From cabinet handles to faucets to gutters, most things simply wear out over time. What about when the garage door stops working, though? In that case, you won’t just have to make plans to get it repaired eventually; you also have to consider the safety risks that come with having a broken garage door.
If and when this happens, keep in mind that it isn’t the time for DIY repairs. For one thing, repairing a garage door can be risky if you don’t have the proper training. For another, a trained garage door repairman could probably get the job done a lot faster. Find the highest-rated garage door company in your area, like Livonia’s garage door repair shop, and let them know what’s going on. They’ll be able to send a repair technician as quickly as possible, so you can regain your peace of mind – and the functionality of your garage door!
Why does a broken garage door present such a security risk?
If your garage door is broken, its often stuck in a position where it cannot be closed completely or securely. Unfortunately, this essentially opens up part of your house to theft. Many people store valuable tools or lawn equipment in their garages; anything that’s inside the garage could be stolen at any time of day or night. Even if the thieves never even made it inside the house, they could get away with thousands of dollars’ worth of your belongings.
Speaking of entering the house, the door leading from the garage to the house may not be that secure. Since the garage door is meant to act as the main barrier of entry, the door may only have a simple lock on the doorknob, rather than a deadbolt like the typical exterior door.
Facts about home break-ins
Some broken garage doors can be opened and closed, but with difficulty. An alignment problem or an issue with the wheel tracks can result in jerky movements, loud screeching, or other unpleasant issues. This can result in the decision to only leave the door open during the day, so that you can still drive your vehicle in and out as needed. At night you’ll close the door, and be able to sleep soundly.
You may have sound sleep with this strategy, but it doesn’t give you much reason to relax during the day if your house stands empty during work or school hours. In fact, even having someone at home during the day won’t necessarily prevent someone from sneaking away with your favorite mountain bike or set of tools. This is because the majority of burglaries happen between 10 AM and 3 PM, when thieves can rely on most people to be away at work or school. One effective deterrent is a home security system, but even that may not prevent someone from taking advantage of a wide-open garage with all kinds of valuable items inside.
Here’s another statistic: the garage is one of the most common points of entry for burglars. Just like the front and back doors and the first-floor windows, garage doors are simply easy targets – especially if they’re already open!
Keeping your home secure
If your garage door is broken and you’re concerned about security, the best thing you can do is to get it repaired as quickly as possible. In the meantime, don’t leave it open for extended periods of time, and try not to leave the house unattended while you’re waiting on the door to get fixed. If the garage door can’t be closed, make sure that the door leading from the garage to the house stays locked, and move valuable items in the garage to a safer place.
These are helpful strategies to follow when the garage door is broken, but there are also a few tips to boost security even with a perfectly functioning garage door. Did you know that the majority of break-ins that happen through the garage door are because of the homeowner’s negligence? The fact is that even if your garage door works, it could still be left open by accident. By getting into the habit of always closing the garage door after entering or exiting the garage, you can minimize the chances of this happening.
Another option is to replace your garage door for greater security. Older garage doors will work with many different automatic garage door openers; a burglar could realistically drive around with an automatic opener, clicking it periodically, and get some random garage door to open. Newer models of garage doors, however, use rolling codes that supply a different code with every use. This makes it virtually impossible to access with a random door opener, and much more secure overall.
Lastly, if the door leading from the garage to the house doesn’t have a deadbolt, you should consider getting one installed. It isn’t that expensive, and it adds an extra layer of security in case there’s ever a break-in through the garage.
Other reasons to repair your broken garage door
Maintaining your security and peace of mind are great reasons to repair your broken garage door quickly, but there are other advantages to this too.
- Having a broken garage door or garage door torsion spring is simply inconvenient. Most people drive in and out of their garages on a daily basis, and they rely on having a working garage door as part of the process.
- A garage door that’s in obvious disrepair could incur fines from your municipality or HOA. Not only is this a headache to deal with, but it’s also a financial burden that can be avoided by quickly repairing the garage door.
- A broken garage door also presents a safety risk to anyone who’s around it. If something else breaks or malfunctions at the wrong time, the door could fall and cause an injury.
Most of us take garage doors for granted until they stop functioning properly. If your garage door stops working as smoothly as it should be, make sure it gets repaired quickly!
