Garage Organizer Security Checklist
Identifies Security Risks
Reduces Theft Risk

This Garage Organizer Security Checklist will help you homeowners identify and resolve garage security problems. Completing this Checklist is one of the first steps in transforming your Garage Storage Space into a safe and secure storage environment.

Because most garages are attached to and form an integral part of a homes design and function, they are a frequent entry point for burglars. Once in the garage, a burglar has a protected base to enter your home from.

Don't become a THEFT STATISTIC!

There is no way we can totally stop crime, but it can be greatly reduced by identifying Garage Security Risks and implementing Garage Security Measures (deterrents).

Deterrents are one of the most effective ways to
reduce your chances of becoming a Crime Statistic.

Completing this Garage Security Checklist will help you:

* Identify possible Security Problems that apply to your garage

* Determine what needs to be done to Make Your Garage Secure

* Implement Garage Security Measures

Security Measures are the best way to deter theft and reduce the chances of you and your family becoming a theft statistic.

The Garage Organizer Security Checklist is a series of questions, responses and solutions organized by areas of security concerns.

Some responses and solutions have links to Garage Organizing Tips, Order Garage Organizer Products or Garage Organization Services that will help correct each Garage Security problem.

Garage Organizer Security Checklist - QUESTIONS

QUESTION: Does your home, garage and yard look like security minded people live in it?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: One of the simplest and least expensive security measure is to make your home appear like it is occupied by security minded people.

SOLUTION:

 * Keep shrubbery and grass neatly trimmed.

 * Clean up any trash or unsightly items around your home

 * Repair and paint any fences that are looking rundown.

 * Post your Neighborhood Watch Program  sign in a visible location

QUESTION: Do you have a Neighborhood Watch program in your neighborhood?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Your neighbors can be one of the best deterrents to burglars. A Neighborhood Watch Program is a proven, inexpensive security measure that benefits you and your neighbors.

SOLUTION:

* Get to know your neighbors and keep them informed of who lives in your home and their schedules

* Setup a Neighborhood Watch Program

QUESTION: Do you have everything you are storing in your garage engraved?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Every year, millions of dollars of stolen property recovered by police is unreturnable because the identity of the owners could not be established.

Without some identifying mark or number, the police are unable to verify stolen property, or trace the owner. A lot of the property recovered by the police is eventually auctioned off or destroyed because the goods have no identifying characteristics.

Engraving your name or number on your valuables helps deter robbery in two ways:

1/  You discourage the thief since marked property is much more difficult to sell.

2/ If a thief does steal your property, it is much easier to Catch and Prosecute him when he is discovered with goods is his possession that is Easily Identifiable As Stolen.

Many insurance companies give discounts for providing them with an inventory list of engraved items.

SOLUTION:

* Buy An Engraving Pen and Take Inventory of everything

* Engrave everything when you Take Inventory

One of the effective tools you can use to retrieve property stolen from your home is a simple electric engraving pen. With this pen you can inscribe your name or a number on the most valuable items in and around your home.

Garage Organizer Security Checklist - QUESTIONS

Garage Doors And Openers

QUESTION: Do you think that your Garage Door is locked and secure from burglars when your remote control closes it?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Most people think (feel) that when their garage door is closed with their garage door remote control that the Garage Door is securely locked.

This is a false impression. The Garage Door is only locked if you have a separate garage door locking device. Most Garage Doors are not difficult for an burglar to open by using one or more Garage Door invasion techniques.

SOLUTION:

* Manually lock or block the Garage Door

* Purchase and install Garage Door Locks that work with your automatic Garage Door Openers

QUESTION: Is your automatic garage door opener equipped with a "rolling code" to foil "code grabbers"?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If your Garage Door Remote Controls are several years old, they probably do not have rolling code technology.

