How to Stop Garage Door Break-Ins | Number One Way Thieves Get Into the House!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

These techniques of breaking in are nothing new to the bad guys but hopefully this was eye opening to you the homeowner! If it was helpful please let me know and if you have some other techniques that you use, I would love to hear about them! 👮🏻‍♂

[@mlt6322]

Like they always say, "Locks were made for honest people not thieves. Where there's a will, there's a way"

[@carmichaelmoritz8662]

the best technique is do not be greedy for wealth. if you have nothing you have nothing to worry about. i no longer have anything worth value for a thief. 👍🤟👌

[@duckpwnd]

Even not being wealthy isn't enough to protect you. Thieves will break into your garage to steal cheap harbor freight tools.

[@carmichaelmoritz8662]

@@duckpwnd I gave away all my cheap harbor freight tools. 🤣😂🤣👍🤟👌. I no longer have any tools. I own nothing and it's good.

[@greenspiraldragon]

Take the pull tab off the release, cut it shorter, but also put a fake release with a tab on it that will reach outside of the garage, but is attached to a metal bar not the release hahaha. Let them struggle with that for hours.

[@TheSafecrkr1]

As a former locksmith I have used some of those ways to let someone back in their house. Kudos to you for bringing this up we're all the homeowners to see.

[@joebates3272]

How long did that take you to use these procedures verse simply go into the back door and kicking it open. You don't do that because you care about damaging the door, crooks couldn't care less.

[@rod_at_adelaide5766]

Yep if they really want to get in that's true but it does involve noise, making your home safer for the opportunist burglar does make sense @@joebates3272

[@LP-hs6yz]

Or just break a window.@@joebates3272

[@r.f.pennington746]

Former LEO here, also. My experience tells me that the #1 way a BG came into the house was through an unlocked door between the garage and the home itself like you mentioned. There's only so many frequencies and at times BGs drive up and down the street pressing a half-dozen openers. When one actually opens, they'll sit and scout the area. Also, I'm remembering that the #1 reason a vehicle was able to be lifted from a dwelling was that the owners parked in the garage...but left the key in the ignition. This was a good vid and thank you.! I've also found that you can't beat a neighbour for security when you're gone, like Christmas. The only problem is that we usually fail to get to know our neighbours. It's worth the effort, I assure you.

[@MattFellowswasHere]

It doesn’t exactly work that way anymore. At a minimum the frequencies are squelch-coded. You’re not just gonna guess through it. Modern openers-there’s encryption both ways (and a key exchange) there’s NO WAY you just push a button and pop a door open. Do you want to know how to do it? Do you really wanna know? I’m not a hacker, but I’m a systems guy -and I can tell you exactly how they do it. Right behind me they’re building a tract with about 500 new homes in it probably most of them using Linear quiet openers- or some close corollary. Of course the houses are empty and being finished-but they won’t be six months from now-SO-I take my remote down there (with all the construction guys milling around)- put on my hardhat walk into random garage-I press “learn” on one of those openers- press the button on MY remote-and I walk away for 6-8 months… then come back for my new Jaguar!

[@MattFellowswasHere]

What do you need to do when you move into a new place or you’ve rented your shit out as an Airbnb or whatever-you need to find out what sequence of things you gotta hit on that opener to clear ALL the existing codes out-and add back ONLY the ones you have IN YOUR HAND… maybe even do that once every couple of months just to be sure

[@r.f.pennington746]

@@MattFellowswasHere Well, you'll need the My Key (or equiv) for the Jag. Don't discount that there are a lot of older garage door openers around. It's one of those 'ain't broke, no replace' items. Yes, encryption has come a long way, but still if someone has too much time on their hands it's not that hard. e.g. my telly is only 5 months old. Still, some random dude (or dudette) is driving up and down our street turning on tellies in the middle of the night.

[@MattFellowswasHere]

@@r.f.pennington746 -- the guy who built your TV does not care who turns your TV on- he’s not engineering for security, sir. The learn button on the door is a dumb thing to have- ANYONE can walk up and pair a remote they bought to your dang door!- it takes TWO seconds. Why on earth would anyone spend millions of dollars trying to “crack the encryption” on your garage?--nobody and I mean nobody on the planet…has that much “time on their hands”… Man this SO reminds me of the time I took a counterfeit (steel) Susan B, Anthony, dollar into the police station. There was a sergeant there who said to me-why would anyone bother making counterfeit dollar coins? He was dead serious! As a 20 year old kid, I just remained silent. Just thinking in my head--dude probably stamps out 10,000 of these an HOUR--he probably has a coin press that he runs ALL night who knows? Do you really think I brought you the only example? Do you think this thing cost more than maybe 10-20 cents to build?

[@correcthoarsebatterystaple]

If the neighbour has a car they always park on the street, get them to park it in your driveway while you’re away.

[@sambailey6738]

Always nice to see people giving security awareness and tips without talking about thousands of dollars in equipment!

[@ruggedrickrude1946]

Like wood working vids….nice projects that are done…after 60,000 in equipment 🤔

[@sambailey6738]

@@ruggedrickrude1946 Yeah... Always love the "$10 in pallet wood into $500 table" type stuff, but they always use gear that is outside the reach of most people.

[@drywater3559]

meh thieves don't have time to do all this. they'll break a window in 2 seconds. opening a garage brings too much attention. if they want to get into the garage for the cars, they enter through the house.

[@emiliaescobar7652]

Great Video!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@joebates3272 34 years as a police officer and worked in burglary and you didn’t see this? I question your background if that the case. Would many cracked out burglars kick in doors? Absolutely! But this happens as well. Once they get the hang of it they can have it open within seconds and no signs of forced entry. Maybe that’s why you didn’t see it, it was that effective 😂

[@MichaelW1959]

Useful information. Let me add to the "not letting people know what you have" part. When buying new electronics - TVs, laptops, monitors, etc. - when discarding the box, cut the box into panels and bundle them with all the marking on the inside before setting it for recycling/trash pickup. That way it just looks like regular plain cardboard and not the box for your brand new 70-inch 4K TV.

[@nightskylights4501]

People don't steal TV's anymore, they are too big and not worth it.

[@Biglou13-z3p]

That is why I have burn barrel

[@GeneJordan]

​@@nightskylights4501 No, most theives just steal them from the stores that sell them instead of residential home. However, they have gotten lighter and easier to steal, even as they have gotten larger. A used TV that is just a few years old also isn't worth as much to try and hock at a pawn shop.

[@HanginInSF]

If they can get it off my wall and carry it out it's all theirs.

[@GeneJordan]

@@HanginInSF That won't stop the stupid ones from trying while you are out of town. Or worse, they will just squat in your home with a fake lease agreement, watching your TV, eating your food, and using your Internet for free. There is more than one way to steal.

[@kathiehacht9156]

I’m an old 74 lady I found this very helpful. Thank you fixing it tomorrow.

[@monamorgan9452]

Don’t call yourself old👍🏻 like me we are vintage😁 If we see ourselves as “ old” thieves see us as easy targets.

[@C2yourself]

Use the pool noodle trick, don't cut or remove your string. When the power goes out you want to safely reach the cord to manually open the door without using a ladder

[@ReadTheShrill]

If you're installing a garage door opener: there are certain brands that have pulls that you have to pull straight down. If you pull it forward (toward the door), it doesn't release. You should look around for one of these.

[@wholeNwon]

Thanks.

[@drywater3559]

get yourself a jackshaft opener. it has an electronic deadbolt that shoots through the track and won't allow the door to open, even if you pull the emergency release cord. its located on the side of the door, near the top by the spring torsion tube. its way harder to shimmy the door open and pull the cord, at that most thieves don't know about them and again, they won't be able to release the electronic deadbolt. they cost about $500. I've been installing openers and garage doors for the past 15 years. professionally.

[@seanweiss4647]

I'm sure you've been repairing the doors too when they ripped apart the door because the person pressed the button with the deadbolt in

[@fakename287]

​@@seanweiss4647 it's an ELECTRONIC bolt you stupid idiot, it's connected to the opener and unlocks before the opener starts lifting the door

[@LH-kj6hj]

Retired police chief here. Excellent video and tips!

[@chrissewell1608]

Another good tip is, with all the new wireless camera systems, place cameras outside the garage area (to see thieves sculking about) and place one inside the garage (to check if the door is up or down, while away from home! And get notified if the door goes up / down, when its not supposed to.)

