Stop Break-Ins from Happening to Your Home and Garage

You should feel safe in your home. You shouldn’t feel as though you have to worry that someone is going to find their way into your property to take your things or hurt you. Most people believe that burglaries only happen after dark. While they can happen at night, they can happen during the daytime, as well. You need to be vigilant all the time.

Potentially the worst burglars in the world: The Wet Bandits

What You Need to Know Regarding Home Burglary Stats

Check out these disturbing statistics

Aeon Matrix reports:

● Burglaries tend to happen most often between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

● They are in and out in about 10 minutes or less—they tend not to stick around.

● 65% of burglars know their victims.

● Burglars often live near your house, and they tend to avoid homes that have a security system in place.

● The master bedroom is where most burglars begin.

You might think that other parts of your house might be safe if they are starting in the master bedroom. However, that’s not the case. Think about all of the things that you have in your garage. You might have sports gear, tools, and other valuables. It also has the largest entry point to the house, thanks to your garage door.

Burglars look for any point of ingress into your home that will work through them. According to information from Safe at Last, thieves are entering your home through the following areas:

● 34% come in right through the front door.

● 23% make their way into the house via a window on the first floor.

● 22% get into the house through a back door.

● 9% of thieves find a way into the home from the basement.

● 9% are getting inside through the garage door.

What Are You Forgetting?

Many people feel that just because they live in what they think is a good neighborhood that they are safe. They opted for a nice place to remove themselves from the criminal element.

Those who live in nice areas, or even “okay” areas start to feel safe if they don’t have issues immediately. They feel more comfortable and feel that maybe they don’t have to lock their door if they’re just going to run to the grocery store. They don’t double-check the locks on the windows and put off getting a security system.

The bad habits you get from feeling too safe can come back to haunt you. Someone who is watching the house, or even just a thief that gets lucky could find a way into your home if you aren’t cautious.

Keep Safe, Keep Vigilant

You don’t have to go full-blown Kevin McAlister and set up booby traps around your house. Instead, you need to make sure that burglars aren’t attracted to your house in the first place. Here are some simple tips.

● Keep your windows and doors locked all the time. Even when you are at home.

● Don’t hide your spare keys outside, even if you think you have a foolproof hiding place. There’s a good chance someone will find it. If you NEED to leave the keys for someone, such as your kids, leave the keys with a trusted neighbor or relative that can help.

● Don’t put all of your keys in a bowl near your entryway. Don’t label your keys, and never leave the remote to your garage door in plain sight in your vehicle. It’s too easy for thieves to steal these things.

● Remember the patio doors. Just because you slide them closed and lock them when you leave doesn’t mean that they are safe. They can be forced. What you want to do is take an old broom handle or thick doweling rod and put it into the tracks. This will make them very difficult to get through. Do this with your sliding windows around the rest of your house, too.

● Learn a bit more about your neighbors. You don’t have to become best friends with them, but you want to be friendly enough to wave and say hello. Make a little bit of small talk. This way, you have allies in the area that will watch out for your house just like you can watch out for theirs.

● If you move into a new place, make sure that you change out all of the locks.

● Keep your curtains closed when it gets dark. It’s easy for thieves to look in from the outside when you have lights at night. They can see what you have and can see whether you are alone or not. You don’t want them to see all your stuff, and you never want to look like a target.

● Make sure you have curtains on the windows in your basement and your garage, as well. If you still want to have natural light coming into the garage, consider the type of windows you choose. Sandblasted glass can give you the privacy you need, as well as natural light.

● Get some timers for the interior lights in your home and garage. While you can simply leave lights on all the time when you are out of the house, thieves that are watching the place could catch onto the trick. Having timers for the lights, as well as the TV and the radio, can work better. Have them set at different times and only use them in certain rooms of the house. This will make the thieves wonder if someone is home or not.

● Remember the exterior of your home, as well. Having some motion-activated exterior lights around the house and your garage can help. Even though a lot of thieves are active during the daytime, you don’t want to allow them a dark space to crawl around after the sun goes down. It also means you don’t have to worry about coming home late and tripping.

● Review your landscaping. Think of it from a burglar’s point of view. Does the landscaping make it easy for them to get around your home without being seen? It’s time to rethink the look of your yard, so you can get rid of any potential hiding spots. Consider putting some bushes with thorns, such as rosebushes, around the areas of your home where thieves might want to get inside, such as your ground-floor windows. They don’t want to have to bleed to get into your home.

● Walk around your home and look for easy entry points. Try to think like a thief. If you had to break into your own home, how would you do it? What would be the methods you would attempt? When you put yourself into the mind of a criminal, you may start to see weaknesses around your property. When you do, make sure that you shore up those weak areas as soon as possible.

● Don’t put expensive items in plain sight. You don’t want to give the bad guys the temptation to get into your home. Therefore, you need to be sure that you keep your expensive items locked up and out of sight. This means bringing bikes inside to keep them safe, putting away tools when they are done being used, etc.

● Think about social media use. Today, it seems as though everyone is announcing every aspect of their life on social media. People don’t need to know every step of their day. You certainly don’t want to tell the Internet that you’ll be out of your home for an anniversary dinner or that you are going on vacation. If you do, everyone who sees the post will know when you’ll be away, given them an opportunity to break into the place. Wait to post the things you do until after you’ve done them.

