With violent home invasions making headlines all over the country, the importance of home security is becoming more evident. It used to be people could leave their doors opened and unlocked, letting friends come and go as they please. Sadly, those days, at least in most communities, are over. Keeping a home as safe as possible is now key to peace of mind and this is where a good garage door opening system can come into play. Although just part of an overall security plan, the doors are a main area of concern, or should be, for homeowners. Garage doors don't seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but they are. Consider a mother comes home alone with a newborn and a load of groceries in the car. It's pouring down rain and she has to get inside. A garage door opener will allow her to enter the home, close it back up, and ensure security all without having to truck the baby out in the rain and all without having to leave valuables exposed in the car, too. Garage doors are important features in a security system for a number of reasons and those who use openers, however, need to be mindful of a few things. They include: * Security when opening and closing a door. A garage door is much larger than the front door. When opening the door from the outside while pulling in, pay attention to the surroundings. Keep hedges and other visual obstructions trimmed so no one can hide behind them and do look before opening. More than one bad guy has snuck into a home through an opened garage door. They've even managed it a few times by following a car in. Look before you leap. * Functionality of the garage door. Make sure your garage door works correctly along with the opener. A good door opening system will have an automatic set up for returning to its open position if there's an obstruction, such as a person, in the way. These doors can be dangerous, so safety features are a must. * Lighting. To help a person be mindful of the first point, lighting in the garage and outside of it should be activated either by the garage door opener remote, motion sensors or a combination of both. A dark driveway that leads into a dark garage is an invitation to disaster. Many garage door opening systems come with lighted control panels for the garage. These panels illuminate the entire room and can be worth their weight in gold for minor accidents, such as trip and falls, they can prevent and the fact they help keep bad guys at bay. The element of surprise is seriously jeopardized when a bad guy's standing in a fully illuminated room. Garage doors should absolutely be considered as part of an overall security plan. Remember to use common sense when opening and closing doors. Inspect opening systems to make sure they work properly. Always use a smart combination of lighting both inside and outside of the garage to ensure you can clearly see your environment. And never, ever leave a garage door open that's unattended. Copyright (c) 2006 |