[@trinidadmiller1925]

As a widow living alone it's good to have several options available. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of prevention to keep me safe at home or while away.

[@rb5078]

Wait, people don't lock the door that leads into the garage??? I'm always astonished when I hear about all the doors that people don't lock. I grew up in a boring rural town in the middle of nowhere where nothing ever happened, but I was still taught to keep every door locked at all times. You walk in and you lock the door, you walk out and you lock the door. Same thing with my car, you get in and you lock it, you get out and you lock it. It's still automatic behavior and I'm 42.

[@garreth629]

I'm in a rural area that's fairly safe, and I'm definitely paranoid about checking that all my doors are locked before I leave. Except this door. I've only bothered ever bothered to lock the door between the house and garage at night. Even before this video, I had already decided not to leave my garage door opener in a locked car parked outside the garage. I'm even someone who got a pack of doberman's and a cane corso to look after the place. Lots of motion sensor lights, etc. But I've never felt the need to lock the interior garage door while away, not saying it's a bad idea, but after a point, there's only so much you can do. If someone wants in bad enough, they'll find a way. Plus, if I ever locked myself out of the house, I like knowing I can get back in with only the keypad or cellphone.

[@rb5078]

@@garreth629 Of course they can get in if they want to bad enough, but an unlocked door is basically an invitation. I think locking all your doors is the bare minimum a person can do to keep their home safe. I never felt the need to get a pack of guard dogs or a high tech security system (nothing much worth stealing in my house anyway lol), but I’m damn sure keeping every single door locked at all times.

[@tc1uscg65]

@R B.. Wait, people don't lock down the garage door on the INSIDE which disables the ability to wirelessly open the door? In my system, if you LOCK the control on the wall, you can't open the door with a wireless remote. Locking the door to the house is one thing, but if you are not locking out wireless access for the night, the job is only HALF done. I mean, who in their right mind would install a wall unit that does not allow locking out wireless controllers. Like the Genie Series II Garage Door Opener Wall Console.

[@paulromsky9527]

A crook does not care if the inner door from the garage to house is locked or not. Once in the garage, they close the garage door immediately (for stealth) then go to the inner door. They kick it in, smash the window (if one) and unlock it, or the easiest method is to put a big steel pipe on the knob and break the handle right off - very quiet. Alarms, silent and piercing, help. Retired neighbors that like to keep an eye on things are great. Try not to leave your house/arrive home at the same time or even take a different route to/from work at times. Many daytime crooks "case" you for a week or more before they pounce. Then you have the "second story men" that use ladders to smash in a 2nd story window to get in. The pros cut phone/data/power lines that use dial up/email/text to call police or a monitoring company - those are useless. Some alarm systems use the wireless cell network to contact the monitoring company. These are battery backed up and will work when all power/comms are cut. But a crook could use a wide band local jammer in a van (crooks love to use vans for stealth and in case they hit "the mother load") that can block the alarm system cell/radio call. The more you have, the more you will attract high tech thieves - which steal most of their high tech equipment by the way. If you go on vacation, NEVER blab on social media (or even the phone) on how excited you are, or even mention your day's schedule. In the early 90's there was a woman down the street that used her cordless phone around the house ALL the time. I had a scanner and I knew everything about her schedule - and apparently so did a crook, she was robbed twice. Law allowed to monitor a cordless phone but never to act or share on who you were monitoring - so as much as I wanted to tell her how to stop getting robbed, I could not by law, the statute of limitations have run out on that but I still keep her identity secret. Most cordless phones use digital voice which requires more complex equipment than a scanner, some are encrypted too. Be careful with cordless home phones. If you have older teens at home with their own cars that come and go at different times to your schedule is great. Being home/away randomly is better than being a creature of habit/schedule. If you leave for more than a day, it is best to get a very trusted/vetted house sitter. What puzzles me is those celebrities that make millions per year and they fail to have bonded security agents at thier home 24/7. They could hire 4 that work shifts for 24/7 coverage with days off. You feed them and give them a large bedroom (with privacy partitions - like in a fire house) and pay them 30k each a year, not a bad gig to sit around, be alert, get free room and board, and get paid too.

[@neobaggins3718]

I live out in the country, set back from the road. The biggest security measure I have is being far from the road, on a hill, and being in an area where we can own guns, everyone owns guns, and many of us shoot targets on the evenings and weekends. It definitely seems to dissuade break ins, when they know for certain that if someone is home, or comes home and catches them, they’ll be very well ventilated. As for other security measurements, we don’t have a garage, our 1920s farmhouse has a carport that was added sometime in the last 50 years. As for doors, we lock them if we’re going to be gone for an extended period, either several hours or days. But even that is an absolute case of security theater, as are all houses that have ground floor windows and wood frame doors. Residential doors are designed to be breached by firefighters. They won’t stand up to a donkey kick or a crowbar aimed at the area surrounding a deadbolt. Don’t even start me on doors with large glass panes, or ground floor windows. The latches on windows are often plastic or aluminum and easy to break or bend with a little mechanical assistance. Worst case, they can choose a side that doesn’t face neighbors or roads, or is sheltered and smash the window. A house alarm might cause an inexperienced burglar to leave, but most know that they have a timer on them and can smash and grab a few valuables before the cops even get the call from the security company. As for cameras, they’re more of a security threat to the owner than to a burglar. You’re sacrificing your privacy for eternity for the possibility they might get a blurry picture of the guys hat who just stole all your grandma’s jewelry and your TV. I’ll consider adding a couple POE cameras hosted locally on a physical server in my house and maybe have a way for me to directly connect to the server IP to view remotely, but I will never ever agree to the TOS of these security companies which allow them to monitor and redistribute your footage stored in their cloud, either to law enforcement without your consent, or internally to use for who knows what. We’ve seen it with Ring doorbells, we’ve seen it with other companies. Locking doors and setting alarms, at least in my case, would accomplish little as I’m isolated enough no one would hear or care if they heard the alarm, and police response would be so long they could clean out my house multiple times over and leave the area before the police arrived. As for locked doors, if they’re brazen enough to make it up my driveway to see if there are vehicles or other indications of people being home, they’re likely armed and willing to go to extreme lengths to get inside and get what they want. My last resort is arming and preparing myself.

[@2k3r11s]

Important for you to mention that the red string is not just a manual release for power failures, it’s an *emergency* release in case someone gets crushed and trapped by the door. Something to consider before removing the pull handle, shortening the string or removing altogether. Not advised if you have small children in the house. The bright red handle is intended to make it obvious in an emergency what it is for, for the surprisingly large number of people who don’t know that power openers even have a manual release.

[@newsthatdoesntsuck840]

Like that scene from Scream…

[@NubianP6]

Good point.

[@johnsposato5632]

Most garage door openers have a photoelectric sensor that detects a person or object in the path of a closing door. When it detects that, it immediately stops the door from closing. That said, all things mechanical or electronic can fail, so your warning is apt as a backup safety procedure.

[@2k3r11s]

@@johnsposato5632 Sort of. Those sensors miss many scenarios even when they are working perfectly, because they aren’t actually mounted in the path of the door, they are mounted inside/behind the door. Most garage door openers don’t operate at all if the sensors fail or are misaligned; it’s a smart-if-rudimentary failsafe design in that regard, but that failsafe design is the backup for sensor failure, not the string. Most actual crushing accidents happen with the sensors working properly. It’s a good recommendation to protect the strings from thieves reaching them, but I would never remove them. Sometimes re-routing the string with a longer string out of reach can be an option. But removing them is of almost no benefit, because the lever that the string pulls on can usually be as easily manipulated with a coat hangar as the string itself can. A better recommendation is to spend your efforts on defending against probing tools coming in at all. A metal flange attached to the top of the garage door on the inside that curls out and back down toward the inside wall above the door to catch wires poking in can be very effective. And cover those little windows that many garage doors have at the top - spray paint the inside black if you like the look of windows from the outside.

[@patriclo9509]

My garage door sensor works perfectly fine. Additionally, if the door is open, light will go on automatically when you tripped the sensor. One of my brothers didn’t have a sensor on his garage door. They came home and opened the garage. One of the cats was squished and stuck to the bottom of the door until it fell off a few feet up. Not pretty!

