Did you know that thieves can break into most garages using nothing more than a coat hanger? That’s right! You don’t need a fancy signal jammer or complicated device. In some cases, a simple coat hanger will do. Don’t let this freak you out too much, there are plenty of ways you can beef up your garage security, but it is important to always be vigilant. You simply don’t know where your vulnerabilities are until the worst happens. That’s why we want to cover this topic. Let’s get your prepared so that you can prevent a thief from breaking into your garage.
The Coat Hanger Trick
While we are talking about it, let’s go over the coat hanger trick. All a burglar needs is a small blog of wood and a coat hanger to trip the safety release mechanism attached to your garage door and garage opener. How do they do it? Well, it is easier than you think. First, the thief will take a small piece of wood or block and jam it between the top of the garage door and the weather stripping. This creates an opening. With the opening steady, they then thread the coat hanger or hooked piece of wire through gap and pull the emergency latch just on the other side of the garage door.
While it is even easier for a thief to see what they are doing if you have windows in your garage door, remember that windows are not a requirement. Bad guys have plenty of practice learning where the necessary components are to successfully break in. Now the question is: What to you do?
Your first thought may be to remove the emergency cord, but we would not recommend that. While it would make it more difficult for a thief to get in, it will also make it more difficult for you to stop the garage door from functioning in the event of an emergency. Instead, lock the release lever into the engaged position. The emergency cord lever always has a hole in it you can run a cable through. Just attach the other end of the cable to somewhere in the garage and make sure it is tight. The goal is to prevent something as flimsy as a coat hanger from being able to pull the cord.
You can also use zip ties to keep the cord taught, or create a shield or cover that can be placed over your garage opener so that would-be thieves cannot access the release. Fortunately, all these methods will still allow you to use your remote control and open and close your door safely. Take garage security seriously. Don’t let something as simple as the coat hanger trick result in a break-in at your home.
Other Ways Thieves Break Into Your Home
Think the coat hanger trick is the only way for the bad guys to get into your garage? Think again. Another quite simple method involves petty theft; they steal your remote. The problem here is that usually a homeowner aids the thief. Never leave your garage door opener laying out in your car. All a thief needs to do is see that opener on your seat or clipped to your visor and the next thing you know both your car and your house have been broken into!
We talked about garage windows a moment ago. Look, we get it. As garage door installation and repair professionals serving the beautiful cities and towns around Akron and Canton, we know how important beautiful landscaping is. But if your landscaping is creating areas for thieves to hide in as they figure out how to break into your windows or doors, how good it looks won’t matter.
And since we live in the 21st Century, thieves now employ 21st Century methods to breaking into your home. That’s right, burglars can now hack into your garage door system. We’ve
talked about garage security a lot in the past, but techniques evolve. Homeowners must stay up-to-date on how to prevent the bad guys from getting in. Fortunately, we’re here to help!
Garage Security in the Modern Age
Garage doors are in the news as police forces and homeowners face a shifting battlefield in home security. Everyone understands the need to protect your electronic devices. Laptops and smartphones are like integral parts of our lives. Now here is the question: Do you pay as much attention to your garage security as you do to your device security? You don’t need to answer that. Probably not, we gather.
Because burglars are capable of hijacking electronic systems critical to the functioning of your garage door. They do this by compromising the opener. If you use an older style handheld remote that transmits by simple, unprotected radio signal, hijackers could gain control of your opener. Through a simple Google search, would-be burglars can modify a standard opener to accept a USB port and use downloadable software off the web to modify its operation. Instead of your remote opening the door the next time you get home, it will be a thief-owned third-party device letting them into your home.
If you use an older garage door opener system, consider upgrading it, if for nothing else than the sake of your garage security. Modern
WiFi garage door systems come with fail safes and hack-proof technologies that older garage door technologies do not. You can also invest in other security accessories like video cameras and motion detectors. Some detectors even notify your local police department or integrate with your home security system.
Take nothing for granted, especially your garage security. We can help you install a modern, secure garage door system that you can rely on to keep the bad guys out.
Contact us today to learn more!
