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How To Stop Burglars Just Walking Into Your Home

Do you know what the weakest security element in many houses is? Would you be surprised to know that it’s a door? In fact it’s the biggest door in most homes and also one that many burglars can unlock within 10 seconds.

Yet this is the door that nearly two thirds of people now use as their main entrance (as revealed by the Chamberlain Garage Trends Survey) and trust so completely that one third of those surveyed don’t even lock the secondary door beyond this one.

We’re talking of course about garage doors. These have now taken over from the traditional main entrance door as the most frequently used entrance to a house. The fact that many now enter and leave their property by car plus the advent of electronically controlled motorized door openers has of undoubtedly played a major role in this trend.

However, garage doors are notoriously easy to force open. Even those with complex electronic codes and powerful motors can be bypassed quite easily by experienced burglars. And once inside the garage an intruder is well concealed and able to set about entering the home via the internal door that adjoins house and garage (as noted above, in many cases by simply turning the door handle).

All those window bolts and heavy deadlocks are of little use if your garage is so poorly secured. Even if you do lock the connecting door, you are still providing potential intruders with a comfortable, discreet environment to go about their business and in many instances quite likely also providing them with useful tools (hands up all those who keep DIY equipment in their garage).

So how best to fix this? Securing your garage doors would seem to be a good place to start. A fairly straightforward and low-cost measure to consider is installing (and actually using) a garage deadbolt to at least deter opportunistic break-ins.

But for high quality security you should think about fitting secure garage doors. Some of the best examples look for all the world like conventional wooden garage doors but conceal an internal core of reinforced steel plates and rods, and are able to withstand a sustained attack from experienced burglar using a variety of tools and considerable force.

In the end deciding the balance of costs versus benefits comes to down a judgement call. But consider the benefits: superior protection for valuables and family members; cut insurance premiums and add to your property’s value; and scope to extend the use of the space knowing that it provides a well protected environment.

If you found this article interesting then be sure to check out this wooden garage doors guide.