How to Lower Your Risk of Home and Garage Burglaries

Many people assume that tragedy can’t strike them. Having your home burglarized is a far-off off thought that exists only in lower-income neighborhoods with shady characters.

Then you woke up.

If you read the actual statistics, they would shock you. The truth is it doesn’t matter what neighborhood you live in. Crime is everywhere you go.

Home Alone’s 2 most infamous burglars ever.

Home Burglary Statistics and Facts That Should be Highlighted

These statistics should be a wake-up call.

As seen in Aeon Matrix

• Burglaries happen the most often between 10 am and 3 pm. A far cry from the late-night hours.
• The average burglary takes less than 10 minutes.
• 65% of burglars know their victims and live somewhere in the same vicinity.
• The master bedroom is usually the starting point.

You probably thought your garage was a safe spot when it comes to burglaries right? There’s only junk in there, and a burglar would never waste their time rummaging through a bunch of crap.

Once again, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Burglars hit garages because...

• They connect to the main house.
• There’s easy stuff to sell online like power tools and lawn equipment.
• Most garage doors can be pried open without much effort.

Safe at Last dished out some real facts. Consider these numbers regarding where break-ins occur the most often:

• 34% of the time it’s the front door
• 23% of the time, burglars take the back door
• 22% prefer the side door
• 9% will break in through the basement
• And 9% WILL BREAK IN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR

If you aren’t safeguarding your garage from burglaries, you’re making a huge mistake. But we might be able to help. Keep reading.

Easy Things We All Forget

Most people think once they move to a better neighborhood and out of the inner city, their problems are over.

Where does the sense lie in this? Did you forget that burglars prefer secluded areas that don’t draw much attention? In the city, there’s someone on every block. This would be the LEAST ideal place for a burglar to hit.

A good burglar can have your routines and patterns down in a matter of just a few days.

Don’t Forget These Tips

Start with these simple tips to keep your home safeguarded. Write them down if you need to.

• Your windows should always be locked. Don’t ever forget. This is a high-target area for burglars. If you aren’t locking your windows, you might as well put a bullseye on your house.
• Refrain from using a spare key. If a burglar is watching your house, they’re going to see where you hide your spare key. The best practice is to keep the key with a neighbor and instruct your children to head to their home if they get locked out of the house.
• Don’t label your keys, and don’t leave them near the front door. This is another target for burglars. When they case houses, they look inside doors and windows for things like this.
• The patio doors are another easy target. Don’t rely on the normal patio lock to keep the door safe. Use a long wooden pole or an old plastic flagpole to secure the door. Run it from one corner to the other. This jams the door, making it nearly impossible to open.
• It’s a great idea to get to know your neighbors. What’s the first line of defense before the police? Your neighbors. They are the eyes and ears of any neighborhood. If you plan on leaving, it’s not a bad idea to give the neighbors a heads up. Ask them if they would mind keeping an eye on your house for a few days. Give them some emergency contact numbers, and make sure you let them know if you plan on having anyone stop by.
• If you move to a new house at any time, it’s a great idea to change your locks. This is just safe practice.
• When it gets dark, close your curtains. That bright glowing television or those shiny mantle pieces look great next to that painting. Burglaries might occur more during the day, but the casing goes on at night. This way, you can’t spot creeps as they peer into your home.
• Sandblasted glass can be great for offering shade during the day or night. It’s like having the window scrambled like a TV picture. These are the types of windows you usually see in a basement. If you don’t have them installed, you should use curtains on the basement windows. Don’t forget about the garage either.
• If you have seen Home Alone, you know about using lights on timers. Take a page out of Kevin’s book and use this idea. Using timers throws burglars off if you have a regular pattern for how you turn your lights on and off. They won’t know what to expect. Set them for alternating times during the day too. You want burglars to think you’re around at all hours (or someone is).
• Motion detected lights are mandatory. If a vigilant neighbor fails you or you’re not available to hit the lights when you spot someone, the motion-detected lights will never do you wrong. Many times, these are enough to send a burglar heading for the hills. Make sure to get the brightest variety possible. We prefer spotlights. Why not blind the burglars?
• A tall bush makes a great makeshift curtain. What do we mean by this? Let your shrubs grow a little higher. These can be great for filling in gaps between curtains or covering little cracks where people can peek in.
• Put yourself in a burglar’s shoes. Walk around the house to spot things out of the ordinary. Broken window in the shed? You need to fix it. Busted lock on a side door? You need to fix it. A window that doesn’t shut all the way? You need to fix it. Breakable glass on a door? You need to fix it. You get the idea. Putting yourself in a burglar’s shoes will allow you to fix mistakes that they would normally target. Stay one step ahead of them, and you might just avoid the unthinkable.
• Swallow your pride and keep your expensive stuff out of sight. We know you want everyone to see your thousand-dollar paintings or the Faberge egg you bought overseas, but you don’t need to show it to the burglars. We guarantee they are dying to see it. Don’t put it on display.
• Finally, don’t be that guy on social media who blasts EVERYTHING that they buy. Try and have a shroud of secrecy about your life. You don’t want to gift wrap everything nice and neat for a burglar just to walk up and take.

