One of the largest misconceptions about home invasions is that they always happen at night. We also tend to think that burglars committing these crimes are highly skilled professionals who have come from out of town to target unsuspecting homeowners. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, most home burglaries occur during the day and by someone you know. While this might seem shocking, the truth is that home burglaries don’t always go down the way they’re portrayed in the movies.
Home Alone’s 2 most infamous burglars ever.
Important Home Burglary Stats Everyone Should Know
According to Aeon Matrix, most burglaries take place between 10 am and 3 pm. Yes, that’s right— in broad daylight. Additionally, they occur within 10 minutes or less. And unlike the widely held belief that they’re conducted by highly trained thieves, they are actually committed by someone you know 65% of the time. Burglars tend to start their heist in the master bedroom and will end up working their way through the house from that starting point.
Now that we’ve dispelled some common myths surrounding home invasions and burglaries let’s shed some light on garage safety and security. Surely our garage is safe from the threat of burglary, right? Think again. While our garages are mostly filled with junk we don’t want in our living rooms; the truth is that there might be more valuable things in your garage that you’re not aware of. Garages can also be entry points for thieves looking to force their way into a home with an attached garage.
According to Safe at Last, burglars gain access to your house through the front door 34% of the time. The next most common forced entry point is through a first-floor window which happens in 23% of home invasions. 22% of the time, burglars will enter your home through the back door, leaving the final 9% of home invasions occurring through the garage door. While garage entry is the lowest probability outcome, it is still a significant risk that can’t be ignored.
Things We Often Forget
Many first-time homeowners believe that buying a house in the suburbs will shield them from the high crime of the city. After all, buying a beautiful suburban single-family home with a white picket fence comes with a high tax bill. Those taxes have to go somewhere, right? While crime rates are lower in the suburbs, it is important not to become complacent. Having a false sense of security is what can lead to a higher chance of experiencing a burglary, which is why it is important to understand that burglaries can happen anywhere—no matter how safe you think your neighborhood is.
Oftentimes, complacent homeowners can become oblivious to the risks of leaving a spare key outside the house, or even worse—they fail to lock their doors. They make the mistake of thinking that nothing bad can happen in their neighborhood and sacrifice safety for convenience.
What they don’t realize is that their actions can often be observed by a motivated thief who will pick up on the weaknesses of their home’s security.
A Quick List of No Brainers
● Lock your doors and windows at all times.
● Never hide a spare key near your front door, under a hidden rock, or outside shed. Ultimately, you should never hide a key anywhere on the exterior of your home. Those looking to have a spare key in case of an emergency should leave one with a neighbor they absolutely trust or a grandparent or family member that lives nearby.
● Don’t place your keys in a bowl that is visible near the entrance of your home. Additionally, you should never label your keys. Another important tip is to never leave your garage door opener visible in your car.
● Mind your patio doors. Even if you lock them, sliding doors can be easy for burglars to break into. One good way to add extra protection is to take a wooden 2x4 or wooden curtain rod that can be placed between the outer frame of the door and the door itself. That way, when a thief tries to force their way in, the door will be blocked by the wooden stopper.
● Know your neighbors. Burglaries tend to be less frequent in tight-knit communities. Having a good relationship with those that live around you will make it more likely that they will look after your house when you’re not around. Or will let you know if they see anything suspicious.
● Change your locks after moving in. New homeowners often fail to change their locks after moving into their new place. While you might not suspect the previous owner of breaking in using their spare key, you can never be too careful and can’t know who else has access to the keys of your house.
● Close your curtains after dark. Leaving your curtains open can be a good way for unwanted eyes to spot all the valuables sitting in your living room. Don’t let this happen, and maintain a good level of privacy by keeping your shades or curtains drawn.
● Install curtains on your garage and the basement windows. Adding windows to your garage can be a great way to get more natural light in your space. However, it can also be a great way for a burglar to scope out your valuable items. Consider installing Sandblasted glass. It offers the best of both worlds – daylight and privacy!
● Use timers for your interior lights. Installing a timer that turns your lights on a few times throughout the day can be an excellent way to throw off potential thieves. By making it look like someone is home, these lights can trick thieves into thinking that there is someone there, making them far less likely to target your property.
● Install motion-activated exterior lights at your front door, back door, and garage door. Even though most burglaries happen during the day, it doesn’t mean that a nighttime home invasion is impossible. Having lights that turn on when someone walks outside your house can be a very effective and affordable security measure and can also prevent you from falling or tripping outside your home after dark.
● Maintain your landscaping. Keeping your bushes, shrubs, and trees trimmed is an excellent way to ensure that you have maximum visibility outside your home, making it easier to spot an intruder.
● Tour the exterior of your home and observe any possible security weaknesses. When you do this, try to put yourself into the mindset of a burglar. Ask yourself questions like where would it be easy to break in? Look for windows that might not be secure, and make sure to take note of any ladders lying around that could make it easy for a burglar to climb up your house to gain access through a bedroom window.
● Keep all your valuables hidden from plain sight. By keeping your expensive things out of the view of anyone walking by your house, you put yourself in a better position not to be targeted down the road.
● Don’t share too much about your whereabouts on social media. While it seems like everyone these days needs to share their every move online, this is often a great way to be the victim of a burglary. Of course, it is tempting to share special occasions and vacation photos online while they’re happening, but this can also alert potential criminals of the fact that you’re not home making it a great opportunity for them to break in.
Learn more about how safe your home is on this Safeatlast blog article.
Should You Reduce the Length of Your Garage Door Release Mechanism?
