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Adding a garage to a house can be one of the best additions for your family. Additionally, it will offer a return on your investment equal to most other options, such as kitchens or decks. In terms of cost effectiveness, a garage can help lower heating and cooling costs because it will help insulate at least one side of the house, which will no longer be directly connected to the outside. Of course, it will provide greater protection for your car than the outside environment or even covered parking, and for the work-at-home enthusiast, it can also serve as a workshop or office.
That said, one of the most important aspects of a garage is the garage door. Without a secure door, your belongings are at risk. Additionally, a secure garage door will offer heating and cooling benefits. Finally, a quality garage door will make entering and exiting your home easy and secure.
1. Smart technology
Instead of just being a door, smart security can make your garage door something analogous to a sentry. For instance, smart-security doors are equipped with what is known as a fish-eye camera that can monitor the front of your home. Because the fish-eye camera is a wide-angled lens, your garage door will have a wide view across your entire yard. No one at all will be able to walk on your property without being spotted, recorded, and logged.
However, smart technology will also allow your garage door to protect you in a variety of other ways. For instance, smart doors can detect carbon monoxide as well as smoke, protecting your family from fires and suffocation. Additionally, if you select a door equipped with lasers, it will help you park, ensuring you do not back into something or someone. Finally, smart doors can provide you with weather and temperature alerts, indicating when you should be careful when going outside.
2. Windows
Because people often use garages as storage areas for equipment, tools, and other valuables, it is important to not provide would-be thieves an incentive to steal. For instance, windows with a frosted surface prevent people from tip-toeing and peeking into your garage. If they cannot peek in, they will not know what is in the garage. Because they will not be tempted by the possibility of your garage being empty, they are must less likely to break into your home.
3. Manual lock
Although your remote control will not allow others access, it is sometimes best to have the option of securing your door with a manual padlock. For instance, if you are leaving town for the weekend, going on a trip, or simply want the added protection of a manual lock to protect extra-value belongings, you should look for a garage equipped with a manual latch that will allow you to secure a lock to it and prevent the door from opening.
4. Construction
A secure garage door should be made of solid steel alloy, wood, or a nearly indestructible composite. Avoid aluminum doors as they will dent easily. Additionally, the door itself, should fit securely within the door frame. In terms of fit, there should be no gaps, and there should be no need for extension panels for insulation.
5. Lock
Ideally, the lock should be a cylinder lock. Unlike standard key locks, cylinder locks do not rely on tumblers and cannot be picked. Cylinder locks have tubular keys, and they are among the most secure locks available.
6. Motor
The motor should consist of a chain-bar system that automatically engages a lock when the door opens. With the lock engaged, it should be impossible to manually force open the door. Additionally, for safety, the door should have an internal release, which you can either pull or slide in order to manually open the door in emergencies. Finally, because the security door will often be heavier than a standard garage door, you should look for a more powerful motor of .75 or 1 horsepower. Less powerful motors will experience significant wear and tear on the internal brushing. Because the motors for secure garage doors can be heavy, you are advised to employ garage door repair specialists to install the motor.
7. Schedule
Many secure garage doors will offer basic scheduling. Scheduling allows you to preset the door to open or close. This option can be important if you are expecting someone at a scheduled time. Additionally, it can be useful if you are expecting a visitor to leave at a scheduled time.
8. Gauge
A secure door will often be up to 1.5 to 2 inches thick. This thickness will ensure no one can manually cut through it or force their way in. Additionally, the steel from which the door is made should be at least 28 gauge. High-gauge doors will resist warping. Additionally, they will be able to sustain stronger impacts without denting or opening.
9. Opener
The opener should be programmable to a customized frequency because frequencies among garage door openers are susceptible to hacking by thieves. This is a common problem caused by the use of a dip switch. A dip switch utilizes switches that owners can flip or not flip. In doing so, the door is said to offer the security of a custom frequency. However, the frequency is only one of a finite number of possible frequencies, and hackers are able to search frequencies and submit all possible codes necessary to open a door. Additionally, they can use this brute-force method to successfully open a door within 29 minutes.
To protect yourself, look for a garage door with a rolling code. Rolling codes change the actual frequency each time the door opens.
10. Peep holes and door devils
In the same way a smart system can monitor your yard, a fish-eye peephole can allow you the ability to scan your home’s exterior. Using a fish-eye peephole, you can achieve a line of sight of up to 135 degrees.
Additionally, you should look for a door that can be fitted with what is known as a door devil. Although most doors fit tightly to the point that you cannot fit a quarter into the gap, door devils are reinforced steel plates that fill gaps and prevent kicking, ramming, and prying. They can fit within gaps no larger than the width of two dimes, making them a perfect addition to any secure garage door.
I am Bhagwati Suthar, Founder of Jobiba & TezLife.com. I am a Blogger, Affiliate Marketer and a Digital Marketer from Udaipur, India. At JobibaBlog, We share articles about Blogging, Marketing & Advertising, Business and Tech Tips.