[@fisch69]

Another tip for the glass windows in the door: Buy a can of window frosting and spray to conceal the view but still allow light penetration!

[@isay207]

Or bubble wrap or sheer material

[@dannybryant6873]

Or hang curtains. Mine are nice towels.

[@CavMom2]

Those slide bar locks on the side are great! When we would leave for a trip, my husband would put a padlock 🔓 on it and of course…unplug the opener

[@JoeFrickinFriday]

The note about windows embedded in doors is a good one. We installed a garage side door some years ago that had windows at the top. These were nice for letting daylight in, but we wanted to not afford a clear view for anyone from the outside, so we installed privacy film on the windows. This still lets light through, but blurs images, so nobody can really see what's inside your garage. Search your favorite home improvement retailer, this stuff is available in anything from a simple frosted look to things like rainbow/floral/stained glass, whatever suits your taste.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Thanks for the insight!

[@rhollyday]

That's a great idea!

[@siliconinsect]

Just rub car wax on your windows. Easier, cheaper than film, and wipes off for cleaning

[@Theire1]

I did not want a door at all on the side of my garage . So I hung a heavy curtain over the window and screwed the door to the frame several times, locked the door and store scrap wood against that door. I also keep my ladders against that door tied to the wall... it would be easier to go threw the wall than that door .

[@Brandon_SoMD]

Another good solution is spray-on window frosting. Easier than messing with the film, and can be scraped off with a razor blade or removed with acetone.

[@trentrichards6490]

With the pool noodle, they could hook the cord above the pool noodle and that would give them sufficient resistance on the cord to just pull the release without getting the cord out of the door. Because of this, I think cutting the cord to a length too short to pull out of the door is the best approach.

[@marthabrown386]

I'm Dan, Martha's my wife. Good information and great ideas. Will use all of them.

[@wangofree]

I use a cut off broom stick to block the top of the door from opening while on vacation. Definitely recommend installing deadbolt on interior door into the house. Helps protect you if you accidentally leave your garage door open at night.

[@MaestroSmoke]

Ghetto protip: wire your garage door outlet to a switch that you turn off at night so criminals can't use stolen remotes to open your garage door by random chance.

[@gorehammer1]

My boss did that after someone broke his truck window and stole over 15k in chainsaws. Definitely I worthwhile tip.

[@michaelfagan7172]

Good idea, but it requires you to do some rewiring and then to remember to flip the switch every night. I think a better idea would be to get a smart switch plug. I bought some for Christmas lights and they work very well. I bought a pack of 4 for $23. They’re tied into your home wifi and are controlled by app on your smartphone. Once it is set up, very easy to do, no other action is required. It can be turned on via app if you need to open door outside of the time schedule you have established.

[@zerofrindz]

Gotta love those ghetto pro tips

[@kaze_cat]

My father showed me that “technique.” I shut off the electricity with a switch every time I park the car & come inside. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@DaVid-yp3js]

Ghetto protip? Why not just say, protip?

[@northwind7409]

Before you even got to the pool noodle, I ran down to the garage and removed the pull-cord. I ran a split ring in through the hole where the cord had been and fashioned a wire hook, which I hung on a screw above my bike. You'd have to have seen the split ring to have any chance of catching it with a coat hanger. Thanks for the tips.

[@kathyjones3165]

THANKS for U idea too

[@charlesschmidt849]

Great idea!

[@sharit7970]

Good thinking!

[@mikefarmer4748]

This is an excellent idea.

[@nightskylights4501]

English is not my native language. Can you explain this in a simpler way please. Not sure what "fashioned a wire hook, which I hung on a screw above my bike" means. Specially the word "fashioned" in this context. I googled it, and the results were all about the actual fashion, as in clothing and style. Thank you.

[@grntchstrmdws]

My first impression on viewing this was that it was a school for thieves. But I appreciate the low cost, low tech solutions you've pointed out. In my "gated" community, the garages are quite vulnerable with few windows facing them. And there have been several attempts by people who appear to have tried to open the door simply by using a pry bar beneath the door. The only thing they accomplished was to deform the metal a little. If you don't have a pool noodle handy, you might have some polyethylene foam pipe insulation on hand----paying attention to the foam diameter and the size of the garage pull. Also, the most valuable things I keep in my garage are bicycles. I secure them with cable locks to heavy equipment (drill press stand) or a cinder block. Finally, get to know your neighbors so you feel confident when you're away for extended periods that they'll have your back if anything suspicious is going on.

[@michaelccozens]

For bikes, an easy security step is to buy a $10 quick-release butterfly nut for your seat and take it with you anytime you're not actually riding the bike. Doesn't make the bike theft-proof, of course, but it makes it a lot less comfortable to use as a getaway vehicle, and thieves don't tend to like to steal stuff they then have to assemble in order to sell. Goes back to the whole "the best security is to put your item next to a more expensive, less-well-secured item" thing. "I don't have to outrun the bear; I just have to outrun *you*".

[@GeneJordan]

A bike theif in my neighborhood would use my own tools from my garage to cut the lock cable or break the cynderblock apart. Or use the same tools to break into my house. The xtra-large dog door for a 70+ pound German Shepherd Boxer Mix usually warns away the smarter ones though. 🐕😆

[@clayl9202]

Excellent video with really good advice! Thanks for putting this up. One thing I would suggest is for garages or sheds with windows, get some window wrap that lets all the light in (it acts as a diffuser and brings in more light than a clear window), and put it on the inside of your windows. You get all the light, it looks nice, and you can't see through it at all.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Thanks a lot for the feedback Clay!

[@daviddawkins2829]

White coroplast works well.

[@mariathorpe4292]

In addition to not being able to see into the garage, you can buy window films that prevent breaking the glass.

[@katsiduzynski488]

Buying metal frames that are welded and insert into a window to imitate divided window panes. They look nice and prevent anyone from climbing through a window.

[@karlminer7896]

Sound advice! Many garage break-ins also occur via the side entry door (if equipped) … they are a nice convenience but also provide a more hidden ingress into a residence

[@JohnW118]

Good video tips. I removed the handle from my garage door release years ago, now I will also shorten the rope. AND we always, always, always lock and keep locked via deadbolt the door from garage to house (it is an 'exterior' door after all). The only time our exterior doors are unlocked is when we are passing through them even when at home. We also always set our alarm when we leave even for a few minutes trip to the store.

[@steveblankenship5474]

Great tips! I passed this to a cycling forum where every once in a while someone has a post about an expensive bike stolen from the garage.

[@daveyburgess]

There is a very simple method that I have used for years. The pull cord is attached to a lever which, when it is horizontal, locks the door onto the opener bogey. Once you pull down on the cord the lever moves to vertical and withdraws the pin unlocking the door from the bogey. For some reason, this lever is always mounted pointing towards the motor and away from the door when in the horizontal position! See the lever in the video at 4:22 where you untie the cord from it! I simply unbolt the lever assembly, turn it around to point towards the door and bolt it back on. The cord still works just fine from inside, but pulling the cord through the top of the door, you are now pulling the lever into the horizontal locked position instead of pulling it downwards into the open position. You can tug until the knot comes undone, but you won't be opening the door! For extra security, cut part way through the cord so that it will snap more easily if undue pressure is put on it! Granted, this only works on a low profile door - one that is intended for a low ceiling garage. Yours is kind of on the boundary of being too high but it might still be worth giving it a try!

[@chrish7927]

That's a great idea. I will have to take a look at mine as it is rear facing.

[@Mike-me3sp]

One possible issue tho, if there's a car in the way can it be awkward to pull it in that direction? I haven't had one of these doors so I'm not sure. I'm tall so I'm sure I'd have the leverage, but for someone who's smaller or maybe less mobile...

[@YoureWrongImRightGetOverIt]

if u have 13'' above the opening of ur door u have plenty of headroom for a standard operator even if u flip the carrier around like ur saying. u only need low headroom track for doors with less than 13'' that are getting standard operators (not jack shafts obviously).

[@YoureWrongImRightGetOverIt]

@@Mike-me3sp what are u pulling the manual release for anyways? if u have someone who cant access the emergency release cable, i suggest u look into say an 8550 operator from liftmaster, it has a battery back up so if the power goes out ur door will still open in an emergency or just power outage. really the only reasons ud have to pull the emergency cord anyways.

