How To Make Your Home Secure? (Importance of Garage Entry Door Lock!)

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Should the Garage Entry Door Have a Lock?

Do you live in a house with an attached garage? You believe that you have a sturdy garage door with a secure locking mechanism. But what if burglars are able to break into your garage? Can they get into your house through the garage entry door to the house? For added security, should the garage entry door have a lock or not?

You should install a garage entry door lock. It is a small price to pay compared to the huge loss you could incur. Garage doors, in spite of advances in security technology, are still quite vulnerable.

Burglars are no longer what they used to be. They are tech savvy and smart. You have the latest security app and device for your garage door. Guess what? The tech savvy burglar has already figured out a way to hack it. Or he has figured out some ingenious way to get into your garage.

Sometimes, the only way to outsmart a tech savvy or an ingenious burglar is to resort to old fashioned technology. A lock that he can not break into.

So, go ahead and install a garage entry door lock.

You will have complete confidence that your home and all your precious belongings are safe. Whether you are on vacation, out at work or sleeping blissfully in your bedroom.

Are Garages Easy to Break Into?

It is actually quite easy for a determined and experienced burglar to break into a garage with a sectional garage door. Garage doors, generally speaking, do not have locks or deadbolts. They have a garage door operator (GDO) which runs on an electric motor. You can open or close the garage door using a remote.

When the garage door is lowered, it is considered closed. However, it is not locked. All you need to do to open the garage door is to disengage the garage door safety release mechanism.

The Coat Hanger Loophole

Of course, a burglar knows this. All he needs is a “coat hanger” and a block of wood. He can trip the garage door safety release mechanism from outside in less than 10 seconds. He then lifts the garage door and walks in.

Watch this:

Stealing the GDO Remote

A determined burglar will just steal your remote. It is easier than you think. Breaking into a car is an expertise most burglars are quite adept at. 

If you go on a short vacation, you may park your car at the airport. The burglar could easily break into your car and drive back to your home and enter the garage using the GDO remote in the car. 

He will have easy access and plenty of time to ransack not just your garage but the entire house.  

Do you know why burglars love to enter the house through the garage entry door? Because, once they are in the garage and the garage door is closed, neighbors won’t have a clue of what’s going on inside.

What can I do?

To begin with you want to make your garage door as secure as possible. Check out the 5 Important Things To Know About Garage Door Lock Mechanism.

Once you have secured your garage door, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Beef up your second line of defense. Install a lock on your garage entry door.

Don’t you have locks on your front door or back door? The garage entry door is no different. If anything a garage entry door without a lock is more burglar friendly. The burglar is out of sight behind a closed garage door.

Do Garage Entry Doors Need to Be Self Closing?

Garage entry doors must comply with the Section R302.5.1 of the 2018 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) as stated below:

R302.5.1 Opening protection: Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and the residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honey-comb core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20 minute fire-rated doors equipped with a self-closing or automatic-closing device.

The take away from the above section is that the garage entry door must be:

• 20 minute fire-rated
• self-closing or automatic closing device

Of course a self-closing door may or may not have a latch, lock or a deadbolt. Without these a self-closing garage entry door will provide fire protection and convenience but not security from a burglar.

A, 20 minute fire-rated, self-closing, garage entry door with a lock, will ensure that you are both code compliant and burglar proof!

Should the Garage Entry Door Have a Deadbolt?

There are three terms regarding door security that may at times be a bit confusing. To clarify:

Latch:

Latch is a fastening device. It holds the door in a closed position but does not provide any security. A latch does not have a key. As such it can be opened by anyone.

Door latches are usually spring loaded and with an angled bolt. The angled bolt retracts as the door closes but springs back to engage once over the tipping point. The door can be opened by turning the door knob or pressing the door handle.

Lock:

Lock is a fastening device that not only holds the door in a closed position but also has a key. A locked door can be opened only with a key.

Door locks are an extension of door latches. They incorporate a lock tumbler which can be operated by a key. 

The key hole is in the exterior door knob only. In most designs the interior door knob does not have a key hole. However, you can open or close the door, from the inside, by simply twisting the knob. A key is not required.

Deadbolt:

The main difference between a deadbolt and a door knob lock or latch is that the deadbolt is blunt, not rounded or angled. So a deadbolt will not engage by just pushing the door in the closed position. You will need to engage it manually by turning the key.

Deadbolts are less convenient, as they need to be both locked & unlocked using a key. But that is what makes them more secure than a spring loaded lock.

For the best security and convenience use both a garage entry door knob lock and a deadbolt.

Advanced Keyless Entry Smart Door Lock

If you want the ultimate in both convenience & security, installing a HARFO Fingerprint Door Lock will be a great option for you. No fumbling for keys or remembering passwords (though those backup options are also available.

MAIN FEATURES

• Multiple Ways To Unlock: Fingerprint + Code + Access Fob + Key+Double Verification(Optional).
• Easy to Program: OLED Display + Voice Guide, Use the touchscreen to add or delete users.
• Advanced 3D Fingerprint: 3rd generation fingerprint access technology, sensor accuracy up to 99.86%. 
• Reversible Door Handle: Smart Lock can be changed to either a left or right handle door.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

• Auto Lock Functions – Door locks itself once you exit
• Temporary Guest Codes – for delivery or maintenance personnel
• Passage Mode – Door will not close behind you
• Privacy Mode – When you don’t want intrusion

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.