This ColoradoRMN video explains how to add a tie wrap and shorten the rope on your garage door.
If the rope is too long, a burglar can easily hook it between 2 door sections, grab it and pull it outside in a few seconds. Photo credit: Image from the video
The release mechanism is the part of the garage door operator system that is meant to be an emergency release. It is not a “design flaw”, as said in the video. It is there to be used in case of a power outage or fire, making it possible to open your door immediately.
Overall, we do not recommend adding a tie wrap to your release mechanism. Instead, you could shorten the rope or install a garage trolley shield, which would be safer.
The Best Solution: Add an Automatic Garage Door Lock and Skip the Makeshift Gimmicks
In most cases, a garage door can be opened with brute force. However, this is not easy. It will usually require some type of pry bar and is the last thing a burglar wants to do to break into your home.
Some many “handymen” might add sliding bolts inside and lock your garage from the inside on both sides, near the floor. This is an extreme measure and is ultimately another homemade solution that is not the best way to go about protecting your garage. The truth is that a great quality garage door will last up to 25 years. Drilling holes in it can result in your warranty getting voided.
Instead of falling for these makeshift security measures, we recommend installing a LiftMaster automatic garage door lock that automatically locks your door when it's closed.
4 Reasons You Should Install This Lock on Your Garage Door
1- Complete protection: Installing a deadbolt lock makes your garage door impenetrable.
2- Audible security: The sound of the lock engaging lets you know that you’re protected.
3- Automatic operation: Performs in concert with the opener. This allows it to lock and unlock every time the door is opened with the garage door opener.
4- Monitor your garage from anywhere: This lock comes equipped with Smartphone monitoring using the MyQ app, which lets you check in on your garage no matter where you are.
Worry-free Performance. Know that your home is secured from anywhere with the MyQ App and Automatic Garage Door Lock.
A Modern 21st Century Solution – Smart Garage Door Openers
If you’re looking to take your garage opener to the next level, consider a smart opener from LiftMaster. They offer a smart garage door opener with a built-in camera and two-way audio so you can have greater control of the security of your garage.
9 Things You Can Do with Your Smart LiftMaster 87504-267 Opener
1- Customize your alerts.
2- Check the status of your garage door; always know what’s going on in and outside your garage from anywhere using the mobile app.
3- Open and close the garage door from anywhere.
4- Give access to the users you want: This smart opener allows you to grant access to whoever you need to get into your home through your garage.
5- Get notifications on your smartphone each time people enter your garage.
6- Get in-garage deliveries
7- See what’s going on in your garage in real-time.
8- React to what’s happening in your garage. Because this opener has 2-way audio technology, you can speak to anyone who enters your garage through the app.
9- View past activity with either a 7-day or 30-day video storage option, available via a monthly subscription.
How does it work?
Thanks to the Built-in Camera, YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE what’s happening in real-time
● Live-streaming 1080p HD video
● Manuel 360-degree rotation
● Motion detection, night vision
Thanks to 2-Way Audio, YOU CAN ALWAYS HEAR & TALK
● Microphone and Speaker, Live 2-way communication
● Enable/disable the microphone
Thanks to the Built-in WiFi & Smartphone Control, YOU ALWAYS KNOW
● MyQ-connected.
● Open/close from anywhere
● Customize alerts, share access
● Wi-Fi and integrated Bluetooth
Thanks to Safety Features, SECURE YOUR HOME AND YOUR FAMILY
● Battery Backup – open/close your garage door even when the power is out
● Electronically Protects against forced openings
● Secure Code – every click sends a secure code
● Safety Sensors – protect you by stopping the door from closing on obstructions
● Motion-detection lighting – never walk into a dark garage again
The LiftMaster 87504-267 door opener is definitely not your typical garage opener. It opens up so many more possibilities of how you can access and secure your garage. And with online ordering being as popular as it is, having a smart opener can make it possible for deliveries to be placed directly inside your garage.
Having seen a huge rise in thefts of packages left on the front step, in-garage deliveries will soon become the new normal making a smart opener an inevitable necessity.
Here are some easy steps you could take to make sure your garage door isn’t vulnerable to a home invasion:
● Never leave your car unlocked.
● Never leave your remote control in a place where it is clearly visible in your vehicle. Put it in your pocket or your purse.
● Reprogram your LiftMaster accessories to make sure another remote control cannot open your garage door.
Speak to a Garage Door Specialist That Can Guide You Through the Process
Contact us now at 519-737-6915 for service in Oldcaslte and at 519-352-5200 for service in Chantam.
Keeping your garage safe from burglars can be stressful. And with so many security considerations to make, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out which solution will work best for you. If you need garage door services, whether it’s for the maintenance, repair, or installation of your garage door or your garage opener, our team of experts can help point you in the right direction and will provide you with a detailed plan to accommodate your garage door’s needs.
Is it time for a new garage door opener or a new garage door?
If you need a new garage door opener or an entirely new door, Dor-Co Garage Doors has you covered. With years of experience, our experts can help with any garage door project, no matter how big or small. When you call us, you can expect one of our knowledgeable team members to go over your preferred design preferences as well as your budget. Once they’ve found an option that works for you, we can set up a time to have one of our specialists come out and perform the installation.
If you’ve already found the perfect garage door for your space, contact us for a free quote by email.
You can also check out the residential photo gallery of previous projects to get a better idea of the type of work we’ve done in the past. Aside from that, we also offer an innovative Design Centre app that can help you preview what your door will look like.
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