Deviation Actions
Here’s an often asked question. Is it possible to add extra security to your home without being obvious? Here’s what our AA Locksmith Woodstock technicians answer to that; yes, it is! Take your garage door, for instance. Our local Woodstock, GA customers often call us for extra lock and key assistance for their garage doors. They want added protection for their homes; especially concentrating on their garage but without obvious security additions that often just attracts attention to your property. Keep reading and see what our licensed, bonded and insured technicians suggest.
“What’s In Your Wallet?”
The above words are part of a well-known television commercial but they can be altered slightly to “what’s in your garage?” If your garage protection and security seems a bit excessive, it gives the impression that you are protecting something very important. This of course, invites more than mere curiosity; it is almost like a beacon for possible crime. Your garage just might have valuable property in it; most do in today’s world of multiple cars, off road vehicles and recreational transports. On the other hand, your garage may be mostly empty and you want the added security for other reasons. The point is; why advertise? Use our suggestions for adding extra security for your garage without anyone knowing that you’ve done so.
Do you have average items in your garage?
You don’t have to have a garage loaded with Italian sports cars and a Bentley or two in order to add some extra security to protect it. Most folks have the usual items inside their residential garages. These can include cars, trucks, motorcycles, lawn mowers, SUV’s, bicycles, storage boxes, work benches, garden tools, power saws, water heater, water softener, shelves, skateboards, cabinets, cleaning supplies, auto parts, toys, sports equipment, collectibles and lots more. In the recent past, many of these items were stored in the attic or basement areas but nowadays our home’s garage is the perfect space to do everything from park a vehicle to making a birdhouse. Many modern garages are so very full that the resident(s) must park outside in the driveway or on the street.
What good is an additional garage lock?
You probably have a lock on your garage door already. If you are using an automatic garage door opener unit, there is a locking mechanism already built-in. Try it out for yourself. Close your garage door and attempt to open it either from the inside or outside by simply lifting it open. Doesn’t work; does it? That’s because the lock is automatic and works when your opener closes the garage door. This brings the obvious question; if your garage door already has a lock, why bother with another one?
Why you need an additional garage door lock
Let’s say that you have to disable your opener system for repair or due to an electric black-out. See where we’re going with this? Your garage door opener lock won’t work anymore if the system is disabled. Also, there is a little known phenomenon where older garage door opener units sometimes share the same remote code. This can happen by accident or by coincidence but anyone (neighbor or someone living close by) can now easily and quickly open your garage door using their remote. This of course disables your automatic lock, and you don’t have to be home for it to happen, either!
Steal in complete privacy!
Not you; the crooks that break into your garage! All they have to do is gain access to your garage. They go inside, close the garage door and no one knows anything is wrong from the outside. Even if a light is on in the garage, it is usually assumed that the owner is in there working away on something. If your garage has room for a car inside, the burglars can drive in, close the garage door behind them and load up in comfort and privacy. Then, there’s the problem of the interior garage door leading into the house which many people don’t lock. Crime reports all over the country show that thousands of home burglaries take place each year using this very technique.
So, what are my options?
Actually, you have quite a few. We’ll go over some of the more affordable and easily installed ones here. Let’s start with the common T-lock system. You are probably familiar with these already; these locks are easily recognized by the T shaped handle shown from the outside of the garage door. When grasped and turned, this action unlocks the garage door. This system uses a cable and two bolts on the inside of the door. Turning the T handle secures the bolts, locking the garage door from the outside or inside.
Slide locks
These simple but very effective locks are affordable, easy to install and portable, too. You simply slide the lock onto the garage door track and bolt it in place. Once bolted, the garage door can’t be opened or closed since the rollers are blocked from going up or down in the tracks. These garage door slide locks are less than $10 when bought locally or online.
Use a combination lock
Remember your old locker from high school and the combination lock that you secured it with? You can use that same lock or one just like it to secure your garage door. Choose one of the wheels in your garage door track and slip the Master lock through it. If you need to, drill a hole in the wheel large enough for the lock to be inserted and you can easily secure your garage door in this simple manner. You can even get simpler by using a bolt instead of the Master lock. Just secure the bolt into the hole you drill and lock your garage door into place. Be double sure to not forget that your garage door is sealed this way. You can burn out your opener motor and cause damage to your garage door by trying to gain entry with your improvised lock in place!
