Your garage doors are on the front lines of your home defense plan. Keeping them in good condition is important for your family’s safety. Consider these five tips for keeping your garage safe and secure.
#1 Maintaining Your Opener
The garage door opener is a major convenience. It eliminates the need to get out of the car in bad weather and raise the door, a process that defeats the purpose of keeping your car inside to begin with. The opener is also a critical link in your home’s security.
Keep your garage door opener in good condition. If there are issues with the springs, rollers, track, get them taken care of so that your door will operate properly.
#2 Caring for the Remote
Treat the remote for your garage door’s opener like it’s a house key. After all, that’s what it is. Someone with your opener has full access to at least the garage and probably to the rest of the house.
Keep your opener out of view in your car to discourage thieves. Make sure it has fresh batteries so that you don’t have to get out of the car and risk becoming a target. Update the opener with new technology so that thieves can’t crack your code.
#3 Have a Keypad Installed
Despite our best efforts, remotes can go dead, get dropped, or otherwise get damaged, leaving us stuck outside. You should always have a key to your house, of course, but the safer and faster way to get in without your remote is by using a keypad.
Having a keypad installed will give you all the functionality of another remote. Your kids and trusted family members can use a code to get in if you’re not around, and you’ll have a backup in case your remote fails. Just be sure to maintain its batteries and use a strong code.
#4 Keep a Solid Door
A number of things can damage your overhead door. Driver error can lead to a collision that creates gaps or damages glass. Vandalism or previous burglary attempts can also leave the door in a compromised condition.
Never let these conditions go unchecked. Intruders are looking for any little opportunity to make access to your home, and a damaged door or window can be just what they’re looking for. As soon as there is damage, check into garage door repair and get the condition corrected.
#5 Preserve Override Tools
Many of us think nothing of that short rope or chain hanging from the door release, but it’s critical in the event of a problem. A power outage or an issue with the opener can leave your door stuck closed or open, either of which is a big problem.
Make sure that the pull handle is long enough to reach and in good condition. Operate the release occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking.
Some of these steps are simple, but others require professional garage door service. If your garage doors need repair or replacement, contact K & B Door Co today.
