Can burglars open garage doors?

Garage doors can potentially be vulnerable entry points for burglars looking to gain access into homes. While newer garage doors often have built-in security features, some older models may still be at risk. Understanding how burglars target garage doors and implementing preventative measures can help homeowners better secure their property.

How Do Burglars Open Garage Doors?

There are a few common techniques burglars use to gain entry through garage doors:

• Picking the lock – Many older garage door locks can be easily picked or bumped open using common household tools. Lock picking tools allow burglars to manipulate the lock tumblers and open the door.
• Hacking the opener – Garage door openers can sometimes be hacked using special devices that intercept the radio signal from the remote. This allows burglars to capture the code and replay it to open the door.
• Breaking door panels – Burglars may try forcing garage door panels open by kicking near the bottom or prying around the edges. This can damage the door, allowing them to reach inside and release the emergency disconnect.
• Using cloned remotes – Criminals can sometimes obtain copies of homeowners’ remote codes by intercepting the signal during use. They can then create cloned remotes to open the door at will.

Which Garage Doors are Most Vulnerable?

The following types of garage doors are often most susceptible to break-ins:

• Older wooden doors – Wooden garage doors are typically fairly lightweight and the locks are easy to manipulate or break.
• Aluminum single-layer doors – Single panel aluminum doors can often be kicked in or pried open along the edges.
• Doors with exposed locks – Locks that are accessible from outside provide burglars with easy targets to pick or break.
• Doors with outdated openers – Older openers lack encryption and other security tech to prevent hacking.
• Doors with glass panels – Glass panels can potentially be shattered to reach inside and release the emergency cord.

Steps Homeowners Can Take to Secure Garage Doors

Fortunately, there are things homeowners can do to better protect their garage doors against break-ins:

• Install a modern garage door opener system with encryption technology to prevent hacking of the radio signal.
• Make sure the emergency release cord is not accessible from outside the garage.
• Replace outdated locks with high-security lock sets that are pick and bump resistant.
• Add an additional lock on the door track to prevent lifting during break-in attempts.
• Apply security film to glass panels to prevent easy shattering.
• Keep the garage door closed and locked at all times when not in use.
• Consider adding motion sensor lights to deter criminals.

Conclusion

While garage doors can be enticing entry points for burglars, following security best practices can effectively minimize the risks. Investing in modern locks, opener systems and reinforcement devices goes a long way in keeping criminals out. Homeowners should also follow basic precautionary habits like keeping doors closed and locked when away from home. Being proactive about garage door security provides substantial peace of mind and protection for your property.