If your Chicago garage houses valuable equipment, tools, or (presumably) your cars, it’s worth taking the extra steps to ensure its security. The majority of equipment kept inside garages can fetch for quite expensive prices on the black market, so it’s important to protect them from theft – especially considering how much easier in general it is to break into a garage than inside a home.  Here’s how to keep your garage secure.

High Security Garage Door Locks

If you use a quality lock on the entrance of your garage, you can ensure that you and your family stay safe. Here’s a few lock options:

• Padlocks – Place a secure hasp around the exterior doors of your garage, and close it with a padlock to deter any burglars. Make sure that the padlock is strong and sturdy, made of solid thick metal, and can endure any breakage attempts.
• Anchors – Drill concrete anchors into the ground to prevent your garage door from opening. They are mounted inside the garage, so they can’t be accessed by thieves. Combine with a strong bolt lock for an impervious security solution.
• Bolts – Deadbolts are the go-to for security. Place a bolt latching system on the door, or even put a bolt through the tracts of the garage door for ultimate security. It’s smart to be able to take out this bolt with ease in situations where you want to leave your home fast.

Other Non-Lock Options

• Full Security Updates – Make sure to secure your entire home from burglary. Install a high quality lock with a metal gate and window grilles, along with an alarm, and CCTV system.
• Garage Remote – Never let your garage remote leave your person, since burglars can write down the code or transfer it to a different remote. It’s important to keep your garage remote secure and far from the hands of any burglars.
• Changing Codes – Make sure that you can change your garage security codes every now and then, which stops any burglar from being able to steal codes while you’re using your remote.
• Always check that the door is closed and locked. – Even when you’re in a rush, double check that the door is locked when you’re home or when you leave. Many burglaries occur when a side door is left open accidentally.