[@daveyburgess]

@@YoureWrongImRightGetOverIt the thought occurs to me that in your case, with a 13" gap above the door, you could simply add another panel or half panel to the door. You don't need to access that wall from the inside except maybe to paint it, and it would make breaking in that way SO much harder! You might have to extend the length of the tracks on the ceiling a few inches to accommodate it, but it should be possible and a lot cheaper than the alternative

[@satinwhip]

You mentioned the unlocked door between the garage and the house. I grew up in an outer suburb of Pittsburgh, PA in the 60s and 70s that was basically crime free. We never even locked the house. Ever. I never had a house key the entire time I lived there. It's sad to see how society has deteriorated in the last 40 years.

[@richardsteiner8992]

We didn't lock our house in Minnetonka (a suburb of Minneapolis) either when I was growing up. That said, the neighborhood is still crime free as far as I know, as is the one I live in down here in Suburban Atlanta. Not all places are deteriorating. We're just a lot more aware of things now.

[@Ed70Nova427]

Same with our house back in the old days in NY of all places (60's to early 80's & not in the city). EDIT: Garage as well. Never locked it and no door opener. If it was raining or snowing one of us kids would run out and open it when our parents drove up the driveway.

[@TheNobleFive]

@@richardsteiner8992 It's truly eye opening to view US crime statistics over time and see how it has declined significantly across the nation since the end of the 80s. Even the spike in crime we're having now, which is still worth being concerned about because it affects people's livelihoods, is a statistical drop in the ocean in comparison to the peak of drug and gang fueled violence of the 80s. It really puts into perspective how people can see what they want to see, or not see beyond their own neighborhood, when they think the country is more violent than 40 years ago. According to the FBI crime statistics that can be easily accessed, violent crime and property crime were at their absolute peak 40 years ago and have declined 49% since 1990. Individual locations can have it worse or better because nothing changes uniformly and it's a huge country, but this change is undeniable.

[@captharry900]

The deterioration comes from lack of a moral compass. Several things have caused this. 1. We kicked God out of our schools. 2. Kids being raised by one parent. Usually the mom and kids have no father figure. 3. Lack of discipline in the home.

[@cherrypieforbreakfast1499]

Yeah, same. I grew up in small town Midwest in the 60s and 70s. Never locked the house. Pretty sure the folks didn't even have a key, as it was an old skeleton key front door lock. I distinctly remember going on vacation once, all the way to the east coast and back....and we didn't lock the house. Always left the keys in the car too. Nothing ever happened.

[@just-a-waffle]

One thing I did to fortify my garage was install a jackshaft opener. A big benefit is that it actuates an electronic latch to lock the door down. Additionally, it looks better, and it's got a battery backup so the garage door continues to work in a power outage. And, I was able to set it up to automatically close if I forget to close it at night

[@danielwake2430]

With a jackshaft operator, the manual release is also on the side of the door instead of the center.

[@justruth886]

In todays world, we need all the tips we can get. Thank you

[@sisleymichael]

Great tips! Love the video. Situational awareness is the key to survival and prosperity. I have to say, observing and paying attention in your neighborhood is HUGE. I live on a cul-de-sac. I know at least 20 families in our little neighborhood. When new people move in, I introduce myself, offer help with anything they may need, and let them know we are happy to have them. Sure, some are so conditioned to be unobservant and stand-offish, the big "stranger danger" attitude, but most are not. We have developed a small community watch program with our little police force in town, and it has paid off. On National Night Out, I set up tables and canopies in the street and make a lot of BBQ and even get a keg and everyone is welcome, to come and eat, visit, get to know each other, and become neighborly. Over the years it has grown and people love to bring their best dish they make. When I have my garage open and I am working on a project I observe the "this car is unfamiliar", I stop and walk out to the curb. Where is it going, what is the license plate number, etc. If possible, I make eye contact, render a greeting and wave. Where I live it is not a shortcut to anywhere. It is not often someone who does not belong happens in. I do not have illusions to being best friends with every neighbor. I do seek to have a sense of togetherness, common cause, and looking out for others. Love your fellow humans as Christ stressed. I spent 28yrs in the Army. I can defend myself, have the right tools and training, ability to get it done. Those in my neighborhood that are willing have had me train them. Situational awareness and helping to watch out for your neighbors, even the unwilling scared out of their minds types, realize it does pay off. Our relationship with the police is strong and they appreciate our efforts. Good observations and reports turn into leads, which can result in arrests.

[@Grunt49]

Oohrah!

[@rubychurch3466]

Brilliant Mike. My husband has zero situational awareness. I can drive home whilst he is in the front paddock, park, and walk down to say hello. He’s then, hey when did you get home.

[@curtb.]

Great job!

[@n0m4dcom]

Biggest tip, do not advertise what you have in your garage. Don't do things like displaying all your pricey DeWalt power tools on a pegboard wall. Great tips actually, I just found it funny watching you tell us not to show off whats in your garage while standing in front of a work bench with all your power tools prominently displayed. It may not even be in a garage, but the visual made me chuckle. Thanks again for the good information.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Not gonna lie, this one made me laugh. I thought about this while I was filming it but hoping all my viewers are Milwaukee fans 🤣. Really appreciate the feedback and the laugh Jason!

[@Yahsom]

Don’t let people know you have a garage

[@harryl7946]

@@HowToHomeDIY I got my plasma on the garage wall. Hope they know it’s a plasma and not LED

[@bc5441]

I’ve got my plasma in the garage. I hope they know it’s plasma and not whole blood. Actually I am careful to lock the cars when the door is open for a while and we’re not in the immediate vicinity (maybe working outside on the opposite side of the house). I had no idea the release cord could be fished out as was demonstrated here. I will have to address it in one of the ways described in this video and I will continue to protect the contents of the garage under a veil of disorder.

[@kylewallis31]

They will just come threw the window in the wall

[@robbrien8506]

One thing I never thought of until we had a basement flood, and had to wait weeks to have the damaged, torn down to the studs drywall that was removed replaced, is that most inner garage walls, that is the wall between the house and the attached garage, is only made of drywall. When walking around downstairs in the basement hall, looking through the studs right into the garage itself for weeks, it occurred to me that even once the drywall was replaced, it would be pretty simple for a thief to saw through that drywall and gain access to the house if they got into the garage, even if you locked your inner garage door to the house. All the more reason to keep your garage thief proofed.

[@Bluescout612]

I had that thought also so when I bought my house setting it up as a workshop the inner wall was covered with 1/2 inch plywood for support of shelves benches etc.. A thought on locking the inner door a friend of mine had thieves gain access to his house by throwing a rock thru a window. He diligently locked his inner garage door. They just open the door from the inside which is possible with most house entry doors. Then used his tools to cut their way into his gun safe. I have since placed a dead bolt on my inner garage door which requires a key on both sides.

[@carlotta4th]

Doors are way easier to kick down than it is to saw through drywall though.

[@BG-nj7kf]

Grandpa used to put a set of vice grips on the roller track. Very effective.

[@captainscottlum2371]

Thanks for sharing! One thing I thought of when you were addressing the pull cord is maybe just take it off and use a stick with a hook on it if you need to release it (which is not often) plus I always end up using some kind of stick anyway to push it back up in the locking position instead of climbing up on a ladder.

[@ratdog3055]

Another trick is to wrap your cord around the swing arm. If your garage has a side window, then you can install a wire grid over it on the inside (I used an old metal wire shelf). and I have a large barberry bush (with lots of stickers) in front of the window. Also, a pair of vise grips locked into the channel makes a good lock as well. And if you store a 2nd vehicle outside, be sure to remove the remote from it when you park it.

[@charliekilo3]

Yes, the cord wrap makes it much more difficult to open with a wire.

[@Bear1854]

Thank you brother for the great info. In our new subdivision I’ve been telling everyone about little things like this to keep everyone safe. As a retired LEO I appreciate what you’re putting out. Thanks again brother and I’ll be sharing this video with everyone.

[@WagesOfDestruction]

Nice. I have shortened and twisted the release cable, so it will be hard to fish. A useful tip that helped me avoid any issues. I purchased a label indicating that my house had a security system installed. I displayed the label prominently and placed a dummy camera in a visible spot, even though it never actually functioned. Since implementing this strategy, I have not experienced any problems related to security concerns.

