Having a garage is a great way to boost both the utility and value of your home. While most of us use our garages for their original intention – to store our cars – many also turn their garage into other functions. You could turn your garage into a workshop, a gym, or even an extra bedroom if you need more space. Others use their garage as storage for everything from DIY and hobby equipment to gardening tools. The list of uses for a garage can be quite endless, making it tough to choose one specific purpose. However, regardless of what you use your garage for, safety matters!
Ask yourself this: how secure is your garage? Given the rising rate of crime for property theft, garages become targets for reckless criminals. To help you get a better idea of how to protect your garage the following suggests are based on expert advice from a local Doncaster locksmith.
Is My Garage A Risk Factor For Criminals?
Unfortunately, yes. Even if you live in an area with generally low crime rates, garages become targets for criminals. If your garage is detached, it becomes even more of a risk because criminals do not need to access your home to break in. Typically built from brick, concrete, or a prefabricated steel makeup, garages tend to be easier to enter than the house itself. Most have entrances outside of the garage shutters, with a pedestrian-friendly door most commonly found on the side.
Risk factors include how easily accessible your door is. Does a criminal need to get into your garden to gain entrance to the garage? Detached garages that have the vehicle opening out onto a road you cannot see from your house are arguably the highest risk. The garage door is often hard to see, meaning it could be easier for someone to sneak in using the cover of the night.
If your garage is part of a block of garages, too, it can be easier for someone to get access than a garage that is directly part of your home. Garages attached to the home are less of a security threat than detached garages. Detached garages that obscure your view of the entrances from inside your home, though, are arguably the biggest risk factor.
The most insecure type of garage is arguably those without a vehicle access door and a house across the street looking directly onto your garage. The more spots there are for hiding and for getting access without notice, the more likely it is that someone will try and gain entry. If your garage has a pedestrian door that leads into your home, too, this is a potential risk factor.
While no garage is 100% free from the risk of crime, certain types of garage are more risky than others.
How Can I Secure My Garage?
If you want to prevent thieves and criminals from invading your garage, use the tips below. They should help you avoid the problems you hear about on the news and online.
Garages With Roller Shutter Doors
The most common type of door for a garage with vehicle access is roller shutter doors. However, if you have automatic roller shutter doors, you will be unlikely to be able to self-improve them. You will need to contact the door manufacturer or at least the company that supplied and fitted your garage door on your behalf.
Adding extra locks onto roller shutter doors not easy, or it can even cause damage to the vehicle or the building. It could also impact the warranty, which could make a potential insurance payout harder to receive. Your best bet is to either contact the supplier/manufacturer or invest in a new door type. Make sure that your doors meet the minimum level 1 LPS 1175 Issue 5/6 security standard. Also, be sure to look at the door and ensure that it states the door passed all LPCB testing procedures and thus has gained Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) approval. This gives you better proof that the door is of a suitable standard.
LPCB certification is mandatory for quality roller shutter doorways. This ensures that you know the type of door you have/intend to buy comes with the right kind of resistance and prevention functions. These assessments give you peace of mind that the door is robust enough to pass standards and give you the extra security you need to feel safe. The company that develops your doors should have a BS EN ISO 9001:2008 quality system in place; if your manufacturer cannot guarantee this, look for an alternative.
Garages With Up-And-Over Doors
The other most common door type for a garage is an up-and-over door. Much the same as the above, you should avoid trying to add DIY security add-ons. Not only are you most likely to void the warranty on the doors, but you could also create functional difficulties that cause the door to fail and collateral damage. If you have an up-and-over garage door, never try to self-replace or modify it. Again, contact the people who installed the door for you, or at least contact the manufacturer of the door.
Up-and-over doors are usually not automated and usually have a lockable handle. Once the handle is unlocked, the spring-loaded bolts within the door will unlock from the top frame and allow the door to slide up and over the garage. However, it should be noted that most lock cylinders on up-and-over garage doors are of a poor standard. These are much easier for criminals to break into using lock snapping.
Some use a double bolt system, which is more secure as it provides a bolt on both sides of the door. Others even have three bolts, including one that sits at the top of the doorframe. Single-bolt doors can be unlocked with a thin blade, forcing the spring-loaded bolt to unlock. If you have a single-bolt up-and-over garage door, you absolutely should look out for a higher-quality replacement ASAP.
We recommend that if your garage has a pedestrian door, you secure and lock the vehicle door from the inside. Interior locks fitted make it harder for someone on the outside to know where to look for locks. Something as simple as a press bolt could be installed for you. When installed with coach bolts, this keeps the door more secure and makes it harder for someone to break through the door without drawing attention to themselves.
If you do not have a side-access door, lock the up-and-over door and secure it with a padlock. A pad bolt and padlock system, when installed using coach bolts, should be strong enough to prevent the door from being broken into. Make sure that any doors you invest in come with a certification of LPS 1175 Security Rating 1 and above.
Other Considerations For Garage Security And Safety
We highly recommend that you get in touch with a locksmithing professional in your local area if you are unsure about garage door safety. A security audit from a professional should give you a good idea of what kind of flaws exist in the doors you have. Sometimes, finding out information like the security ratings and manufacturers can be challenging if you move into the property with the garage already fitted. By contacting a professional, they can give you a bespoke quote on what you need to change.
Improve House-To-Garage Security
A common mistake for many homeowners is securing outdoor garage door security but being lax with house-to-garage entry. If you fail to lock your vehicle or pedestrian access door, a thief can get access to your garage interior. Then, it is up to the quality of your house-to-garage door to stop them from gaining entry.
Unfortunately, most house-to-garage doors are designed in the style of fire doors. While sturdy and strong, they often lack the kind of security quality you would hope for, and thus, it is easy to unlock. We recommend that you replace your house-to-garage door with something more secure. Doors that are both fire-resistant and durable enough to stop forced or unlocked entry are widely available. Again, speak with a locksmith, and they can recommend a door type that suits your property style.
General Garage Security
In the worst-case scenario, a savvy thief might break into your garage regardless of what you do. The best thieves can often find a way through quality door locks. Should they gain entry, you want to ensure at least they cannot take any of your belongings with them!
Make sure that you invest in durable containers to contain your garage equipment. Think about solid steel containers that come with locks. If possible, have the containers fixed into the floor with expandable bolts. Wall brackets should also be installed to store items like bicycles and garden equipment. Power tools, chemicals, and similar items should be stored away in the steel lockboxes we mentioned.
Also, make sure that you invest in home security systems for your garage. CCTV security cameras, motion sensors, and house alarms can all be installed to pair with your garage and your house. You might need an extra panel to control the garage, but this is an investment worth considering.
With the above tips, you should hopefully feel far more confident about reducing the risk of your garage being targeted. From securing your garage doors with further installations to improving in-house and house-to-garage doors, you can do a lot to make your property more secure than before. If you are ever uncertain, call an expert for advice!
