JOLIJN VANDEBEEK
17-04-2020
The garage is a preferred access route to your home for burglars. Therefore, it is important to choose a suitable garage door and to secure it properly. Seven tips to help you!
Choose a door that meets the European standard EN 1627-1630 resistance class 2. The resistance class indicates how long a product or material resists when someone tries to force it. “Faced with a class 2 door, an occasional burglar equipped with fairly standard intrusion tools takes at least three minutes to enter your home,” explains Jos Delarbre, theft prevention advisor for the Geel-Laakdal-Meerhout police zone. .
“Testing an existing door is not easy. It is recommended to contact a theft prevention advisor in your region for this purpose. He examines your home closely and provides free advice on the level of protection of your garage, your front door and your frames and on how to improve it,” continues Jos Delarbre.
How do you find a theft prevention advisor? Find out from your local police station or police zone to find out who is responsible in your village or neighborhood. You can contact him and ask him your questions about protection and prevention against theft.
The motorized sectional doors are equipped with a closing mechanism at the level of the running rail, anti-lifting protection of the door, which prevents any attempt to lift the the door in the closed position. This mechanical closing system is even active in the event of a power outage. Very often the door is also equipped with a manual lock, but your garage door only opens electronically from the outside.
A multi-point locking system with three closing points provides enhanced protection. Your door is therefore equipped with several hook locks (two sliding closing points at the bottom and one at the top). Your door is therefore more robust.
On this page you will find all our advice for choosing the window lock that best suits your needs. Whether you need to secure a single or double window or even if you need to secure a French window, there is necessarily a solution: locks, rod, window bars, keyed window handle, etc.
All the locks available on the protect home site are suitable for PVC, aluminum or wood.
At the bottom of this page are two demonstration videos of a window with an ABUS lock and a window without a lock facing a burglar. The result with an anti-burglary window system is truly stunning.
Opt for a security lock that delays break-ins. “In this regard, pay attention to the SKG label,” recommends Jos Delarbre. “These locks have been tested for burglary resistance. A lock with two stars provides a normal level of protection. A model with a single star also exists, but its ease of use is less. Even if you want to place additional (apply) locks, pay attention to the label. Naturally, your lock will only be effective if you use it correctly. If you do not lock the lock with the key or if the cylinder sticks out too much, the burglar will be able to remove the cylinder and then the lock.”
Make sure that the door cannot be opened from the inside. This way, your garage will not be an easy escape for the burglar. Therefore avoid installing a push button inside. The unlocking system for a sectional door can be installed behind a closed shutter. Do you want to place a code keypad outside to open your door? Choose an LCD screen with numbers that change places. This makes it more difficult for an ill-intentioned person who seeks to know your code remotely.
It makes no sense to lock your garage door if the thief can easily gain entry via a frame. “If you are still at the stage of planning your home, take into account the size of the frames of your garage,” advises Jos Delarbre. “An opening of less than 16 cm should not be overly secured, because a burglar, even if he manages to force the window, will not be able to enter through such a small opening. Fixed frames are also not among the preferred access routes for burglars.”
“For existing frames, you can opt for locks to be applied or bars to be placed inside or outside or even replace the closing systems with models SKG approved with two stars. In some cases, it will be useful to place additional anti-theft cleats.”
Tip: Make sure your door is not transparent. Otherwise, thieves can see that your car is not there and that you are not at home.
A permanent or deterrent lighting system can also play a role in securing your home. Sensor-controlled lighting can deter burglars, but make sure the lamp and sensor are separate. Make sure that the lamps are protected against impacts and therefore resist acts of vandalism.
Important: if your house is isolated, lighting will not have any deterrent effect, but will rather be an aid. “If the thief thinks that he cannot be seen, it is not the lighting that will bother him, on the contrary”, adds Jos Delarbre.
Do you want to buy an alarm system or a surveillance camera? “Theft prevention involves 4 types of measures,” explains Jos Delarbre.
“And the order of these measures is not given by chance. It all depends on good organization. Thanks to a series of organizational measures, you can already keep the burglar away from the area surrounding your home. The next shield you erect is mechanical or architectural, such as placing SKG approved locks. Only then come electronic measurements. The alarm or camera by itself will not detain the burglar. They only serve to warn of the intrusion and will ideally be followed by a direct and adequate reaction.”
If your home is protected against burglaries, you can obtain the Burglary Prevention Certificate. On this occasion you also receive a plaque to place on the front and a sticker that you stick on your chassis. This way, everyone sees that your home is secure.
