Garage door locks; additional security!

Many people have not heard of garage door locks, but they are becoming more and more popular every day; not only here in Riverside, CA but anywhere garages are used, both at home and for business. Our Riverside Locksmith experts know how using garage door locks can greatly increase the security of your property and especially the contents of your garage whether it’s guarded by a single tilt up or a huge industrial garage door.

Why lock the garage door?

It’s an honest question; your garage door leads into your garage. You naturally want to secure the contents of this large room so locking your garage door just makes sense. Take the average home garage for example. The typical residential garage contains at least one vehicle (car, truck, SUV, van, etc.) as well as bicycles, motorcycle, golf cart, garden tools, water heater, work bench, water softener system, storage containers, lawn furniture, and lots more.

All of these items cost money and if stolen, would need replacement at some point. While every garage is different, you can see where most home garages contain a wealth of belongings that are important both in monetary worth and personal value.

Gateways into the home

You already know that your garage door opens (usually) into your home or business. Did you also know that your garage can be a gateway into “burglar heaven?” Every year many Riverside, CA homes are burglarized from inside the garage. That’s right; the crooks get inside the garage and worked in peace and seclusion to pick the lock on the door leading into the home, or simply walk through the unlocked door directly into the house where they can steal at will!

Do you see the advantage of breaking into the garage? From the street, no one notices anything! Sometimes, the burglar’s vehicle is even driven into the garage and loaded with items from the house and then driven out while the whole thing looks normal to anyone not familiar with the real occupants.

What you can do!

First of all, don’t panic. It’s always difficult to think clearly when under stress or extreme uncertainty. Next, try and clean up the area just outside your garage door. By saying this, we mean trimming tree branches, hedges, bushes or other large plants that people can hide behind. Keep in mind that burglars often observe the victim(s) before they actually steal. Large, overgrown shrubbery is ideal to hide behind and watch your intended victims go about their business.

Arrival and departure times can be noted, and lights on at night, as well as open curtains can reveal other information like floorplan layouts, any possible weapons and number of persons in the household; all good things to know about before actually breaking in. You can never go wrong making your home or business property look neater and more attractive, and you might just discourage a home burglar or common thief from even attempting to rob you.

Another helpful tip is to add a light over the garage door. A well-lit area is a real deterrent to criminal activity as any would-be thief would be much easier to notice and observe. Even more recommended is a motion detector light that turns on anytime there is significant movement within its range.

Garage door locks

By now you are probably wondering “what about garage door locks – aren’t they what this post is about?” Following the above advice is recommended to increase the overall security and appearance of your property. Adding garage door locks is the finishing touch to achieving a well secured and hard to rob property for you and your loved ones to live and work in. Who knows; you may not even need the locks if your home or business is clean, well-lit and looking secure!

Garage door slide lock

Slide locks are the most common garage door locks. These are sometimes called latch locks and are simple but very effective. They use a latch that slides from the garage door into a pre-cut hole located in the garage door track. When the lock is in place, it prevents the garage door from lifting up as the latch is locked into place and can’t roll up via the vertical track.

These locks are inexpensive and easy to install on your own. They do have one drawback however; they can burn your opener motor out if you forget that the lock is in place and keep trying to run your opener. Sometimes, a family member can lock the garage door and forget to tell roommates or other residents who then attempt to open the garage door using their remotes. Motor burn out is the result and sometimes even damage to the garage door itself.

T handle lock

Another popular garage door lock is the T Handle keyed lock. You’ve seen them hundreds of times; they have a handle in the shape of a T and are installed on the outside of a garage door. There are two bolts and a cable system on the inside that work to lock the garage door when in use. The bolts are secured to the vertical track and only unlocked when the T Handle is turned. You can only turn the handle with a key so they are well secured from passersby. Again; don’t use your garage door opener when this lock is engaged as damage to the door can occur.

J Arm lock

Is your garage door automatic? If so, it already has a lock of sorts on it. The operator arm; located on the garage door trolley, locks into place when the door is closed. This is what prevents it from opening when lifted manually. This is what you unlock when you pull the red handle on the cord and disconnect the opener.

Which to get?

That’s up to you, but all three are effective and easy to use and install. You can do it yourself or use the services of a professional Riverside, CA locksmith shop if you like. When used correctly garage door locks can add peace of mind and better security to your building.