Garage Security Advice

Garages have become targets for burglars for several reasons:

The older single skin metal ‘up and over door’ type with a single locking point offer poor security - they are very easy to open or bend and are therefore easy targets for thieves
Breaking into the home itself has become more difficult with the continued improvement in the security of doors and windows, particularly with the uptake of the security standards required by Secured by Design (SBD)
There is a tendency to keep more valuable items in the garage aside from just cars, such as cycles, e-bikes, motorbikes, garden equipment, freezers, fishing tackle and tools. These have increasingly become a target for burglars
Builders and other tradespeople with valuable tools are advised to lock their tools and equipment in the garage overnight to stop their van being broken into - having a secure garage door that can resist forced entry is therefore very important.

Garages

Detached garages fall into two categories - those located near the house, often set back from the road but well overlooked by surrounding houses and those located at the rear of the property accessed by a service road. The latter type is more likely to be an easier target due to them very often being out of sight, with trees and high hedging at the rear of gardens often making the situation worse.

If your garage is connected to the home, it may also have an internal door connecting it to your home - care needs to be taken over the type of internal door fitted between the home and garage though. A dual certificated door for both fire and security is required to ensure both safety and security. More information can be found on our Guidance and Standards page.

There are several things that can be done to improve the security of garages.

Secure Garage Doors

If you are installing a new garage door, consider replacing it with an accredited SBD product, these are now available as up and over, sectional or roller shutter options in a range of materials with thermal insulation.

The official police security initiative Secured by Design (SBD) have over 20 manufacturers of secure garage doorsets. One thing you can be assured of, if you choose a garage door from a company that is a member of SBD is that you are buying security and peace of mind.

When buying your new garage door, always ask for SBD accredited products as you can have confidence that they will give you a greater level of security because they have achieved Police Preferred Specification.

Locks

If you don’t want to change your garage door, consider fitting a garage door defender to prevent the door being lifted. Garage door defenders are easy to fit and provide a visible deterrent.

Alarms

If you have a house alarm system, consider connecting the garage to the system, especially if it’s attached to the house. For further information about alarms please access the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Security Systems Group website.

Alarms Advice

CCTV Security Advice

Further Advice

Another option is to park your car on a drive. If your drive has gates, consider closing them at night or when you are not using your vehicle.
If you don’t have gates, a vehicle bollard will provide an extra visible deterrent.
Often an area that is overlooked is the security of the garage doors. Unfortunately, many older garage doors are very easy to break-into so you should consider replacing them with an accredited SBD product.

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