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A homeowner's guide
How to Secure Your Garage Door
The garage is one of the easiest ways into a house. Most of the fixes are simple, and several cost nothing at all.
We spend our days inside garages across the North Shore and Chicago, and we see the same weak spots over and over. None of them need a security system to fix. Most take a few minutes.
Here's what we'd check on our own houses.
Ten things to check
Easy ways to secure your garage
Protect the emergency release
The red release cord can be hooked through the top of the door with a coat hanger. A release shield or a zip tie on the release lever stops that.
Don't leave the remote in the car
A remote clipped to the visor is a key to your house for anyone who breaks a car window. Use a keychain remote or the app instead.
Lock the door into the house
Treat the door from the garage into the house like a front door: a solid door and a deadbolt, locked at night.
Check your opener's age
Openers made before the late 1990s may use fixed codes that can be copied. Modern rolling-code openers change the code every time.
Use vacation lock
Many wall controls have a lock button that disables remotes. Turn it on when you're away.
Get alerts if it's left open
Smart openers and add-on sensors can tell you if the door is open and let you close it from your phone.
Make sure it closes all the way
A door that reverses and stays open is an invitation. That's usually the safety sensors.
Cover the windows
Frosted film on garage door windows keeps people from seeing what's inside, or whether a car is home.
Secure the side door
Side doors often have weak locks and frames. A deadbolt and longer strike-plate screws make a big difference.
Keep it closed
Simple, but the most common one: a door left open during the day, even while you're home.
Where we can help
When it's a job for us
A lot of security problems are really door problems. A door that won't close reliably usually needs garage door sensor repair. An old fixed-code opener is a good reason to look at garage door opener repair and installation. And a door that's damaged, warped or rotting at the bottom is often better replaced — see new garage door installation.
We're a family-owned company working our own neighborhoods. Read more about Shoreline.
Common questions
Garage door security, answered
Can someone open my garage door from outside?
The most common way is pulling the emergency release through the top of the door with a hook. A release shield or a zip tie on the release lever prevents it. Older fixed-code openers can also be a weak point.
Are garage door openers secure?
Modern openers use rolling codes, which change every time the remote is used. If your opener is from before the late 1990s, it may be worth upgrading.
Should I lock the door between my garage and house?
Yes. Many break-ins through the garage end at that door, so it deserves a solid door and a deadbolt.
How do I secure my garage door when I'm on vacation?
Use the lock or vacation button on the wall control if it has one, unplug the opener if it doesn't, and take remotes out of any cars left in the driveway.
Get it sorted
Door won't close or opener getting old?
Call and we'll take a look at the door, the opener and the release.