15 Ways to Secure Your Garage Door and Keep Your Home Safe

You may have gone to great lengths to strengthen your home’s main entrance, but have you considered the doors on your attached garage? Garages are a common home security weak point that can provide intruders with easy access to your main living space. Consider how safe your garage really is and use these 15 simple tips to make your garage more secure.

1. Lock Your Garage Doors

Perhaps the simplest garage door security tip is to keep the doors locked. This applies not only to exterior service doors and interior access doors but automatic garage doors as well.

When you go on vacation, look for the lockable latch on your garage door tracks. If there isn't one, you can drill a hole just above the rollers and clamp on a padlock. You can also unplug the automatic opener as an extra security measure.

2. Prevent Emergency Release Fishing

Intruders commonly break into a garage by fishing the red cord attached to an automatic door's emergency release lever. They’ll push the top of the door inward to create a gap, then use a clothes hanger hook to grab the cord and pull it. This lets them open the door manually and access the garage. To prevent this:

• Secure the lever with a zip tie, which you can either pull or cut to break in an emergency.

• Purchase a mounted shield for your lever or make one out of scrap wood and brad nails.

• Wrap a pool noodle around the pull cord so it's too thick to pull through the gap.

3. Keep Your Doors Closed When Not in Use

An open garage door allows anyone walking by to see what's inside or even sneak in when you're not paying attention. Unless you're actively using or working in your garage, it's wise to keep the door shut. Make it a family rule so that when kids go in the garage to take out toys, they remember to shut all doors again before going out to play.

4. Upgrade Outdated Garage Door Openers

Many people wait until an old appliance breaks to replace it, but this can be a safety hazard when old garage door openers. Intruders can easily scan for the access codes used by older models. Plus, a neighbor with the same code could accidentally open your door.

Modern garage doors use rolling code technology, generating a new code each time the opener is pressed. As a bonus, newer openers tend to be quieter and more energy efficient.

5. Use Smart Home Technology

You can take your garage door upgrade even further by integrating it with smart home features. Smart openers can be monitored and operated remotely from your phone. You'll always know whether the door is open or closed. If you've already left the house, you can close it from miles away. Plus, you'll get alerts if someone tries to break in so you can respond accordingly.

6. Cover Your Windows

Windows on your garage doors and walls give intruders an easy way to see inside and plan how to break in. To solve this issue, consider hanging blinds or curtains designed for garage use.

Another convenient option is to install translucent or tinted security film over the glass. These films create a frosted effect, which obscures the view inside, lets in as much or as little sunlight as you want, and adds breakage protection to make your windows more secure.

7. Upgrade Your Exterior Lighting

Bright lighting makes it tougher for nighttime invaders to stay hidden. Ideally, all of your home's entry points should be well-lit. One popular option is to install motion-activated lights that come on whenever you or someone else walks by.

Place lights around your garage and home perimeter at a tall enough height that intruders can’t deactivate them. Inspect these lights regularly to ensure they're working properly.

8. Trim Your Hedges

It may seem like a strange tip for a security list, but consider trimming your hedges down if you have plants growing tall around the sides of your garage. Tall or overgrown landscaping features can obscure side doors or windows from the street, providing a hiding place that makes it easier for would-be intruders to operate without alerting you or your neighbors to their presence.

9. Maintain Your Garage Door

Inspect your garage door regularly to ensure there is no physical damage that could weaken its security. If your door is warped or has noticeable gaps, it may be time to replace it.

The machinery for the door opener should also operate smoothly, opening and closing the door without problems. Listen for grinding sounds and lubricate the tracks or hire a local garage door company to make repairs as needed.

10. Secure Your Other Garage Doors

The main garage door often isn’t the only way to break in. If your garage has a service door that opens to the outside or an access door that enters your home, both should be sturdy, solid-core doors with secure deadbolt locks.

Steel doors are best for interior access doors since they also provide adequate fire protection. For extra security, consider installing door jamb reinforcements.

11. Keep Your Opener Remote on a Keychain

Many homeowners clip their garage door opener to the visor of their car or stash it in their glove compartment. While this may be convenient, it also makes breaking into your garage as simple as breaking into your car.

A safer alternative is to bring your opener with you when you exit your vehicle. To make this more convenient and prevent you from forgetting it, universal keychain remotes are widely available.

12. Install a Home Security System

If you have a clearly visible home security system and posted signage, criminals will be far less likely to take a risk on your garage when it would be easier to break in elsewhere. Security options for a garage include an alarm system with sensors on windows and doors as well as motion-activated video cameras with feeds that can be viewed on your smartphone.

13. Lock Up Your Valuables

It's best not to keep valuable items in your garage, but if you must, keep them out of view and locked away in secure cabinets. This may include tools and sports equipment. Always keep your garage well-organized and leave as little sitting out as possible. The idea is to make it difficult for thieves to know what's in your garage or where to find things they may be looking for.

13. Update Your Passcode

If your garage door uses a keypad for entry, keep the code close to your chest.  Never make your code an easy-to-guess number like a birth year.

No one should know the code except for the people in your household. However, you may choose to give out your code on a one-time basis, such as to a friend who house sits for you while you're away. Always change the code when you return or every six months to be safe.

14. Help Your Neighbors

One of the best ways to keep a neighborhood secure is to have neighbors who look out for each other. Watch for suspicious activity around neighbors' homes and talk to them regularly about security concerns in the neighborhood. Offer to get their mail when they’re on vacation, so it’s not obvious that they’re away.

If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, you'll increase your chances that they'll return the favor and look out for you, too.