6 min read
For many homes, the garage door is the largest opening in the house, and the door from the garage into the home is often less secure than the front door. That makes the garage an easy target. The good news is that most garage break-ins are crimes of opportunity, and a few simple habits and upgrades make your home far less attractive to a would-be intruder.
10 garage door security tips
- Never leave the door open — even for a few minutes while you’re in the backyard or down the street.
- Don’t leave the remote in your car parked in the driveway. Use a keychain remote or your phone instead.
- Secure the emergency release. A simple shield or zip-tie on the release latch helps prevent someone from hooking it through the top of the door.
- Upgrade older openers. Openers without rolling-code technology can be vulnerable to code-grabbing devices.
- Lock the door between the garage and the house, and treat it like an exterior door with a deadbolt and a solid core.
- Frost or cover garage windows so no one can see whether a car or valuables are inside.
- Add motion-sensor lighting outside the garage.
- Use a smart opener or door sensor that alerts you if the door opens or is left open.
- Lock the door manually or unplug the opener when you’re away on vacation.
- Keep the door in good repair — damaged panels, bent tracks and weak bottom sections are easier to force.
Why the opener matters
Modern openers use rolling codes, which change every time you press the remote, so a captured signal can’t be reused. Many also include a vacation lock that disables remotes entirely. If your opener is more than 20 years old, it probably lacks these protections — and possibly modern safety features too.
Security and safety go together
A secure garage should also be a safe one. Make sure the auto-reverse and safety sensors work, keep remotes out of reach of young children, and never let kids play near a moving door. A yearly inspection covers both: we check the opener, sensors, springs and hardware in one visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can burglars open a garage door with the emergency release?
On some doors, someone can push the top of the door and hook the release cord with a wire. A release shield or a simple zip-tie that still breaks with a firm pull prevents this while keeping the release usable in an emergency.
Is it safe to leave my garage door remote in the car?
It’s safer not to, especially if the car is parked outside. A keychain remote or a smart opener app is a better option.