It’s a natural fear; having a stranger break into your home through a window, entry door, or even your garage. We get a lot of questions about how UNDOR impacts the security of your garage door, and rightly so. When we were designing UNDOR to be the best solution for running cables and hoses under your garage door, we took many things into account, including the possibilty of theft. What we learned along the way was a little eye-opening. We are by no means security specialists, so please contact your local security specialist for more information.
Thieves go in the top, not the bottom.
Your garage is a pretty easy place for burglars to get into. In the video below, it shows how thieves will generally opt to go in the top of the door, and pull the emergency door release to gain access to your garage. It can take less than a minute to do and looks pretty easy, especially if your garage door has windows.
There are many videos available on YouTube showcasing this trick, and it’s something many homeowners are unaware of.
The good news? Well, UNDOR doesn’t make it any easier for thieves to get in using this method. While UNDOR does raise the door by about an inch, that usually isn’t enough to push the door up far enough into the track where it starts to lean away from the frame. In our experience, the gap size between the door and frame once UNDOR is installed is almost unnoticeable, and since thieves tend to jam it further open with wood anyways, isn’t going to make their job any easier.
The best news? Well, it’s an easy fix. All you need is a zip tie and about 2 minutes of your time as explained in both the above videos.
What about the gap at the bottom of the door?
UNDOR does cause a 1-inch gap, but that gap is filled with a sturdy rubber seal. Theoretically, someone could use a large bar and attempt to break open the door, but this is highly unlikely. Most criminals will opt for the easiest, quickest, and quietest method for breaking in, and that’s going to be the coat hanger method mentioned above.
UNDOR may actually help with security.
One of the best ways to keep burglars out is to simply keep your garage door shut. Again, the path of lease resistence. If your door is shut, the one that’s open across the street is much more enticing. UNDOR allows you to water your lawn or charge your EV with the door closed, which may act as somewhat of a deterrent for thieves. We make no guarantees, but we think it’s certainly better than leaving the door wide open for any length of time.
UNDOR is also very discreet, tucking away in the corners of the door and close in color to the concrete floor.
Look at some of the other DIY solutions that are currently posted on the internet. From doggy doors, port holes, and 2x4s, all of them leave access to the garage for mice and potentially for thieves looking for a quick score. UNDOR keeps things as secure as possible while still letting you charge your EV outside.
So how can you secure your garage?
Here are some simple steps to keeping your garage secure.
- Keep your garage door closed as much as possible.
- Lock your garage door if possible (mostly manual doors).
- Use a modern, smart garage door opener. Many will notify you when the door is opened.
- Keep it bright. Install lighting on your door and other entry points to the garage.
- Consider security cameras or a security system.
- Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car.
Here are some great articles we found outlining steps you can take to secure your garage.
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/garage-door-security/
https://www.safewise.com/blog/8-ways-keep-thieves-garage/
