5 easy tips to keep your property safe

The change in seasons often means a change in household routines.

Different Knoxville and area school schedules mean that our kids are coming and going at different times. Between classes, practices, and hanging out with friends, distracted children sometimes forget to close the overhead garage door.

Law enforcement professionals tell us that most burglars live within a 2-mile radius of their intended targets. An open garage door can be seen as an invitation, making your home an easy target.

Consider, too, a thief actually parking their car in your garage. With the overhead door closed, they can burgle your home, hidden from view, loading their car with your possessions.

Take sensible precautions

1) Change your opener codes

Set a reminder on your family calendar to change the opener codes every few months (or as often as suits you). Simply follow directions to re-sync your remote to the powerhead.  Overhead Door systems feature more than 1,000 random codes, a significant barrier for even a tech-savvycriminal.

2) Keep your opener out of sight

Just as you wouldn’t leave your valuables on a car seat, keep your garage door opener hidden from passers-by. If a thief can’t easily spot your opener, they will likely leave your car untouched and move onto the next. Thieves can break into closed cars, then grab the opener as well as the owner’s vehicle registration or insurance card, with the home address printed right on it.  Should your car ever be burgled, immediately change the codes on your overhead garage door system.

Away from Tennessee for a week or more? Consider these tips

3) Engage the slide lock

To secure the home while you are out of town, take the extra minute to lock your garage door from the inside. Just as you would deadbolt the front door, your overhead door may have a manually operated slide lock. This slider can only be accessed from inside. Upon your return, reverse the process. Your overhead door system cannot work with the slide lock in place.

No slide lock? Other options include sliding a bolt or even a padlock through a drilled hole in the track, just above the position of a roller. With the obstacle in place, the door will be unable to be raised.

4) Lock the access door

Many homeowners use the garage door as their main access, along with the connecting door to the home. Year-round, you may leave that connecting door unlocked. When securing your home, remember to lock it. Should a thief get into your garage, they will have an obstacle between them and the rest of your home.

5) Unplug the opener

An easy way to secure your garage door is to unplug the powerhead. With no power, the drive system and bullet are frozen in place, keeping the door locked and secure.

Follow a maintenance and repair plan

Garage door damage can make your home vulnerable to intruders. Be vigilant and check these areas:

• Weatherstripping
• Door balance
• Springs
• Pulleys, tension cables, hinges
• Saf-T® sensors
• Tracks and rollers

Regular maintenance keeps your door operating at peak efficiency. If you notice any deterioration, schedule a service call with one of our Overhead Door Company of Knoxville professionals at 865.635.9320

Let us help

Concerned about your security? If you live in Knox, Anderson, Roane, Union, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Blount, or Loudon county, Overhead Door Company of Knoxville can serve all your garage door needs. Click here or call 865.635.9320 to tell us about your concerns. We will happily consult with you and provide you with a professional service call or estimate.