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Garage Door Security: Protect Your Home All Year Long

When a garage door lacks even basic security features, it could become a target for home intruders.
Particularly for attached garages, they present a large point of entry into your home. However, a detached garage is still a target for thieves, too, as you likely have stored items that are appealing to criminals — not to mention your vehicles themselves.

To deter intruders from entering your garage, it's critical to implement adequate security features and, if you have particular old garage doors, even consider upgrading modern garage doors with more robust security options.

From motion-activated lights to installing a brand-new, modern garage door, we're covering some of the most beneficial ways to lock down your garage to help deter criminals and prevent theft and home invasions.

Keeping Your Home Safe By Securing Your Garage Door

According to the most recent data from the FBI, which was released in 2019, there were nearly 7 million instances of property crime across the United States that same year — 1.1 million of which were classified as burglaries. Alternative sources estimate as many as 2.5 million burglaries annually in the U.S.

Furthermore, 34% of burglars target the front door of the home. However, if the front door isn't accessible or you've already implemented security features for your main entrance, 9% of criminals will look to the garage as their next point of entry.

These stats make one thing abundantly clear: homeowners interested in protecting their property from intruders shouldn't neglect their garage when battening down the hatches. What's more, most garages have at least a couple of doors, including the main garage door — giving burglars even more options.

Thankfully, there are many effective ways to lock down your garage to deter criminals and prevent break-ins.

Garage Door Security Must Haves

The following features, products and garage door security best practices will help you lock down your garage to protect what's inside.

Add an Automatic Garage Door Opener

These days, most garage doors likely have an automatic opener. If your garage doesn't, it may be worth looking into. Most modern automatic garage door openers come equipped with a keypad or other accessories that add an additional layer of security to your garage.

More often than not, automatic garage doors cannot be opened from the outside either, making it difficult for intruders to simply lift them up and enter. In this case, garages with automatic door openers don't require an additional locking mechanism to stay secure.

Use a Smart Garage Door Opener

A smart garage door opener, or garage security system, is perhaps one of the most innovative products in terms of garage security in years. These handy devices often come with sensors and connect directly to your home's Wi-Fi signal. In most, if not all cases, smart garage door products also come with a companion app that gives you insights into the status of your garage door (whether it's open or closed) and allows you to control it from anywhere.

This is highly beneficial for garage security for a couple of different reasons:

• If your garage door opens unexpectedly, you'll be alerted.
• If you forget to close your garage door before leaving your home, you can close it remotely.

Products like the MyQ Garage system enable smartphone control for most major garage door opener brands — so you don't have to worry about replacing your whole system. Simply hook it up and control up to two garage doors via the MyQ mobile app. Receive alerts and security monitor your garage from home, work or on vacation.

Install Motion-Activated Lights

If your garage lacks adequate light, intruders can easily go unnoticed on your property. And while more lighting is always good, motion-activated lights are much better and more effective at deterring unwanted guests.

Designed to activate when they detect any kind of motion, these lights draw attention to anyone trying to sneak around near your garage. This makes them less likely to stick around.

Use Tinted Security Film On Garage Door Windows

Garage doors come in all types of styles — many of which include windows as part of the design. And as much as we love the look of windows on garage doors, it's important to keep security top-of-mind.

To prevent thieves from peering through windows to take stock of what's inside, you can use tinted security film. These adhesive sheets are easy to apply and essentially make your garage windows opaque to peering eyes.

As an alternative, you might consider frosted or tinted windows already available on several Amarr garage doors.

More Garage Door Security Tips

With the previous security features in mind, we have a few more tips to share that will help keep your garage secure and deter criminals.

For better security, follow these best practices:

Don't Store Valuables In the Garage

Yes, garages make great storage spaces and you should absolutely take advantage of that. However, it's crucial to be mindful of what you're keeping in your garage. Holiday decorations, seasonal clothes and odds and ends are all fair game — but the more valuable items are, the more enticing they can be to criminals who catch a glimpse.

Avoid storing anything that you couldn't bear to part with or afford to lose in your garage.

Ensure That Your Garage Door Is In Good Shape

Perhaps most importantly, having a garage door that's in good, working condition is paramount to security.

Old, unkempt garage doors may not close properly or completely lack any sort of locking mechanism altogether. Beyond being externally easy to open, neglected garage doors may often appear as easier targets for criminals.

If that's the current state of your garage door, consider upgrading it for better security.

Keep Your Remote Garage Door Opener In a Safe Spot

Automatic and remote garage door openers are great; however, if that's the only layer of security you're using, and the opener is misplaced or stolen, intruders have a free pass into your garage.

For that reason, it's critical to keep your remote garage door opener in a safe spot. While it may be convenient to keep it in your vehicle, thefts and break-ins continue to skyrocket in many areas of the U.S. Depending on where you live, leaving your garage door opener in the car isn't always a great idea. To keep it more secure, consider keeping it inside and out of sight.

Keep the Door Closed

Of course, it makes sense to keep your garage door closed a majority of the time — especially if you're storing lots of items in it that may be appealing to thieves. Even if you're out working in your garage or need to keep it open for one reason or another, just be mindful of what you may be showing off to potential burglars.

As much as you can, keep your garage door closed.

Protect the Service or Side Door

As mentioned previously, most garages will have multiple points of entry, including a service, side or other exterior door. As another access point into your garage and potentially your home, it's important to keep these doors protected, too.

Consider adding a security camera and motion-activated light to the side door of your garage to deter criminals. Additionally, and like any other door in your home, always keep it locked!

Upgrade To A More Secure Garage Door

Old garage doors just don't have the robust security features that many new models come equipped with. Even implementing one or more of the aforementioned security must-haves can only do so much. If your garage door is easy to open, criminals can take advantage.

Amarr offers plenty of styles and materials to suit any budget. If your garage door is in rough shape, or you're simply interested in protecting your garage better than what an older door is capable of, find a garage door dealer near you.