[@HiVizCamo]

Good one, everyone should do this. Few years ago about a year after I untied my release handle rope, I noticed the top panel of my door was bowed and bent inwards by about an inch. Someone had tried to break in this way and got impatient after not snagging the rope, bending the panel in. So this works, but the bastards damaged my door 😡

[@danyelPitmon]

Got a trick for you if you have a garage door that has like a curved lip at the top you take a steel rod and put it right through all the whole length and you then use screws to fasten where no one can get out them and no one‘s gonna be in the top of the door suggestion to fix it undo the top panel from the door system and the track and then you can take it down and then re-bend it back in the shape and put a steel rod in that’s all the way through like I said in the first part that’s one way to protect your garage door even the same thing at the bottom of garage door if you have the same thing you can put a bar right through the middle of the curve rounded section that is hollow that’s just another helping tip of prevention nowadays it seems like you have to buy solid steel garage doors with solid steel panels that way no one can get in. Not even by trying to move the weatherstripping especially if you can get a garage door that made extra long and wide to prevent that in the first place which I have done that was our garage until we got a new one put in

[@princessmarlena1359]

Over in San Francisco they are punching holes in garage doors to try to get at the pull cords. And sadly, the police do not care. They can’t do anything because the DA won’t prosecute.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

I’m surprised robbers don’t just move on to a regular walk in door. Seems like most have them and would be easier and less obvious.

[@twoeightythreez]

A good trick is to just lock the garage door, at least when you know youre gonna be gone all day.

[@BattleKing00]

@@danyelPitmon as someone who installs overhead doors as a job, your steel rod idea is valid. We attach struts which are U shaped lengths of sheet metal to prevent panels from bending. The intended purpose is for wind which is why you don’t see them much on residential doors, because they don’t have much surface area to need to worry about wind bending panels. Also if you ever decide to remove a panel, please be careful. The tension on the springs can be dangerous. If you want to remove the top panel temporarily, put vice grips above the rollers on the lower panels so they don’t shoot up. Although, I've never actually heard of someone trying to break into a door like this before. I've seen people driving into doors to mess them up enough to either knock it down or make enough room to squeeze through. Although, that was only one instance where they did that to a whole street. And there was one door I replaced where a bear had the determination to claw through the door. Granted it was an old raggedy door, but still an interesting story.

[@NobodyWhatsoever]

A garage remote strategy a friend of mine used, that she told me about a really long time ago: She found remote-operated power supplies, and connected her garage door through one, and that was followed by making sure she could park inside. So when she left for work, she shut the garage via the remote, then pressed the remote power shutoff, and tested the garage door after. When she returned home, she had just one more button to press before opening the garage.

[@Vinnie101a]

NobodyWhatsoever: Have no idea what you’re talking about.

[@NobodyWhatsoever]

@@Vinnie101a The topic of the video: a way to stop (or at least discourage) garage break-ins, yes? I described what someone I know does -- or at least used to do -- for their own garage security. It's entirely on-topic, even though it may not necessarily be direct feedback of the methods demonstrated in the original video. If that didn't help, then good luck.

[@Vinnie101a]

@@NobodyWhatsoever : Thanx Nobody.

[@Dubsinsauce]

Personally I think it would be a good idea to just use a timer or a smart outlet so it completely cuts power to the garage door when you're gone or sleeping. You can even program them to turn on and off based on your location so it turns back on when you get home.

[@davidcurtis5398]

Even with the power off, they can get in.

[@daveb2280]

Thank you so much for sharing. I'm constantly looking for ways to fortify my home as best as I can. I never considered how easy it would be to open a garage from the outside. I am going to implement your tips ASAP. Thanks again!

[@michaelstahly1137]

Really liked this video. I thought I knew a lot about security of my house and missed the fishing for the rope to detach the door from the opener. Great suggestion. Also, always lock the door between the garage and house. Not as much a security issue as a safety one is to think about turning off the water to the house and turning off the hot water heater for those times you are gone for an extended period of time. That way if a water line breaks or vandals open your outside faucets you will not have an unexpected disaster.

[@rayleblanc7209]

Tip for removing the manual release cord. Make your own hook handle long enough to grab the release and hang it over your workbench or a spot in the garage. This will be quick and easy to grab and release the door.

[@14mattomatto]

why not just cut a whole in the garage door and reach in. I mean its only 24g metal. just some tin snips and no problem.

[@villebillie1562]

This is exactly my thoughts. Why have the big pool noodle hanging in your way? In his situation, the release is easily within his reach so why even have a cord?

[@christopherfoote1284]

Cutting a hole would work, if you have an unlimited amount of time. Most Tango’s are the “get in,get out within 5 minutes type. If a homeowner does anything like the op recommended, then the time factor for the T’s becomes too much to overcome. They will, in most cases, not all, move to the next house where there is no pool noodle on the string or internal mechanical locks.

[@christopherfoote1284]

Have y’all seen these wind screen curtains that cover the whole garage opening during the daytime? I bet that for those of us who like to keep the garage opened in the daytime while we are there, that screen would greatly reduce the visibility of contents inside the garage on a bright sunny day.

[@genitagray6126]

I am glad I found your video. I had no idea how easy it was to break into a garage. The noodle idea was great. What makes your videos different was that you demonstrated how to do things in simple terms & you didn’t see how fast you could talk. When I walk my dog on trash & recycle day, I know what everyone got new because of the empty boxes advertising a new TV etc.. outside next to the road. Take those boxes to the dump yourself. You don’t know how trustworthy your neighbors or trash men are…Also, as you told us not to let people know what you have inside your garage, you were standing in front of your tools on a peg board. Hang a roller blind a few inches away from the wall & keep your tools covered up until ready to use.

[@oi812NM]

Thank you for making me aware of how to protect my home. I hate having to do this, but I'm glad I know about it.

[@Techno_Nomadic]

Note the hole on the end of the deadbolt style latch. You can put a padlock through it, so even if a thief gets into the home another way, they won't be able to just put the big door up and make off with big items. Also, if you do have an opener, and do use the deadbolts to keep the door shut, pull the cord and disconnect the opener from the door. If someone forgets and pushes the opener it'll save the hardware.

[@Bluescout612]

Good thoughts I did both also. I have a double sized garage door and it may be overkill but I put a dead bolt lock on both sides. This will also help prevent the old daylight mover scam where thieves show up in the middle of the day gain entry to the house them back up and open the garage door and acting like movers quickly empty your house.

[@PhantomHelix]

I replaced the cord with a steel push/pull cable like a throttle cable and ran it to the door,down the center and then over to the security latch so that when i locked the latch the cable automatically pulled the release on the opener

[@rooh5825]

Actually, you don't even need the latch, just put the padlock through one of the small holes in the wheel rail. It does the same thing. I always lock my garage up to keep my SRT safe while we are on vacation, along with probably about 10k worth of tools.

[@williamhudson4938]

@@rooh5825 Love that idea. My method is to use a "C" clamp on either rail to prevent the rollers being able to move.

[@chasecharlton3696]

Good idea, but putting a padlock though that hole is useless since anyone can remove those self tapping screws on the bracket where the latch is mounted. Like that idea that rooh said below though, just put the padlock through the hole in the track and it will block the wheels on the door.

[@brya6270]

Great video. Thought I had my garage prepared but overlooked the string.. Also, people with attic access might want to consider moving it into an interior closet or elsewhere. Once thieves are in the garage, they go up the convenient stairs orclimb a ladder into the attic. They then walk across your ceiling, kicking in the sheet rock for easy drop down. You get robbed and damage to your home on top. Bad news is, if they want in, there really is no stopping them. However if you make it difficult with superior locks, reenforce doors, window locks, cameras, lighting, nosey neighbors, a good loud watch dog, gat ownership and prayer they ll move on to easier targets. Everything you do is an early warning system for you to call the cops and arm up Layers in security is a good thing too.

[@bkind2025]

Very true, thank you.

[@theurgy69]

I really love that idea of using the pool noodle on the release handle, I just combined that as well as shortening the pull cable. Excellent tips.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'm kind of curious as to why it even has a tab in the first place. It seems like removing the tab would do just as well. You can always have a detachable handle nearby if you really need it.

[@gracie3174]

You can also use pipe insulation noodles that have a cut down the middle to wrap around the cord. Might also just tie the cord up so it’s not hanging loose for a thief to grab onto.

