It’s happened to us all. You think you may have forgotten to
turn off the light or TV before you left home.
Maybe you forgot to lock your car door when going into work. Maybe it
was another door you forgot. Have you ever spent the day worrying that you forgot
to close your garage door? When we leave the house we all go through a mental
check list of what needs to be turned off or locked. Even though the garage
door (either man door or overhead) is a security concern for home owners,
police officers point out that the door most commonly left unlocked is the
outside entry door to your garage.
Securing your garage is important for the safety of your
family and property. Attached garages can give thieves access to your home, and
like detached garages are often full of valuables. While the big ticket items
in your garage may be harder to steal, smaller items such as bikes, lawn
equipment, and power tools can easily be snatched and sold quickly. Unlike
overhead garage doors that we use daily to park our cars, the garage entry door
is used infrequently. This is why many people forget to lock it. Luckily, there
is technology available to help you remember.
Installing a smart home security system if you do not
already have one is one way to check on things when you are away. With home
video surveillance, you can easily monitor the perimeter of your home. A main
entrance to your home, such as the garage entry door, is an ideal place to
install a video camera. Smart-lock technology can be placed on vulnerable
points throughout your home. Not only will you be notified if a door or window
is left unlocked, you can remotely secure them.
The entry door to the garage is an easy access point for
burglars because it is often unlit. Installing motion-detecting lights by the
door will help to deter potential thieves and alert you of unwanted activity. Your
garage stores more valuables than you realize, so make sure you secure it
properly!