Installing signs warning that CCTV is in operation
- Deleting old footage when you no longer need it
- Not allowing the footage to be misused by anyone, including members of your family
- Keeping all captured footage and data securely stored.
Choose a high-quality garage door
Having a high-quality garage door is your first line of defence when it comes to garage security. To ensure quality, find a reputable supplier and installer, preferably via a personal recommendation, and research the manufacturers they use.
Automate your garage door
By design, garage door automation provides an added level of security due to the high-powered motor preventing forced entry. Security is also enhanced by the use of radio technology for the remote control system.
Don’t leave your garage door remote in the car
It’s tempting and does make life easier, but by leaving your garage door remote in your car, whether it’s in plain view or hidden in your glovebox, you give car thieves the opportunity to steal more of your possessions.
Buy a garage door with rotary catch locks
In place of a common bolt-lock, rotary catch locks are robust locking devices designed to ensure the front of the garage door is firmly fixed to the frame at various points, making forced entry using levers etc., almost impossible.
Install a garage door defender
Ideal for up and over garage door security, a garage door defender is a short T-Bar bolted to the ground using robust, heavy-duty bolts, which prevents the garage door from being opened should the primary lock be broken or drilled out.
Install a security light
A motion-activated security light is an extremely effective deterrent to would-be thieves, and when used in conjunction with CCTV helps to ensure anyone up to no good is clearly visible, even in the dead of night.
Don’t give thieves anywhere to hide
Try to keep the area around your garage door free of potential hiding places for thieves. This could mean trimming back hedges and shrubs, using lower fencing and storing wheelie bins at a distance.
Obscure your garage windows
If you have windows on your garage, make sure to obscure the view through them with curtains or blinds, so you’re not unwittingly offering potential thieves tempting views of your valuable possessions.
Actually use your security measures
If you've invested your money in additional locks, security sensors and alarms etc., make sure to use them rather than becoming complacent and assuming garage thefts only happen to other people.
Keep your garage door closed
By leaving your garage door open and unattended, even for just a few minutes, you not only give opportunist thieves a chance to run in and steal your possessions but you also give potential thieves a view of what they could steal at a later date.
Choose from our range of high-security garage doors
Whatever level of garage security you’re looking for, or your style of garage, we have the perfect manually-controlled or automated garage door to suit, including:
Over 50 years’ in the business
At Garage Doors Ltd., we have over 50 years of experience in the installation, repair and servicing of all types of garage doors, and this experience has helped us gain a clear understanding of how garage break-ins happen, and the best garage door security to stop them.
A team of highly skilled garage door engineers
To ensure your new garage door is as secure as possible, it’ll be installed (usually within the day, unless there are any unforeseen circumstances) by our team of highly-skilled and experienced garage door engineers to the highest possible standard, following the relevant UK safety practices.
The best garage door brands
The security of your garage door begins with the quality of the garage door itself and its components. That’s why, at Garage Doors Ltd, we only use the trade's top and most trusted brands, including Hörmann and Garador, for all our garage door installations, and garage door repairs.
As well as the security benefits of precision engineering and expert installation, all of our security garage doors are available with a range of optional features designed to further enhance your family’s security.
Below are just some of your options, but if you’d like to know more about garage door security, or the wide range of garage door security products we supply and install, don’t hesitate in getting in touch.
Garage Door Operators
Using a secure radio connection, our garage door operators allow you to open and close your garage door from inside your vehicle, making leaving or returning to your property a much more secure and convenient process.
Plus, with the addition of a Bluetooth receiver available on a variety of our garage door operators, users have the option to operate their garage door via a Smart Home System or via an app, downloaded to a regular smartphone or tablet.
Garage door locks and handles
To further improve the security of your garage door, get us to upgrade the original handle with a more secure alternative, such as a robust lever handle for a side-hinged garage door, or a new T-Handle for an up-and-over garage door.
And, if you’re looking for an almost burglar-proof garage door, you could also opt for a security stop bar or defender, a ‘Police Preferred’ secondary locking system, securely bolted to the ground to prevent forced opening.
If you’ve been unlucky enough to have suffered a garage break-in or an attempted garage break-in, we carry out emergency, professional repairs to most makes of garage doors.
And, with a team of professional and highly-experienced garage door engineers regularly working all over London, we’ll get someone on the job as soon as possible. Call us now for a free quotation.
If you’re looking for the most secure garage door, or you’d like further information about any of the garage doors, security products or services mentioned, get in touch via our website booking form, by email, or by phone to speak directly to one of our garage door security experts.
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COVID19 Safe Practice
All our garage door installation experts are fully qualified and trained in domestic health and safety. This means you can relax, knowing that the installation of your new garage door will be carried out following strict government and industry guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID19.
Measures will include:
- Wearing facemasks and gloves.
- Keeping a safe distance of 2 metres.
- The regular use of antibacterial gel.