Do you think your home is safe? Use this Safeatlast blog article to see if you are on the right track or not.

And now how to prevent Garage Break-Ins?

Reducing Garage Door Release Mechanism Length

This could be a good option. You can learn how to use a tie wrap and reduce the length of the rope on your garage door in this ColoradoRMN video.

If the rope is too long, a burglar can easily hook it between 2 door sections, grab it and pull it outside in a few seconds. Photo credit: Image from the video

The current rope length is there for the safety of you and your family. It’s not a flaw.

It’s supposed to work as an emergency release, which is a good thing in the event of a power outage or a fire. You need to get out quickly, and the rope helps with that.

Instead of using a tie wrap, which we don’t recommend, you could shorten the rope, or you could use a garage trolley shield, which is the best choice.

Here’s a Great Solution: Automatic Garage Door Locks

It’s possible to use brute force to open up a garage door with something like a prybar. However, this doesn’t mean that you should try to find homemade options and tricks to keep your door in place. You don’t need to do anything to the door that will make it more difficult for you to open it in an emergency.

Instead, it’s better to use the right tools for the job. When you have a quality garage door, it can last up to 25 years. The last thing you want to do is put holes in it, as it could void your warranty.

Instead, it’s better to use something like an automatic garage door lock.

LiftMaster has an automatic garage door lock that could work. When your door is closed, it will automatically lock.

Why Consider This Type of Lock for Your Door?

1. Great Protection: It’s a deadbolt, which can provide ample security for the garage door.
2. You Hear It Click: The sound of the lock engaging lets you know that it’s in place to keep you safe.
3. It’s Automatic: You don’t have to worry about forgetting to lock the door. It happens when the door opener is used, which means it will always be locked when the door is closed and will unlock when the opener is activated.
4. Monitor the Door: Smartphone monitoring with the MyQ app ensures you can always see that your door is safe and locked and that you are aware if there is an issue.

Worry-free Performance. Know that your home is secured from anywhere with the MyQ App and Automatic Garage Door Lock.

Step into the Future with a Smart Garage Door Opener

In addition to an automatic lock, you should also consider getting a LiftMaster smart garage door opener. It has two-way audio and a built-in camera. It provides you with some wonderful features.

LiftMaster 87504-267 Opener: What Does It Do?

1. The opener will allow you to customize your alerts.
2. Check garage door status to ensure it is closed and safe.
3. Use your phone to open and close the garage door no matter where you might be.
4. Provide access only to the users that you want without needing to share keys or be home to let people into the house.
5. Receive notifications when someone comes into the garage.
6. You can even get in-garage deliveries when you order online. This feature is currently available in some cities.
7. See the garage in real-time.
8. React to what’s happening in the garage. Share instructions, information, etc.
9. Use the 7-day or 30-day video storage feature that’s available with a monthly subscription to see what has happened in your garage in that time.

It Works Wonders

The built-in camera is a great feature. It means you can see everything happening in the garage in real-time. It offers:

● Live-streaming in 1080p HD video that provides clear video.

● It has a manual 360-degree rotation option.

● It offers motion detection and night vision.

Communicate in real-time with the 2-way audio.

● Features a speaker and a microphone.

● You can easily enable and disable the microphone as needed.

Know what’s happening in the garage all the time.

● It is MyQ-connected to the garage door opener.

● You can open and close the garage door from anywhere

● Share access as needed.

● Customize your alerts.

● It features Wi-Fi and integrated Bluetooth

Keep Your Garage and Home Safe. Check Out the Features.

● Battery Backup – The battery backup with the opener ensures you can open and close your garage door even when there’s no power.

● Electronically Protects – This helps to protect forced openings.

● Secure Code – Each click will send a secure code.

● Safety Sensors – The sensors ensure the door will stop if there are obstructions, such as people, under the door.

● Motion-detection lighting – This ensures that the lights come on when the door is open, which provides safety for you when you come into the garage.

The LiftMaster 87504-267 door opener is a piece of the future that’s available right now. It replaces the former LiftMaster 8550. The LiftMaster 87504-267 is powerful, convenient, and easy to use. Consider all of the features it offers.

If you like to order items online, you have to worry about things like thieves stealing packages, the weather, and more. Choosing in-garage deliveries can help to keep the items safe until you can get to them.

Here are a few tips that will help you keep your garage safe:

● Don’t leave your car unlocked no matter where you go or where it is. This includes when it is in your garage.

● Don’t put the remote in your vehicle where it can be seen. Keep it in a purse or pocket instead.

● Reprogram the LiftMaster accessories so you don’t have to worry about another remote being used to open your garage.

Would You Like to Speak with a Garage Door Specialist?

Get in touch now at 1-888-754-0357.

Maybe you need some maintenance, repair, or installation. We are experts in the field and can help with any need that you might have.

Do you need to get a new garage door or garage door opener?

Seacoast Overhead Door Inc. is ready to help. Just answer some questions and we can help you find what you need that will work for your budget. You can even get a quotation by email if you have an idea of what you might want.

You can also check out some options for inspiration.

Check out the residential photo gallery and the Design Centre to see if you can find the perfect choice for your garage door.