[@danfreeman9079]

Paint the inside of your garage door windows with a light coat of white spray paint. It will still let light in but you can't see in. You can clear a small spot to make a peep hole to see out if you want. For locking the door if your going to be away for a while you can drill a hole in the roller rail just above a roller so you can install a pad lock.

[@gozzman01]

Not only could trying to open the door with the "slide lock" engaged ruin the opener, I've seen on more than one occasion where it will buckle/tear the top panel of the door, requiring that to be replaced, as well!!! Great tips. I am really enjoying your videos. I'm glad I stumbled upon them!!

[@stephaniek2913]

I did this not once but twice in a power outage. I had to use to string release to get my car out for work and then went back around through the inside to put a long screwdriver through the side bolts and door guide to lock it in place. After a full workday and 2 hour commute, I forgot and hit the garage door opener out of sheer habit. Twice over time. Felt like a moron but in a power outage it's such a habit to flip the light switches anyway...I can't be the only one. Couldn't trust myself with that lock. The buckle is noticeable from the inside only. 😅

[@mw09040]

Also bought reinforced rod to stop the garage “man door” being forced open - it worked!! one night someone kept trying to kick the man door open - scary but it held! 😮

[@eponymousIme]

What's a "man door" ??

[@adamstinchcomb1970]

You can also replace the pull cord with a metal rod that won't be flexible enough to bend through the gap, cut it short or leave it longer so it braces against the door.

[@randallson6814]

Yes indeed. I have a removable metal rod with a hook on the end. I hang this rod behind the toolbox on a magnet. It's about 36 inches long and is very easy to use. I like the idea of turning around the lever to face the door. extra protection for sure.

[@Linda-ml4ls]

I no longer live in a house, but I appreciate your advice and will share your video with family and friends. You pointed out things that I would have never thought of, so thank you very much and God bless you for wanting to continue helping others!

[@1947froggy]

Good tips, when I work in the garage (often) I only open the door 2-3 ft so a passerby cannot really see much without walking up the driveway & sticking their head under, in which case I have other means of dealing. :) Cops know all the tricks, haha.

[@familyhistory-jennings836]

Great tips. Thank you

[@meiowalot7570]

Lots of good stuff here! When leaving for any length of time I tend to unplug the opener as well as clamp some channel locks in the track above a roller. It just makes me feel better. My first house had one of those crappy fiberglass doors on the detached garage, and it had some cracks and small holes in it. I leaned one day when I locked myself out of the garage how easy it was to pull the release cord with a coat hanger.

[@MrEazyE357]

You mean vice grips? I'm failing to see how you could do it with channel locks, unless you use a clamp on the handle or something. At that point, why not just use vice grips?

[@meiowalot7570]

@@MrEazyE357 Yes! Sorry, Brain fart. I meant vise grips.

[@EasyLiving8]

Hmmm, never even thought about the cord being able to be pulled from the outside? Thank YOU so very much for taking the time to do this very educational video, stay healthy and safe out there!

[@Casmige]

How about adding “stay free from fascism & forced big-Gov’t myndless mandates” Instead?.

[@sonyahartley6320]

Yes I never thought of these and that scared me My husband passed away 3 years ago so I definitely need to know these things I appreciate your time and you letting us know It's very important

[@TheMarineNTheMrs]

Thanks so much for the great tips! I never realized people actually fished for the release like that. Wow. Good to know. Thanks again for the tips!

[@russwentz3957]

Thank you for passing on these important tips. I'm definitely putting them to use.

[@Outright_Mike]

These were some good tips 💯 Especially blocking the windows to prevent outsiders from being able to see inside the garage. I don't know if this might help others who like to tinker, but I've been using a wireless garage door controller switch which allowed me to get rld of the remote and use an app on my phone to control my garage door.

[@wayneh8767]

Good tip on the door release cord. Removing mine for sure. Easy to grab if i ever have to use it.

[@DanielBobke]

If you leave your vehicle outside and unlocked, you are asking to be robbed. Most of us don't live in Mayberry. Great tips about the release cord...never thought about that. BTW - many vehicles have the programmable buttons on the rearview mirror for the garage door, lights, etc. In my car, the buttons won't operate unless the car is on, which is a great safety feature.

[@stevec9102]

Yep, I was thinking the same thing, Dan. No workee unless vehcile is on.

[@alanb76]

Our Garage Door opener has a solenoid deadbolt that locks into the track, similar to the manual one you showed. In order to manually open the door this must be released first so pulling the cord or lifting the door isn't enough. This may be an option that can be added to your existing garage door opener.

[@DFX2KX]

I could have swore I'd seen something like that before, glad I wasn't misremembering.

[@dano1307]

They come with the Liftmaster side mount operators like the 8500 or 8500w. They are notorious for wearing out. Ive replaced atleast 25 or 30 of them. The reason they come with the side mount openers is because technically you can lift the door with a side mount opener. Although you would be lifting the entire weight of the door because the springs are not lifting the door being that the side mount opener is holding the shaft of the torsion assembly.

[@BattleKing00]

@@dano1307 as someone who works as an overhead door installer, I personally haven't heard any complaints about 8500's. Sure, they are a pain to install, but seem to work pretty good.

[@dano1307]

@@BattleKing00 Not the 8500 opener, just the auto locks are notorious for wearing out.

[@bobbymiller8828]

Incase anyone want this ....Its called an interlock system and its dependent on the opener. Some of the new openers have personal notifications on your phone when your door is opened as well as video.... Source= 20 plus years with a manufacturer of garage doors

[@robertcasey7312]

Thank you. Very helpful. Didn’t realize the vulnerabilities of our exterior standard doors and garage doors. We sincerely appreciate your efforts. 😊

[@spasticjackson9578]

consider the "breakability" of glass... this is silly.

[@grgygantz6760]

The pool noodle was a cool idea. Door goes up alarm goes off, no lag time.

[@bobstacy4]

Great video. I love the pool noodle idea. My opener has a "Lock" button too. Yes we always lock the door leading into the house at night too.

[@edklenotich5232]

Great tips! I have also used C clamps behind the top rollers and clamped to the door tracks. This would make it a substitute for the dead bolt lock.

[@robira1313]

Sure, but every time you go out? What pain that would be.

[@leecromer3289]

I’ve done that as I don’t use the up and over door very often…

[@84bmw325e]

I use the c-clamp also, I don't drive often and the other two garage doors aren't used so the power is disconnected.

[@jhonaker76]

Learned (from Bosnian Bill) to use a zip tie through the latch where the pull cord goes through;there’s usually two holes in the spring-loaded latch and the part it connects to. Zip-tie the latch closed, and it will usually require more leverage than the fishing wire the thieves use, plus can still be used in an emergency, because a strong downward force can break the zip tie.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yup! Thanks for the tip!

[@rushthezeppelin]

Lol now i have "the tool that Bosnian Bill and I made" in my head >< Damn you LPL

[@jayporterfield2574]

Yup. That's what I've always done...thanks for sharing

[@ashemoski]

... And secure the cord/handle to the bracket with a rubber band.

[@trustme7731]

With thinking like that I'll bet you cut the seat belts out of your car and have removed all the GFCI receptacles from your house. After all, who needs safety equipment.

[@bruerR8757]

I always go away with something useful after watching your videos. I'm ever so grateful for the Micro-Air Easy Start video. It got me motivated to do what I thought I needed to pay an electrician to do for me. Thanks again.

[@dguiley]

I’ve had a few customers damage doors and openers by using the slide lock and then trying the opener. I actually recommend removing slide locks when openers are used on doors because of that.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Oh yeah no doubt that can happen if they leave them engaged. And unfortunately it can be really easy to forget about them.

[@glasshalffull2930]

My mother-in-law jacked up her garage really badly with that lock.

[@riversider681]

when you use the slide lock, put your remote in the glove compartment. when you return home your remote is not where you expect and that will remind you to open the slide first.

[@ckm-mkc]

A clever solution is to have the lock interrupt the power supply to the opener.... Surprised no one offers this commercially

[@NexUbra]

@@ckm-mkc I was about to suggest the same, a commercial option would be nice however a DIY'er competent with dealing with electricity could fashion one rather easily.

