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A garage doorway opener usually supply sufficient security measure for a garage on its own . However , if you do n’t have a garage door opener , desire an extra layer of security while away from dwelling , or ca n’t use your service department untier due to a power issue , there are many other means to plug a garage door . Some of these alternative method are as simple as total a padlock or using shaft that already may be sitting inside your service department . permit ’s go over four ways to lock a service department room access manually , as well as some tips that will improve your service department security overall .
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Before You Begin
While the methods below will help secure a service department door , it ’s important to understand that you should never habituate a physical lock on a garage room access while the door is soak up to agarage door opener . If you attempt to open a service department door with its opener while it ’s physically locked or the roller wheel on the room access are block , you may do major damage to both the threshold and opener and potentially end up with agarage that wo n’t openor near . With this in mind , disengage the service department room access from the opener by pulling the discharge electric cord hanging from the opener running before plug it by locking the threshold or block the roller wheel .
METHOD 1: Use the built-in cross-bar locking system.
If you have a lockable garage room access , then locking it is easy . With the door close , simply turn the lock up chemical mechanism to lock in the garage . Doing so will engage metal bars that slide into fix in the tracks of the door , prevent it from being opened .
METHOD 2: Add a padlock or zip tie to the track.
If your doorway does n’t have an reflex garage doorway lock or built - in latch , then another alternative is to habituate a simple lock as a garage threshold lock , harmonize toSecurity Guards Onlyco - founder Jeff Ketelaars . As he excuse it , “ To manually fix any garage doors ( even those with additional machinelike openers ) , you’re able to utilise a padlock or zip link on the room access lead , which will physically stop the doorway from opening and closing . ”
METHOD 3: Use a clamp or vice grips.
If you necessitate to operate yourgarage doorin a touch , you’re able to secure it using a tool you probably have in your shop , a C - clamp or set of vice grips . Place the C - clinch or vise grips on the course of the service department room access to prevent the door from sliding along the track .
METHOD 4: Install a locking bar.
If your garage lack a lock of any kind , you’re able to add a manual garage door put away on the tinny . lock bar be less than $ 20 and can be installed in under an hour with a cordless drill / driver . This equipment consist of a metallic element box that attaches to the service department threshold framing on the side of your service department doorway . The loge bind a metal lever tumbler that you may slide into the garage threshold track , blocking the door ’s bicycle so that the door can not be opened .
6 Other Garage Security Ideas
When on vacation , during a power outage , or when simply concerned about security , you may try good deal of other idea for how to lock a garage door and keep potential stealer from entering your home through the garage . At the least , be cognisant and check twice , particularly if leaving the habitation for an extended time or as part of your bedtime routine .
1 . guarantee your opener : The brightly colored release cord that hangs from the garage doorway untier is a fashion for thieves to open your garage , Ketelaars say . “ I always suggest manually securing the emergency release corduroy , which commonly hangs from the ceiling , to help prevent it from being compromise . ” A simple mode for thieves to defeat yourgarage door securityis by using a hook fashioned from a metal clothes hanger to grab and pull the release cord from outside the threshold . Prevent this opportunity by running a zip tie through the golf hole in the release lever and the opener ’s trolley to lock the garage room access from the interior . Your unfastener will still work , and you could well cut the zip linkup if you take to expend the manual release cord in the subject of a power outage .
2 . end the door : It might seem obvious , but thieves often take reward of householder who forget to close their garage doors . If your service department is oft left open , the best garage locks in the earthly concern wo n’t protect it . Tim Rader , senior director of product development atADT , suggest induct in asmart garage door controlto receive alarum if the garage room access is left open for a certain period . “ With this gimmick , you could verify whether you ’ve forget to close your service department door , and if so , can well shut it with a jam of a button , ” he say . “ These gimmick are amazingly affordable and work with most garage room access opener firebrand . ”
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3 . Bolster security on service department side doors . Side entryway door on garages are a vulgar fair game for thieves . If your garage has a side door , bolster its security measures by adding a padlock with a reenforce strike plate to engage garage door entry from all angles .
4 . blanket windows . burglar can use garage doorway windows to peer in and see what valuables are inside . Rader explains that underwrite those window to prevent this from happening , suggesting , “ Adding shades , blind or drape , or even set up frosted glass or tinted security department film to your window can foreclose burglar from peer inside your service department . ”
5 . better lighting : Thieves do n’t wish well - lit area . Keep the Christ Within on your garage door on at night or consider adding amotion - activated floodlightjust above the garage threshold .
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6 . lock in your garage entree doorway . Many people rely on their garage door for security and do n’t lock away the entryway door that leads from the house to the garage . Keep this room access locked at nighttime and when you ’re aside to prevent the garage from being a means of entry to the rest of your house . “ We urge installing security whorl or latch inside your garage and on the doorway connecting to your house , ” Rader says . “ Depending on your preference , you could opt for a handgrip that locks either from the inside or alfresco or choose a three-fold - sided ignition lock . ”
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