Lock It Down: 5 Ways to Enhance Your Garage Door Security

Jonathan Knoder

September 4, 2022 at 9:00 AM·5 min read

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Home break-ins are more common than you might think. There are 2.5 million burglaries annually in the United States, and 57.5% are through forcible entry. You might think, “I have a strong smart lock on my front door and a floodlight that protects my house.” While those smart components certainly help button up your home security, when was the last time you thought about making sure your garage was safe and secure?

Your garage holds some of the most valuable assets in your home: your car, expensive tools and items you might have in storage that could have great monetary and personal value. So why is your garage door security so lacking? We’re here to help you fix that.

How To Beef Up Your Garage Door Security

There are many smart ways to enhance your garage door security, especially without replacing your existing garage door. Below you’ll find helpful advice and a few products like smart garage door openers, outdoor security cameras, and others along the way to get your garage door as secure as your front door.

1. Get a Smart Garage Door Opener

Keeping the remote garage door opener on the visor in your car is like keeping a key to your home under your front mat. Especially if you park outside of your garage. And if you leave your windows rolled down or car unlocked, that’s easy pickings for a burglar to access your garage.

Instead, beef up your garage door security with a smart garage opener like the MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener or the Wyze Smart Garage Door Opener. A smart door garage opener can tighten security by alerting you whenever your garage opens and closes via phone notifications. Wyze takes security a step further by providing a camera that can capture videos and photos of your garage door while it opens and closes. If someone other than the home residents opens the garage door, you’ll know.

Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener

Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Security

Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener

Price: $52.99
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Wyze Smart Garage Door Opener

Price: $49.98
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2. Install Motion Sensing Flood Light Cameras

This is one of the simplest ways to increase your garage door security. According to the UNC Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 60% of burglars will leave a house alone that has a security camera present. When you have a security camera that also lights up the area, criminals are even more deterred from entering.

The Ring Outdoor WiFi Cam with Motion Activated Floodlight records clear video that you can see right on your phone. And if the light turning on automatically doesn’t scare a burglar away, you talking directly to them through the two-way voice communication surely will.

Another great option is the Eufy Security Floodlight Camera. Like the Ring, it captures excellent footage you can view on your phone but also has a high-volume alarm to scare off would-be burglars.

Ring Outdoor WiFi Cam with Motion Activated Floodlight

ring floodlight camera for garage door security

Ring Outdoor WiFi Cam with Motion Activated Floodlight

Price: $199.99
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Eufy Security Floodlight Camera

Price: $199.99
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3. Install Indoor Security Cameras Near Windows

Burglars often get the idea of breaking into garages by peering into windows to see what is available. If they notice any valuable tools or items lying around, they’ll check to see if cars are gone for the time to strike. But you can combat burglars even attempting to look into the window by placing a handy indoor security cam right in their face.

A Google Nest Cam for Google Home users or a Wyze Cam V3 for those looking for good night vision are great options to secure garage windows.

Google Nest Cam

Price: $99.99
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Wyze Cam v3

Wyze Cam v3

Price: $34.36 (orig. $35.98) 5% OFF
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4. Get a Locking Garage Door Handle

It’s time we discuss physical components to keep intruders out of your garage. Many garage doors out there can be manually opened, which in some cases, is like leaving your front door unlocked on the reg. A locking handle like the Universal Garage Door Lock T Handle with two keys can keep people out of your garage like the locks on your other doors.

Another option that is a little more manually intensive is a Garage Door Slide Lock. These don’t have keys and can only be locked and unlocked inside the garage. These locks definitely up your security but require you to walk to the garage door track whenever you want to lock and unlock the garage.

Universal Garage Door Lock T Handle

Price: $18.62
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Garage Door Slide Lock

Price: $22.99
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5. Get a Smart Lock

For those with attached garages, the door that leads from the home to the garage is often left unlocked. If someone were to break into your garage, they would have an easy entrance into the house, which is scary. It would help if you were treating that door to your home like you would your front door, and one of the best ways to lock down the house is with a trusty smart lock. We recently reviewed the Lockly Vision Elite Smart Lock, which has many features, including a rotating pin pad and a fingerprint sensor to keep people from breaking in and ensure you know exactly who is coming in and out. A keyless entry lock like the Schlage Keyless Touch Deadbolt is also a stellar advanced garage door security option.