[@danielwake2430]

I'm an overhead door guy. My approach to securing the door against this method of opening is to use door stop trim to ensure that there is no gap at the top of the door. I work in a cold environment which causes the door to bow inward to the garage. I install my stop with a slight inward bow and set the j arm on the operator so that when the operator closes the door, the j-arm pushes the top of the door tightly against the stop. This will make it impossible to fish without cutting the frame or drilling through the door.

[@cmdrdarwin3682]

Exactly what is “door stop trim”? Where would one find it?

[@mikebond6328]

Door stop trim is trim that stops doors. Available at any hardware or home improvement store.

[@danielwake2430]

@@cmdrdarwin3682 Around the edges of your man doors there is a piece of trim that the door sits against when fully closed. It is called a stop because it stops the door from swinging past the closed position, it also covers the edges making it difficult to slip anything through, and making it easy to weatherseal. It is the same concept with overhead doors, but not all installers use an actual stop. Alot of companies use a trim with a vynl flap to create a seal, but it isn't truly a stop because in order to get a decent seal with this trim/vynl seal combination you have to pull it back from the door about a quarter of an inch. You can buy wood stop from an overhead door dealer, you could buy regular trim, or you can make your own with a 1x4 if you want, but I would suggest adding a slight bevel to your home made stop where it connects with the door to reduce friction on the door when it first opens. Because of the backward angle of the track and hinges,, the door pulls away from the opening almost immediately, but adding an inch of tight friction all the way around the door can cause the opener to have to pull too hard to break the door free,, so the bevel limits the surface contact to just the thin edge you cut into it, minimizing friction. The goal is to make sure that when the operator closes the door, it is pressed firmly against the stop. You can close the door and install the stop against the door ensuring that it fits firmly against it on the sides and it the top is bowed, bend the stop to fit tightly and nail it in that shape. Make sure from the inside that the j shaped piece of metal that connects your operator to your door is pushing the door tightly against the stop. If there is any play, meaning that you can pull on the j-arm and see sunlight comming through, either adjust your down limit on the operator a little further down so that it pushes harder, or separt the two parts of the j-arm to lengthen it making sure that it applies force horizontally as well as vertically. There is a sweet spot. If the arm sits too vertically with the door closed, it will apply all of it's force downward into the ground and not into the stop. You will probably need to reset your limits if you have to do this in order to get the tight seal. Setting limits is easy to do, just find the brand name and model number of the operator and look up the manual online to tell you how to do this. If you can't find the manual online, it probably uses mechanical "dials" on the side of the operator. There will likely be a symbol of an overhead door and an up or down arrow next to each dial. There will also most likely be another set of dials labeled force. That is not the same thing as the open and close limits. Hopefully this is helpful and not simply confusing.. Good luck.

[@cmdrdarwin3682]

@@mikebond6328 - This makes no sense

[@majorburke9735]

I bought those locks about ten years ago. I only use them is I’m traveling. And when I do, I put a padlock through it on the other side of the rail. Theses locks are easy to forget. So from now on I’ll also unplug it like you suggested-so I don’t damage my motor. This is a MUST SHARE video.

[@MultiEviscerator]

Mine came with the garage door during the install, and are wired to automatically lock after the garage door is closed, and unlock before it opens.

[@Tamaresque]

I'm about to build and for the first time I'll have a garage attached to the house, so this was a timely heads-up for me on what I can do when building to reduce the risks of break-ins.

[@5argetech56]

As far as cutting the "cord" use a stick hidden in the garage that has a hook on it to reach the hole in the release mechanism.. Simple and effective to be able to open the door in a power outage. Also if you have windows, use some of that stick on window frosting so light can get in but you can't see in!🙂

[@bajamike9276]

I like this idea the best. I'm gonna do it. I rarely use the pull cord but have a few times. yet the pull cord is there all the time for would be thieves.

[@bryonmorgan5208]

This is what I’ve done in my garage. A simple metal rod bent on each end, one end to hook onto the release and the other as a handle. It normally lives on its own hook on the wall.

[@swayback7375]

Seems like they could still get lucky and hook that hole but I guess that’s a lot harder

[@BoleDaPole]

This is a great idea thank you

[@BillSW]

change "stick" to "peel" in your last sentence. will be clearer to readers. excellent two tips i will use

[@herculesrockefeller8969]

If your opener(s) plug into outlets, you could get smart plugs for them, and program them to turn on/off at appropriate times. You could even turn them off when you leave the house, then turn ‘‘em back on when you get home. Of course, you need wireless in your garage for this.

[@lbowsk]

Great vid! Off to amend my pull cord! A few thoughts...once the scumbags gain access to my garage all they have to do is close the door behind them. They then have access to ALL of my tools. They can then easily get past the metal (dead-bolt-locked) door and gain access to the entire house. I used to travel extensively for work and lived alone, so I was always concerned about this. I always used the garage door lock and exited out the front door. My house came with a security system installed. But, the system is dead. But I still spray the outside alarm unit with WD40 every once in a while. This keeps it looking NEW and shiny. The alarm unit (a flashing light and speaker) can easily be seen from the street. I also keep the exterior warning signs looking new. The homeboys cruise my street once a year or so looking for easy marks. They try EVERY car door and recently opened one home's garage door using the FOB as you mentioned. As a result, our cars are always locked. Lastly, I place two 12 ga shotgun shells inside every ground-level window in my house. They are carefully placed to ensure that anyone peering IN my home sees them immediately.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Like your shotgun shell comment. It should be accompanied by a sign that says “ there is nothing in this house worth having your brains scattered all over my house”

[@lisadolan689]

On the other side of my garage roller door is a hotel for Rottweilers. Big house, rottens in every section. All trained SH. This info is freaking awesome!

[@eaglerare1273]

As a 30 year retired LEO, this was great content. Thanks for getting the word out sir!

[@aspensulphate]

You can't "retire" from a birth sign. They are based on the date you were born.

[@RealBenAnderson]

I used to work overnight security for a property management company checking apartment complexes. We started to see garage doors with damage between the segments. We looked into it and found out people were having their garages broken into, and their cars as well, and since the garages were not attached to the apartment buildings, people usually had no clue it was happening until the next morning when they were going to work. Apartment managers sent out a letter telling people to tie up their emergency release so it would be up and out of the way, and the break-ins stopped.

[@Just_A_Name14]

And then the property managers should’ve got sued for telling someone to disable a safety feature

[@RealBenAnderson]

@@Just_A_Name14 it’s not a safety feature.

[@mp666666666]

Great info. I just wrap (but not tie) the release cord around the bar that attaches to the garage. No loose cord to catch with a hanger, very hard to pull release if you do, and leaves the cord accessible to release in an emergency.

[@austined]

I watched this a while ago and was very impressed but didn't act on it. Having it come up again to watch how easy it can be to open the garage without a remote, I'll be fixing the vulnerability in the next couple of days. Thx for the heads-up.

[@Noitisnt-ns7mo]

I can't stand the door to door salesmen. Always makes me feel violated, they will disregard any signs and come on the property and even wander around, totally brazen. A thievous behavior in itself. Thanks, great direct and useful video.

[@gigi9301]

I have a sign up by my front door from amazon that is nicely fashioned and doesn't look industrial but basically says We have found jesus, we know who we're voting for, we're too broke to buy anything, so unless you have a package from usps, ups, dhl, etc for delivery please do not ring bell please go away No handbills No solicitors. I live on a busy corner and work nights and it was getting old with the random real estate agents, sales people, religious people, political people ringing, banging knocking on my door and sticking flyers inside my door because if I'm away for a few days and don't take them off the door that's a sure sign that I'm gone to a crooked thief. I've also seen another clever way to get people to stop ringing or knocking and its a sign that says "Shhh please don't knock or ring; Baby is Sleeping". I like that one too might trade the two signs in and out back and forth

[@monteaustin1006]

We had a robbery occur at my house about 4 years ago and the first thing the sheriff said to me was “did you lock your garage door?”. It’s a nice idea to think that you are going to close the garage but when you come home at night and you are dog dead tired, you just want to eat and sleep. We have stopped using our garage door as a door to the house and it stays locked. No more garage door opener that is electric, just manual from now on.

[@johnbeattie3146]

Really good content mate, we have these types of doors in Australia and you’ve just opened my eyes.Times are a changing and I was completely ignorant of this weakness; Thankyou!

