Garage door locks; additional security

There was a time when the only way to lock your garage door was with a padlock. Back then, you had to manually do everything including unlocking your garage door and manually lifting it up or down. Today, things are much different and we have a plethora of locks, tools and accessories that help us lock and secure your garage doors easily and discreetly.

Here at Woodstock Locksmith GA we are a full service shop that offers premiere quality locksmith services and hardware for home, business and automotive needs. Our technicians are sometimes asked what we recommend as additional security for garage doors. See what we recommend and even if you don’t live in the Woodstock, GA metro area, you can apply these security measures wherever your garage is located.

Why our garages are important

You may be wondering why a simple garage is worth all this fuss. After all, most garages are simple rooms where we park our car(s). This, in itself, should tell you something. Other than our home, our automobile is one of the largest purchases we’ll ever make. Even if you drive a small, used car, your purchase will amount to a sizeable sum. If you have multiple cars; even more so! Then add the value of other vehicles like motorcycles, trucks, SUVs, vans, ATVs, and even riding lawn mowers! It all adds up and that’s just the beginning. Most people keep other items of worth inside their garages. These items can include home gym equipment, garden tools, work benches, power drills and saws, sporting goods, skateboard, bicycles, boats, stored items, antiques, boxes of books and old photos, children’s toys, clothing, pool tables, and so much more. Garages have become to us what attics were in past generations and there’s one real big item that many people overlook; direct access to the home itself!

Come on in!

If someone kicks in your front door, it’s very noticeable; especially from the street. However if a burglar or crook gains access to your garage’s interior, he or she can close the garage door again and simply walk into your home! Even if your access door is locked, the crook can pick your lock (or smash it open) in relative privacy and with virtually no one seeing or hearing from the street or sidewalk in front!

Don’t I already have a lock on my garage door?

You just might. If your garage door is attached to an automatic garage door opener, then yes, you do have a lock in place. Try it yourself; close your garage door using your remote or the inside wall button. Now try and lift it open. You can’t. That’s the lock we are talking about. But what about those that don’t have an automatic garage door opener? Not everyone does, you know. Also, it is very possible to have your garage door closed and locked and come home to an open garage and a raised garage door! If your opener unit is an older version that does not use rolling codes, it is possible for a neighbor to accidentally reset their remote code to match yours. This is will result in your garage door opening and closing when theirs does (and vice versa). If you are home when this happens, it is freaky and alarming at the same time. If you are gone at the time, it can leave your garage, its contents and your home itself vulnerable and literally wide open!

Slide locks

Adding a lock to your garage door doesn’t have to be expensive or a hassle. Our recommendations include lock hardware that is perfect for do-it-yourself types or you can call a residential locksmith and have the lock installed quickly, conveniently and very affordably. One of the simplest but most effective locks you can add to your garage door is a slide lock. Slide bolt locks are attached on the inside of your garage door and are totally unseen from the outside. Just like the name implies the bolt slides into the receiving slot and locks the door in place.

Deadbolt lock

Most think of deadbolt locks for their front door but you can effectively use a deadbolt lock on your garage door, as well. These look and act much like other deadbolt locks where a key is inserted into the lock cylinder on one side and a knob can be turned on the other side.

Biometric garage door lock

Biometric is another word for fingerprint locks and yes, they are available for garage doors, too. These locks don’t use keys. Instead, your fingerprint or thumbprint is used as the key. These locks are perfect for opening from the inside or outside. Before using, the users fingerprint must be entered into the lock’s security device and authenticated.

Keyless locks

Another form of garage door lock that doesn’t use keys is the versatile keyless lock. A number sequence or key code is entered into a keypad and then lock is activated or opened. Keyless locks can be operated from the outside or inside of the garage and they can be combined with a key system as a backup.

Padlocks

A do it yourself way to lock your garage is to use a padlock the one you used in high school for your locker. Simply drill a hole large enough for the padlock to slip through in your garage door’s track. When in place, this lock will stop the movement of your garage door as it can’t move up or down with the tracks locked into place. Word of caution; always remember to remove this lock before using your automatic garage door opener! You can easily burn out your opener motor by trying to open your garage door with the padlock in place.

Learn more about garage door locks

If adding a garage door lock to your home’s garage door interests you, learn more about this type of security hardware by contacting a local, full service locksmith shop. Choose one that offers free consultations, price quotes and superior quality locksmith products and services.