In order for homeowners to have a home security that works flawlessly to keep them safe at all times, it is necessary for them to make sure that they have secured every facet of their home. This means that every crevice a burglar can use to sneak in should be secured.
There are many homeowners who think that once they secure their windows and their front door that their homes are now impenetrable to burglars. However, this is most often not the case. Home security should not be thought of as a single entity, but should instead be seen as something that can be manipulated to suit a variety of situations. This is why it is important that homeowners make sure all other parts of their home are secure as well. In the pursuit of this, many homeowners look to make their garages more resistant to burglars and we are here to help show you how to find the right locks for your garage.
Which type of garage doors do you have?
One of the first things a homeowner should do when they are trying to find the right lock for their garage is to analyze their garage doors. In this regard, it is important to pay attention to the type of garage door you have in place, and see what kind of locking mechanism it uses. The type of garage door you have plays a big role in the quest for finding the right locks.
A majority of manually operated garage doors work with door latches. The door latches are operated by applying tension to a set of cables once the door has been unlocked. These latch locks are extremely vulnerable, and can be easily circumvented by burglars. In addition to this, the external lock mechanism that works together with these latch locks can be bypassed by the simple process of raking the lock.
Manually operated doors should be equipped with locks that securely hold them in place, and locks that are harder to bypass. In lieu of cable operated latch locks, homeowners can make use of sliding latch bolts. These locks work in a similar (but simpler) fashion to deadbolts. The locking mechanism is screwed in place on the interior of the garage door, and is operated by fitting securely into a recess within the adjoining wall of the garage door. It becomes a lot harder for burglars to bypass a lock like this.
This type of lock works well for homeowners that are not bothered about opening their garage doors from one side. However, these latch locks can be fitted with external handles that are in turn operated by a locking mechanism and a key. It is important that the external lock is equally secure. Most garage doors have locks that are easily bypassed by simple lock picking methods. In this instance, homeowners can make use of a well-crafted cylinder lock that has additional security pins and other features in order to make it harder to pick. This makes your lock and your garage more secure. There are many methods that burglars can use to bypass your locks, so you want to make sure that your locks are putting up a good fight.
Are there any windows to your garage?
If there are windows in your garage, it is important that these are secured as well. If they are not secured, you are merely giving burglars another entry point that they can make use of. The type of locks you use on your windows also depends on the type of windows that you have in your garage. Most garages make use of double-hung windows or single-hung windows, and these can be secured with key operated lag screws.
There are many other variations to windows that can be used by homeowners, so before you make any decision on the locks that you can use on these, make sure you talk to a professional who is well suited to help you out.
Does your garage have only one door?
Another factor that comes into play when you are choosing locks for your garage is whether or not the garage uses only one door (the main garage door) or if there is a secondary door available. Most homeowners make use of garages that have more than one door because this provides them with increased ease of access to their garages. However, having more than one garage door also gives burglars another entry point, and this is something that homeowners do not want.
If your garage has a secondary door, it is important that this door is just as secure as the doors within your home. There are many homeowners who make the locks to their homes as secure as they possibly can, and this is a good trait to have. However, as was mentioned earlier, home security encompasses more than just the main doors of your home.
Homeowners that have secondary garage doors should make use of deadbolt locking mechanisms on their garage doors. It is best to make use of either a cylinder deadbolt lock or an interconnected deadbolt lockset. This is because these two types of locks work to provide homeowners with increased security while also making it easy for homeowners to find a quick exit in case there is a fire or some other emergency within the garage. The use of locks such as the vertical deadbolt, or the horizontal deadbolt, makes a quick getaway in the face of danger much harder.
These locks are much harder to pick. They work effectively well to keep burglars out and keep your belongings safe.
Additional security measures for your garage
Choosing the right locks for your garage is only a fraction of what it takes to keep your garage as secure as possible. The most important part of keeping it secure boils down to the actions you take every day. It is important that homeowners constantly have the safety of their homes at the forefront of their minds. Here are few ways they can accomplish that:
- Make sure that the doors to your garage are always closed and locked when you are not in there. This applies even if you are at home. If you are at home and you leave the garage door open, it allows someone to sneak in there and it gives them access to your belongings and to the occupants of your home.
- If you will be out of town for an extended period of time, it is important that you padlock the latch lock on your garage door shut. This will provide it with an added layer of security. Also, do not use a Master Locks.
- Make sure that you frost or cover your garage windows so that burglars and intruders will not be able to peep into your garage.
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Author Bio:
Ralph Goodman is a professional writer and the resident expert locksmith on locks and security over at the Lock Blog. The Lock Blog is a great resource to learn about keys, locks, and safety. They offer tips, advice and how-to’s for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals.
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