When it comes to home security, the garage door is one of the last things you might think about – especially if it doesn’t lead directly into your house. But it’s one of the bigger targets for thieves, and also typically’ home to some of your most valuable assets. Even if you don’t keep your car in there, bikes, power tools and gardening equipment are all high value and easy to re-sell. So you need to ensure your garage is secured with a robust lock that can protect whatever is inside. Luckily, there are only 4 main types of garage door lock, so it should be simple to find the right option for you.
The 4 Types of Garage Door Lock
T- Handle Locks: These are the most basic garage door locks you can get, and they actually come pre-installed in most garage doors straight from manufacture. Here, the lock is inside the handle of the garage door, and the handle rotates from horizontal to vertical to lock and unlock. This type of lock will provide some protection from a break-in, but they can be very easily bypassed by even the greenest of thieves, or someone who has spent an hour on Google.
Ground Locks: These garage door locks fasten to the bottom of the garage door and into the ground itself, held in place with a padlock (though you can use other types of lock). These are most commonly found on roller shutter doors, both the manual and electric kind, and are a popular choice for retail units. They are very secure and tough for burglars to jack up and break in through.
Bullet/Pin Locks: Another type of lock commonly found on roller shutters, bullet/ pin locks fit through the shutter and directly into the guide rails. This stops the roller from being forced up or down by an intruder. You can unlock or lock it using a simple key.
Garage Door Defender: These nifty little devices are placed immediately outside and in front of your garage door, securing the door to the ground. Unlike ground locks, garage door defenders have an arm fixed to the door and locked into a pre-installed concrete base with a padlock. They tend to work best with the defender’s arm on top of this base, restricting the movement of the door.
Is Replacing Your Garage Door Lock Worth It?
In general, the answer to this is always going to be yes. Unless you’re keeping your garage completely empty (and we haven’t met anyone who does yet), then thieves will always see it as a valuable target. And if your garage is attached to your house, or has a direct route inside, then not replacing the standard lock with something more substantial is a major security risk.
Around 9% of burglars will break into a property through the garage, because they are such a vulnerable point in the property. Garage doors with standard locks can be opened in as little as 6 seconds, without the homeowner even being aware of it. In fact, you may even be in your home when it happens! That’s why we always recommend upgrading your garage door locks. It’s a simple step to making your home much more secure.
At My Locks, we specialise in everything to do with locks and keys. From personal safes all the way to commercial locks, as well as domestic locks and garage doors. If you would like us to review your lock security, we would be more than happy to help. Just get in touch to speak with one of our experts today.