SOLUTION:

* Buy the latest Garage Door Remote Controls

* Replace your Garage Door Remote Controls with a new multi channel openers with rolling code technology

QUESTION: If your overhead garage door is not equipped with an automatic door opener, does it have good-quality locking system installed on each door?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If No, burglars could easily gain access to your garage using a Garage Door invasion technique.

SOLUTION:

Install automatic Garage Door Openers with the latest rolling code technology and separate Garage Door Locks

QUESTION: Do you always close and lock your overhead garage door, even when home? Is it ever left open accidentally?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Most Garage Doors, at one time or another, are accidently left open.

SOLUTION:

Installing Open Garage Door Sensors will notify you when the Garage Door is left open. Some sensors even close automatically after a specified time

QUESTION: Do you have an emergency release lever cord attached to your garage door opener without a separate door lock?

Yes ___ No ___

RESPONSE: If Yes, your garage door can be easily opened by an burglar from the outside by hooking and pulling the emergency release lever cord and manually opening the Garage Door.

SOLUTION:

Buy and Install a Garage Door Lock that works with your automatic garage door opener and remote control

GARAGE ACCESS DOORS

QUESTION: If you have an exterior access door to the garage is it a solid-core wood or metal door?

Yes ___ No ___

RESPONSE: If you answered NO, you have a serious security problem.

SOLUTION:

Replace the door with a solid-core wood or metal door

QUESTION: Is the interior access door to the garage a solid-core wood or metal door?

Yes ___ No ___

RESPONSE: If you answered NO, you have a serious security problem. Your door is susceptible to puncture

SOLUTION:

Replace the door with a solid-core wood or metal door. Make sure it has pinned or non-removable pinned hinges.

QUESTION: Are your exterior and interior garage access doors equipped with a dead bolt lock with an inside keyway? (to prevent operation from the outside)

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If you answered NO, you have a serious security problem.

SOLUTION:

Buy and Install a Steel Dead Bolt Lock installed in each access door

Install a stainless steel dead bolt lock with at least 5 tumblers. High Security Locks offer superior protection.

QUESTION: Is each Garage Access Door  equipped with pin tumbler locks with at least five tumblers? (you determine the number of tumblers by examining the key (Each depression corresponds to a tumbler).

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If NO, you have Garage Access Door  Locks that can be easily picked with minimal lock picking knowledge.

SOLUTION:

Buy and have Garage Access Door  Locks with at least five tumblers installed.

For added security, use High Security Garage Door Locks. They are much harder to pick, even for a professional locksmith

QUESTION: Are all latch-strike plates on the garage access doors secured with at least 3" screws?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If No, they are easy pickings for most anyone who wants to enter your garage and home

SOLUTION:

Have new latch-strike plates with at least 3" screws installed on each garage access doors. Have the installer check each door frame, and if necessary, have them repaired or replaced

QUESTION: Are any glass panels in garage access doors reinforced so they cannot be easily shattered?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: If NO, glass panels are a quick easy way for burglars to gain access to your garage or home.

SOLUTIONS:

* Have any glass in access doors replaced with shatterproof glass

* Replace doors with windows with windowless doors

QUESTION: Do you always engage all dead bolts when you leave home?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Locking (engaging) all dead bolts is a simple security measure that can be easily implemented by changing your habits.

SOLUTION:

Commit to make a conscious effort to develop the habit of engaging all locks and dead bolts when you leave home

PET DOORS

QUESTION: Is your pet door large enough for a child or small person to crawl through.

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Pet doors can be a security risk and an easy way for unwanted visitors to enter your garage and home.

SOLUTION:

Ensure that there is an strong interior locking mechanism that can be easily locked from inside to keep unwanted visitors out

Garage Organizer Security Checklist - WINDOWS

QUESTION:-->
Does every opening garage window have a working Window Locks that are always locked? Even when the window is opened a few inches for ventilation.

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE:-->
Permanent Window Locks are an inexpensive security measure. They limit window opening to a few inches, allow ventilation and discourage uninvited visitors.

