How to Burglar-Proof Your Metal Garage with Smart Tech & Structural Upgrades?

Your garage is as crucial as your main house because you store your favorite cars, expensive tools, and many other things here. Often, people use a steel garage apart from parking. They run their business from this place and store important files and data in the building. What if one day you wake up and notice your favorite car is not in the garage? You locked the garage door, but still a burglar managed to break into a building to steal. How? And what should you do the next time it doesn’t happen? How to enhance the garage security? You need to burglar-proof not only the door but the entire metal garage to avoid such events.

In 2024 alone, property crimes across neighborhoods increased by over 8% in many areas. It mostly happens with garages being the most overlooked entry point. Thieves know metal garages are easier to break into, especially if they lack smart security. Metal garages are durable, yes, but they’re not invincible.

They need smart tech and structural upgrades to stay protected. You can make your garage safe using simple tech and smart upgrades. Initially, it may require your time and other resources, but it provides long-term protection to whatever you store in the garage. Details on how to enhance your garage’s protection are just one scroll down.

Why Today’s Garages Need Better Security?

Let’s first understand why today’s garages need better security. And it’s not only about burglar-proofing your garage. Gone are the days when people used to look at a garage as a parking space. Today, it is more than that. With a customized steel garage, you can meet your unique needs for a space and use it for various purposes. So, versatility in using a garage accelerated the need for advanced security.

Most modern garages hold more than just vehicles. They store:

• Expensive power tools
• Electric bikes
• Outdoor gear
• Sometimes your second car or even a home office setup

Yet, many people still use basic padlocks or nothing at all. You should not make this mistake if you have things in the garage that seriously need to be protected.

How Smart Tech Makes Your Garage Secure?

AI, machine learning, and other technologies are widely used in many devices to protect metal garages.. These IoT devices can enhance the security of a building and protect everything from burglars and swindlers. Here’s how you can use modern tools to make your garage smarter and harder to break into.

1. Smart Garage Door Openers:

Smart garage lets you open or close the garage door using your phone. You will not have to go close to the door to open it. Just stay in a range to open the door and close it. For example, you can lock the door from your home if you forgot to close it. Moreover, smart door openers send alerts if you leave the door open or if someone touches the door.

And, if you are at work and suddenly realize you left the garage door open, you will not have to rush home. You can lock the door from the office itself. You also get notified by your app on your phone that you left the door open.

2. Motion Sensor Lights:

Motion sensor lights have become a crucial part of garage security. You will not need someone to turn on the lights in the garage when you come back home. It turns on automatically. This is a motion sensor technology that detects movements at night and turns on lights. You can install outdoor motion lights so that when someone tries to enter your garage, the lights expose them. Place these lights near garage doors and back windows to keep intruders out.

3. Security Cameras:

Security cameras have been an effective way of protecting homes and offices. You can use this tried and tested way to protect your prefabricated garage. It’s an easy and affordable way to record and alert you when it detects suspicious movements surrounding your garage. It will also help with real-time monitoring, facial recognition, and cloud storage. Place one outside the garage door and one inside facing valuables.

4. Door and Window Sensors:

Doors and windows of a garage need to be robust and integrated with smart technology. Sensors work best for these features of a garage to keep intruders out. As someone touches the door or window, the sensors activate, and you receive a notification on your phone about the activity. They detect forced entry early and pair with an alarm. You have to download an app connected to the sensors to receive real-time notifications.

Structural Upgrades That Add Serious Strength

Sometimes, smart locks and sensors are not enough. You need stronger walls to protect your vehicles and other valuables. You can achieve it by focusing on the structural integrity of the garage. You need to invest in a robust garage for its physical strength. We have shared some ways below for the structural upgrade of the garage.

1. Choose the Best Steel Gauge:

Thin sheets can easily be swapped out, exposing the vehicles to burglars. Stronger walls are unbreakable for them. Choose thicker steel components for your metal garage construction to make them burglar-proof. It will not only provide strength to the walls but also extend the lifespan of the entire structure. It can also bear heavy rain and snowfall to protect your vehicles from damage. 14-gauge and 12-gauge steel components are examples of the thickness of the building.

2. Use the Right Anchors for Installation:

The building’s strong leverage on the ground makes it difficult to be uprooted. Many times, you install smart tech to protect your garage, but it gets damaged due to hurricanes and strong rain. It can create cracks in different places and make the wall weak. This way, the structure becomes easy to break into for intruders. Anchors make the garage strong so that it can bear heavy winds and rain. Here are examples of some widely used anchors for steel garages.

• Mobile Home Anchors
• Rebar Anchors
• Concrete brackets

3. Secure the Windows:

Windows are often the weakest entry point in any garage. Intruders usually try to break them first. They try to open these windows with a trick and try to damage them. They might not be able to steal your car from a window if they cannot open the door, but they can steal other important valuables. So, you need to install shatterproof or reinforced glass. Moreover, add security bars or grills on windows. A burglar is less likely to break into a garage with security bars on windows.

4. Reinforce Entry Points:

Not only windows, but also doors can be easy entry points for intruders. These are top targets if left vulnerable. You need to install heavy-duty deadbolts along with smart locks. Install metal doors instead of wooden ones because they are much harder to break or cut through. Wooden doors can crack under pressure, while metal doors provide a solid barrier. Also, apply door frames to prevent forced entry. Moreover, strong hinges and strike plates add extra protection and make it difficult for burglars to find an easy way to inside.

5. Seal Gaps and Vents:

If you notice any gaps and vents in the steel garage, do not ignore them. Fix them as soon as possible because they can be a way for an intruder to access your valuables inside the garage. These small gaps can be the reason for facing big loses. Use weather stripping and steel mesh for vents to protect the structure. Likewise, seal gaps near the floor, walls, and roof, and leave no chance for a break-in. And, do not forget to check for cracks or loose areas regularly.

Practical Tips for Daily Security

With daily security checks, you can avoid big blunders. Here we have shared some easy-to-follow tips for metal garage security.

• Always close the garage, even for 5 minutes.
• Don’t leave the remote in the car.
• Avoid announcing garage upgrades on social media.
• Rotate codes regularly.
• Label nothing with “garage key” or “Password.”

What Not to Do?

You have learned what to do. But it’s not enough, you must be aware of what not to do for complete protection of the prefab garage.

• Relying only on cameras.
• Leaving expensive stuff visible through windows.
• Using the same PIN for years.
• Thinking break-ins won’t happen in quiet areas.

Carports Advisor for Safe and Secure Metal Structures

We all need a structure to protect something. If the structure itself is not strong enough, how can it protect things inside it? Carports Advisor works to provide durable, customized, and affordable steel structures. They stand firm against all the elements and burglars. These structures are flexible to be designed as per need, yet strong enough to be impenetrable by intruders. We work with the best manufacturers in the U.S. to make sure your garage is built to last. From weather-resistant materials to designs that meet your needs, Carports Advisor offers expert advice and support. Explore our steel carports, garages, barns, commercial buildings, and many other structures to choose a structure to meet your needs. Contact us at (336)-914-1654 and share details for the type of structure you want.