Did you know that your home is highly susceptible to break-ins if you have an automatic garage door? We want to warn our customers about a trick criminals use to open your garage door with the use of a hanger. It doesn’t take a high tech hacker to get into your garage.
The Hanger Trick That Criminals Use to Break Into Your Garage
Have you ever noticed the red handle that is attached to a pull cord that hangs from your opener? That is the emergency release cord that detaches the door from the opener. That means, when the cord is pulled, you can manually open your door without a problem.
Given the right circumstances, someone can easily feed a coat hanger through the space above your door. Once they have the hanger inside, they can grab ahold of the cord and pull it to release. After that cord is detached, they can freely move the equipment.
Ways to Secure Your Garage Door
There are many ways you can secure your home. We suggest that you take action and put some of these security measures in place. If you don’t, then you are leaving your home susceptible to break-ins.
Here are the things we suggest:
1. Secure The Release Lever
Depending on the type of emergency release lever you have, it is possible to secure it with a zip tie. A zip tie can be cut in order for you to pull the release cord in case you need to. However, you won’t be able to pull the cord with a hanger from outside of the home.
2. Put Curtains On Your Windows
If you have windows on your equipment, then you should consider putting curtains or a very dark tint on the glass. An intruder will not be able to see what they are doing as easily. It could deter a potential break-in.
3. Seal Up The Hole
There are ways to seal up the hole between the door and the doorway at the top. You can install weather rubber stripping to keep someone from being able to shove a hanger in there. Also, you can place a board on the door jam as a way to block anything from coming in.
4. Put In Motion Sensor Lights
Having a motion sensor light on the outside of your home is a great way to deter potential break-ins. Intruders will stay away from areas that have a lot of light. If they walk up to your garage and a light comes on, they will likely leave.
5. Secure The Inner Door
Even if you do these other security measures, someone can still break into your garage. We recommend you increase the security on the door leading into your home. Install 1 or more deadbolts to the door. Also, you can install a chain as another way of keeping someone from getting in.
Call Today to Secure Your Garage Door
These are a few of the ways you can add more security to your home. If you need help implementing any of these ideas, call us today. We have technicians that can come out and evaluate your system. They can help you secure your door to prevent break-ins.