SOLUTION-->
Buy  Window Locks for each window and ensure that they are always locked.

Learn more about Garage Window Locks.

QUESTION:-->
Do your have Garage Window Sensors that detect window breakage?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE:-->
Many alarm systems include Window Breakage Sensors that activate or contact Garage Security methods and sound an alarm or notify the Security Monitoring Service.

SOLUTION-->
Ensure your Garage Security methods have garage window breakage sensors that activate or contact your method of Garage Security.

QUESTION:-->
Do you have Window Security Glass in all Garage Windows have that are resistant to breakage?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE:-->
Many burglars enter homes by simply breaking glass windows. A good deterrent is to have Window Security Glass installed in all Garage Windows.

Because the better quality windows are more difficult to break, burglars avoid attempting to break them for fear of attracting attention.

SOLUTIONS:-->
Buy and Install Window Security Glass made from vinyl or plastic layers sandwiched between two layers of glass. This adds additional strength to your Garage Windows.

Buy and Install Tempered Window Security Glass. Tempered Glass is made by placing a piece of regular glass in an oven, bringing it almost to the melting point, and then chilling it rapidly. Tempered Glass can be four to five times stronger than regular glass.

Buy and Install Wired Window Security Glass. Wired Glass adds the benefit of a visible deterrent, plus requires extra effort to break the glass. Once broken, a burglar then must cut through the wire in order to gain entry. This is probably the best overall solution.

Learn more about Wired Window Security Glass

Garage Organizer Security Checklist - LIGHTING

Exterior Lighting

QUESTION: Are there any dark areas around your home, garage or yard that would hide prowlers?  Does your home and yard have good Security Lighting?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: burglars always prefer the concealment that darkness provides. Good lighting is one of the best deterrents to night time burglars.

SOLUTION:

Install exterior lighting to ensure effective illumination of all dark areas around your home and garage

QUESTION: Do you have motion detector lights around your home and garage?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Garage Security Lighting provide both security and convenience. A light that suddenly comes on when an burglar moves does 3 things:

1/ Lets the burglar know he is detected

2/ makes the burglar visible for others to see

3/ makes them unsure about anyone being home.

SOLUTION:

Buy and Install enough Motion Detector Lights to sufficiently illuminate all exterior areas of your home and garage. Make sure the Motion Detector Lights have a high coverage area of 180 to 240 degrees and a detection distance of 70 to 100 feet

Interior Security Lighting

QUESTION: Do you have motion detector lights inside your garage?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Motion Detector Lights provide both security and convenience. They are economical to operate and signal burglars that you have security measures in place.

SOLUTION:

buy and Install at least one Motion Detector Light inside your garage.

Garage Organizer Security Checklist - ALARMS

QUESTION: Do you have sufficient Garage Security system in place?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Adequet GarageSecurity, when installed used properly, is the number one deterrent to burglars. Research shows alarm systems are responsible for over 70% of unsuccessful burglaries.

SOLUTIONS:

* Buy and Install adequate Garage Security yourself.

* Have a Security Professional install a security system for you

QUESTION: Do you utilize the services of a Security Monitoring Service for your security system?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: Off site monitoring is a valuable service for any garage or home alarm system. The best services offer two way communication that allows security people to communicate with anyone in your garage or home.

SOLUTION:

Check with a local or a national Security Monitoring Service to determine which one best suits your situation

QUESTION: Do you have an Audible Security Alarms?

YES ___ NO ___

RESPONSE: an Audible Security Alarms are one of the most effective ways to protect your home and possessions.

SOLUTION:

Buy or Ensure an Audible Security Alarms is included with any Garage Security you install. A reliable alarm should include:

* A battery-powered fail-safe backup.

* A re-arming capability and siren timer shut-off

* Read-out ability to check working system.

* Siren sounding device that can be installed on exterior of garage to alert neighbors of possible intrusion.