[@maireen3517]

I just wrap the rope around the bar pulling the door so that solves the fishing issue and avoid that silly pool noodle dangling in the middle of the path

[@funnyfarm5555]

I refurbished/rebuilt/remodeled a 1945 house ten years ago. Garage no longer has windows, new (Manual lift) garage door has no windows and the new wider man door has no windows. Trust no one anymore; when my parents were toward the end of their life before they died the biggest thief was my brother; he would come out from another state to do work on the house with his car empty and leave with it full,

[@meateaw]

My cousin here in Australia (Melbourne, ~25 minutes from the CBD - so not the middle of nowhere burbs) got robbed through their garage door exactly as this guy describes. (I assume they broke in using a similar method). I lock all my doors as a result. Only time I don't is when I know I'm back in less than 30 minutes.

[@dNEj4q3ce]

@@maireen3517 that's what I did.

[@natural-born_pilot]

Great video on helpful things. You do an excellent job explaining, speaking clearly and at a good pace for anyone to understand. You don’t stutter or overly repeat what your saying same sentence. You seem well prepared and your material is spot on. Was enough for me to hit the bell thank you.

[@NevadaJack]

Thanks for this information. I removed the release cord from the garage door release some time ago, and I have a wire hook hanging on the wall to slip through the release hole in case of emergency. I like the pool noodle idea. Again thanks for sharing the information.

[@mikeparstron1724]

I see some people cover their garage windows so the inside is not visible but this way the light doesn't get in and the garage is always dark. One thing I did to make it difficult to see the content of garage was to spray the garage windows with Frosted Glass Spray Paint. This way the light still gets in but you can't see what is inside if you try to look from outside.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing Mike!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

You can also get frosted cling film that would do the same basic thing.

[@jeffumbach]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade the film can also make it harder to shatter the window as it holds the shards together, increasing the amount of time and noise needed to break in and can discourage the thief who was hoping to not be noticed.

[@mhicaoidh1]

Good video and great tips. Another thing you can do is buy a sheet of kydex, and size it for purpose to block hanger/hook access to the release cord. I did this at my last house very easily. Drilled a couple of holes it in and zip tied it to the door release assembly, and there was then no way to access the cord with a hook. P.S. thanks for the link to the door locking assemblies. Been wanting to add these to my current door for when we're away.

[@raybrown1793]

As an ex cop giving out crime prevention advice this is really good information and everybody should follow the advice,pity more people did not use there garage to house there £40.000 + cars in the uk.

[@DavidBolt]

Overall good video. You mentioned windows in the garage door as a security risk. I thought so, too. So, I bought frost paint and sprayed the windows. They still let light in, but no one can see in. I also replaced the glass with acrylic so it's harder to break them out.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yup great tip. Thanks for sharing David!

[@dsbennett]

I told the contractor not to put windows in my garage. So, of course, he installed two 4'x4' windows on the side. I bought a 4'x8' sheet of rigid insulation and cut it in half and wedged that into the windows. It keeps the hot sun out in the summer and the heat in during the winter. Garage is fully insulated. Water heater is in the garage, too. So when it is 26 degrees at night, garage is 58 degrees. When it's 100 degrees in the day, garage stays in the 70's. Awesome.

[@OregonDARRYL]

The front door of many homes have clear glass... that need to be frosted. You have the right idea. I do it too.

[@stevec9102]

What the H is frost paint? Where does one find that, the paint section at Lowes/HD/Hardware store?

[@jaimesan2609]

At 1:34 the actuator arm attached to the garage door is where you can simply loop the release cord two or three times. Never leave your garage door cracked for circulation if you have an outdoor keypad. A simple press of the enter button will start the door down and another quick tap will open the door all the way.

[@markharwell8793]

Jaime, You deserve many more likes for this. I use this and it keeps hummingbirds from coming in to see what that red thing is!

[@r6u356une56ney]

Most keypads have a fairly short timeout, after which the buttons will do nothing unless the code is entered again, regardless of the position of the door, even if the door is wide open. If yours doesn't its a defective design.

[@sittingindetroit9204]

Several years back I had a garage door company come out to replace a broken spring. After they left I was out looking at the door and noticed a small "pile" of fresh metal shavings on each side of the door. Upon further inspections I realized that one of them had filed the door lock latch on both tracks so with just a little pressure from the outside the door could be lifted when locked.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Oh man! That is scary!

[@bryandiel6773]

Hopefully you reported it to the company!!

[@sittingindetroit9204]

@@bryandiel6773 definitely did as well as the police in case they began to see a pattern.

[@1014p]

I would go ballistic seeing that. Said company gets to replace the door my pick.

[@evenbiggeral5089]

Man you did well. Kind of like the cleaner that came to my house and after she left I noticed a few of my front windows were “closed” but left just slightly unlatched, not noticeable to the eye but good thing I had a feeling and checked how securely it was locked (not).

[@scottyksm0]

Good video - Thanks. Another tip for folks who have those windows in the garage door - cover them with the clear frosted contact paper you can find everywhere. I do that on other windows around the house as well. Lets light in but you cannot see through any details.

[@susannemeyer9084]

I would prefer something like a curtain that I can open and close. My garage is too dark already.

[@davidc6510]

Another classic screw up that leaves your home / apartment vulnerable is dead bolts that do not have the bore in the door frame deep enough to allow the dead bolt to lock. Great content and thanks for sharing,

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are absolutely right! And with all of the homes going up so quickly and inexpensive as possible, this is a common issue. Thanks for the feedback David!

[@Mike__B]

Or screws long enough to attach the locking plate into the actual house framing instead of the door framing

[@elultimo102]

I thought of boring in a few inches of metal pipe into the door frame, just big enough diameter to receive the deadbolt, and then install the latch plate. It won't change the look of the door frame.

[@davidc6510]

@@Mike__B If the recess for the dead bolt is not deep enough for the dead bolt to lock after it is turned all the way then it does not matter how long the screws are. The dead bolt can be coaxed back into the unlocked position. Try it yourself - open the door, throw the dead bolt and push on it with your hand. It will not move. If it is 75% extended and bottoms out in the bore of the door jamb then you can push it back with your hand to the open position.

[@davidc6510]

@@elultimo102 it is not a matter of the pipe as part of the bore it is the depth. Please see reply above to Mike B

[@Execsecurity]

If you are worried about the one-button car remotes, you can usually get a spare keypad remote (like you would have outside the garage) that is also wireless but programmed with a password. That can be kept in the car and then used instead of the one button remote (disabled that).

[@Invincibletro]

When I worked for a door company, I had to break into garage doors often, breaking the glass was common because the single pane would only cost about $6.

[@richardb8104]

Are those windows easy to reinstall?

[@Invincibletro]

@@richardb8104 Yes, on metal doors there is square plastic trim on the inside holding in the glass. They snap in. Usually takes a flat screwdriver to remove and replace.

[@echo-hotel]

“Breaking the glass” like all doors have glass…

[@bryonmorgan5208]

@@echo-hotel obviously not all doors have glass, but you’re missing the point that the ones that do are easy to break in to.

[@Invincibletro]

@@echo-hotel I said it was common. I didn't use an absolute.

[@Nugblud]

Thank you for all the info. My garage door was open tonight when I got home but thankfully I lock the door that leads into the house. Everything’s fine but it was still quite unnerving 😵‍💫

[@pablopicaro7649]

ALSO, you can add SHIELD PLATE (connects to vertical arm) in front of the rope Pull to keep shepards hooks from reaching in and grabbing rope

[@juan2049]

Thanks for this. I looked it up and looks easy to make one!

[@mikelaumaillier9271]

Another way to secure the garage door when leaving for extended periods is just to screw a piece of 2x4 to the wall between the door and the ceiling. The door will be impossible to lift. Great video. Regards - Mike

[@jrvane11]

Good tips! If you have a windowed side door, which you appear to have (so do I), then burglars/invaders can simply break the glass and unlock the door, unless you have double-key deadbolt. Now I'm thinking of replacing the side door for a solid exterior metal door.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I don’t have a pedestrian door on my garage. The whole idea is just making things harder and less appealing. If someone wants in badly enough there is almost nothing someone can do to stop it.

[@jmr9735]

I have one of those. I have a thick piece of wood installed over the window (on the inside of the door, of course). I also have a lock and deadbolt.

[@bobwalker2293]

Great tips! I still remember the "Good Ole" days when you did not have to worry about locking anything! Yeah, I know; I'm 80!