Safeatlast blog article: How safe is your home? We’ll let you know!

The moment you have all been waiting for. How do you prevent break-ins from happening in YOUR GARAGE?

Reducing the Rope On Your Garage Door (Safety Release Mechanism)

This ColoradoRMN video explains how to shorten the safety release mechanism of 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 video calls this a “design flaw.” We nearly pounded our heads against the wall as we heard them say this.

This part of your door is called an emergency release. If the electricity goes out in your home, these are your only way out. You should not remove this rope unless you would like to be stuck inside your garage during a power outage.

Shorten the rope a bit if you’re going to do anything. Or you could add a garage trolley shield, which would be MUCH safer.

Automatic Garage Door Locks Are a Better Idea Than a Rigged Video Recommendation

Most garage doors can be opened with a little elbow grease and a crowbar. It’s not a secret.

Maybe you thought about adding in some bolt locks to the side of your garage door. If you saw it on a video on the internet, it must be a good idea, right? Well, believe it or not, not everything you see on the internet is a good idea. We know it’s hard to believe.

A great quality garage door will last up to 25 years, according to the manufacturer’s warranty. When you decide to put bolt locks or make your own adjustments to the door, your warranty is voided. If damage takes place, you’re in trouble. Then you will need to be exceptionally handy.

LiftMaster offers an automatic garage door lock that is perfect for people who don’t remember to lock their doors. This could be the most valuable component on the garage door market. When you walk off without engaging the locks, this LiftMaster lifesaver will finish the job for you. Automatic garage door locks are a great idea for any garage door, whether you forget or not.

Why should I install this lock on my door?

1. A deadbolt lock can make your garage almost entirely burglar-proof. Try and pry it open with a crowbar. We dare you.
2. The lock clicking is the sound of safety. You’ll know it’s engaged when you hear that trademark click.
3. When the garage door opener is activated, the automatic lock is activated — the two work in unison.
4. Smartphone monitoring with the MyQ means you can ALWAYS monitor when your garage door is locked and unlocked.

Worry-free Performance. Know that your home is secured from anywhere with the MyQ App and Automatic Garage Door Lock.

Switch to a New Smart Garage Door Opener: The Wave of the Future

Take technology a little further and get a new smart garage door opener. They can be monitored, opened, closed, locked, and unlocked from anywhere. Consider the things you can do with a LiftMaster smart opener:

9 Things That Can Be Accomplished with a LiftMaster 87504-267 Garage Door Opener

1. Customizable alerts for your phone; get them how you want them when you want them.
2. Check the status of the garage door 24/7, 365, no matter where you’re at.
3. Open and close the garage door at any time, no matter where you’re at. All you need is your smartphone.
4. Pick the people you want to be able to access the garage door. Create a list of trusted users. This keeps out anyone you don’t want inside.
5. Get an alert anytime someone enters the garage. All of these alerts are logged and saved on your phone.
6. Get in-garage deliveries anytime you spend money online. This is available in select cities, so make sure you check to see if yours is on the list.
7. Monitor your garage AT ALL TIMES.
8. With live reactions, you can post responses to what’s going on in your garage. Comment on video feeds and engage with other users.
9. A 7 or 30-day video storage option is available with a subscription. Keep all footage and back it up to your memory card or on the cloud.

