The short answer
The garage is frequently the least secure part of a property and the one holding the bikes, tools and everything that did not fit in the loft. Old up-and-over doors and tired locks are the usual reason.
- Weak points
- Aged up-and-over gear, single-point latches
- Improvement
- Motorised doors with self-locking operators
- Storm factor
- Exposure, door area and fixing substrate
Why old up-and-over doors are a problem
Many were fitted with a simple central latch and thin panel steel. Both the mechanism and the panel edge are vulnerable, and replacement parts for older gear are increasingly hard to source.
A modern motorised roller or sectional door has no external handle to attack and the operator itself holds the door closed, which changes the picture considerably.
Storms and exposure
A garage door is one of the largest single surfaces on a house and it takes the full wind load. Exposed elevations, wide openings and poor fixings are the combination that causes failures.
That is why we look at the lintel, the fixing substrate and the exposure of the elevation before specifying a door width and system, rather than quoting from an opening size alone.
Connecting the garage to the house
If there is an internal door from the garage into the house, that door matters as much as the garage door itself. A secure garage with a flimsy internal connection just moves the weak point.
Lighting and visibility help too, a driveway with a motion light and clear sightlines is a much less attractive target than a dark recessed one.
Windows and ground-floor access
Shutters are not security bars and we do not sell them as such. What they do is remove the view of what is inside, which is a real deterrent for opportunistic attempts at a ground-floor room or a home office full of equipment.
Common questions
Are roller garage doors secure?
Modern motorised roller doors have no external handle and the operator holds the curtain closed, which is a significant improvement on an aged up-and-over with a central latch. Specification varies, so ask what the door you are quoted actually includes.
Will a new garage door survive high winds?
Doors are engineered for a wind load, and the fixing into a sound lintel and jambs is as important as the door itself. We assess exposure and substrate during the survey.
Do shutters improve home security?
They obscure the view into a room, which deters opportunists, but they are not a physical security product and we would not describe them as one.
Can you replace just the lock on my garage door?
On some doors yes. Where the gear is obsolete or the panel is corroded, a replacement door is usually the better spend, and we will tell you which situation you are in.