December 21, 2018

Protect Your Personal Property and Close the Garage Door

Burglar

When the sun sets and the evening sky turns from a pale blue to a deep midnight hue, most of us wind down our activities of the day. The evening is a time to relax and replenish in expectation for another busy day. For some, rushing home to do these vital tasks is necessary because of the pressures and fast‑paced world around us. Sometimes we rush and make mistakes. For many homeowners, this evening rush causes them to forget to do something very important, close the garage door.

Leaving the garage door open is an open invitation to unsavory characters. It is like giving them permission to enter your home and make themselves comfortable. No one would do this on purpose, but it still happens. For others, the garage door is left open for a short period of time. This still poses a threat to the personal items stored in the garage. There are several reasons why you should pay attention to your garage door.

Burglars Look for Openings

A thief is an opportunist. They are constantly looking for opportunities to exploit an error or mishap. Imagine this, you are driving down a street late at night and notice every garage door is in the closed position, then you notice one house has the garage door wide open and there is no one inside. A scene like this is like candy to a baby for a thief. They would jump on the opportunity.

If you leave your garage door open at night, you run the risk of having an incident like the one mentioned above happen to you. Homeowner’s insurance will help pay some of the costs based on the value of what was taken, but you will have to come out of pocket in order to pay for updated versions of the stolen items. Even if you see your neighborhood as nice and peaceful, there is always the risk of a break‑in when your valuable items are in clear view.

Rodents Love Shelter from the Cold

In the wintertime, temperatures drop and have us feeling the freeze. Most living organisms search out warmth during this time of year. This is true of small animal life like rodents. In order to stay alive and thrive during the winter months, rodents will often seek out indoor shelter and cozy up until the temperatures warm up.

If you leave your garage door unattended for even a brief period of time, this may be the opportunity a little chipmunk or squirrel takes to discover their new hideout. Getting them out can cause a lot of headaches and those critters may even do damage to your personal items. Instead of paying hundreds to an exterminator, try your hardest to keep your garage door closed. If you must open it, do not leave it open and unattended for any period of time. This will help protect you from any rodents seeking shelter.

Keep Weather Events Out!

It seems like there is a massive weather event somewhere on earth at least once a month, and sometimes more frequently. These events bring fire, flood waters, hail, snow, wind, and rain. These elements can cause a great deal of damage to any property. Most would agree that it is important to close up or board up your house in order to keep these destructive forces out. The same is true when dealing with a garage door. While most would not put boards over the garage door entrance, many still take preventative measures in order to protect their property and personal belongings. It would be tragic to have left a garage door open during a major weather event considering the damage done to personal property would be significant.

How to Ensure the Garage Door is Closed

There are two sure means:

  • A Garage Door Monitor (829LM)

    This monitor is a device that you install in your home. Many choose to install it in their bedroom. It will display the current state of your garage door and allow you to close it if need be.

Monitor 829LM
  • LiftMaster’s MyQ Technology

    Beginning in 2013, the Chamberlain / LiftMaster company has offered MyQ technology. This technology lets you connect your garage door opener to your smartphone, tablet or laptop via the Internet. The MyQ app will send an SMS message telling you if your garage door is open or closed no matter where you are in the world.

MyQ app

This is Worth Remembering

It is never a good idea to leave your garage door wide open for the duration of the night. Not securely closing the garage door at night leaves your home open to both thieves and rodents. It is advisable, to add checking the garage door to your evening routine, in the same way you make your rounds to lock all access doors to your house.

For information about the monitoring devices mentioned, contact us. As experienced professionals, we know garage doors better than anyone else. We will be able to provide guidance to you and explain the best choice to make based on your specific requirements and within your budget. If you wish, we can send you a quotation by email.

Another option is to come and meet us at our showroom. If you are considering a new garage door, why not use our Design Centre to picture just what it could look like. Want inspiration? Then look through our image gallery for many stunning examples.

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