How does it work?

The homeowner gets a notification “Garage door 1 opened just now” on her smart phone and sees her children and the babysitter, live on camera, as they enter the garage.

Built-In Cameras Allow You to See The Action At All Times. Never Miss a Thing:

• Live streams with 1080p video technology
• 360-degree rotation gives you a glimpse at everything in the area.
• Night vision and motion detection keep you ahead of the game.

The homeowner gets a notification on his smart phone and sees the neighbor as she enters his garage. “Hi, Rachel!” he says, “the ladder is hung on the left wall”.

Always Hear and Talk With 2-Way Audio That Keeps You Connected

• 2-way communication is available all the time with a speaker and intercom
• The microphone turns on and off in case you don’t want to give yourself away

The homeowner gets a notification on his smart phone “Alert Occurred – The garage door remains open and sees that the neighbor who walks the dog as the last to come out from the garage door.

You Always Know What’s Going on with Constantly Connected WiFi

• MyQ keeps you constantly updated.
• Open and close the door from anywhere at any time.
• Share access to the garage in real-time and customize your alerts.
• Integrate your Bluetooth with constant Wi-Fi connectivity.

Secure Your Home and Family with Amazing Safety Features

• The battery back up to ensure you still have power if the lights go out
• Forced openings are guarded against electronically
• Every click you send to the door gives a new secure code
• The door won’t close on obstructions thanks to safety sensors
• Who wants to navigate a dark garage? Motion detection lights your way and shines the light on potential burglars.

Replacing the former LiftMaster 8550, the LiftMaster 87504-267 door opener is a breakthrough piece of machinery. With all of the available options, you can literally put your security game on autopilot. Kick back and watch as this amazing smart system does it all for you. When things get hot and heavy, you might need to strain yourself by pushing a button. But that’s rare. We don’t want to make your job TOO HARD.

But seriously, considering picking one up. The safety features WILL protect your family.

Have you heard of in-garage deliveries? This cool new system keeps all your packages protected against would-be thieves. This is especially important during the holidays when these thefts are at their highest.

Reinforce those entry points so burglars can’t get in as easy as they’d like to:

• Keep the car locked no matter what. This is one of the first targets for burglars. They go straight for the garage door opener.
• Hide the garage door opener. It doesn’t matter where. Take it in the house with you. Never leave it in plain sight.
• LiftMaster accessories can be reprogrammed to make sure nobody else has one that can open your garage door. Thieves make a living out of programming or finding garage door openers and skipping through neighborhoods looking for the winning door. We’re not even close to kidding. Reprogramming the garage door opener eliminates the hassle of having your door opened this way.

Want to Speak with a Garage Door Opener Expert Before Making Your Decision Final?

Contact us at 1-866-686-6195. You won’t regret it.

We can handle everything on your garage door from maintenance, repair, or installation .

We have technicians standing by to assist you at all times. Call us with any questions regarding the setup of your new door or maintenance of the old one.

Do you need a garage door opener or a completely new garage door? We can handle both and everything in between.

At Autograph Door Systems, this is what we live for. It doesn’t matter if you need something as small as weatherstripping or as large as a 20” door. We are always ready and willing to help you out when you need it.

If you’ve found a selection of ours that you already like, we can send you a quotation by email.

Doing some online shopping?

Check out pictures of real installs with the residential photo gallery. There’s no better way to get authentic photos of what our work actually looks like. Our Design Centre also gives you a 3D chance to experiment with how your installed door will look in its natural habitat. This is the only place you can get a digital look at how the garage door will look installed.