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While sometimes overlooked when evaluating the security of property, garage door locks are an excellent way of enhancing the protection of your vehicles as well as the overall security of your home. The following lines will tell you everything you need to know about garage door locks, how they work, and how to choose the most suitable types of locks for your own home garage.
What to Look for When Buying Garage Door Locks
Here are a few essential things you should pay attention to when searching for new locks for your garage door:
Protection
When trying to figure out how much to invest in your new garage door locks, think about the total value of all the items and vehicles stored inside the garage. If your home also communicates with your garage through a door, you have an additional reason to opt for top-tier locks for your garage.
Sturdiness and Resilience Against the Elements
The majority of garage locks are made from stainless steel or galvanized steel. This makes them resistant to corrosion. However, if you live by the seaside or your locks are not top-notch, you may want to direct your attention to some sturdier models that can withstand the elements and high levels of humidity. Also, once the locks are in place, be sure to periodically have them inspected for rust or damage.
The Design of Your Garage Door
The most suitable types of garage door locks will perfectly fit the design of your door. For example, for a pedestrian garage side door made of steel, wood, composite, or uPVC, you should install a single euro cylinder lock. This model does not require a key to exit the garage in the event of an emergency. To benefit from more protection, our technicians recommend you install a key-operated locking system with multiple points available.
For a manual roller shutter garage door operated by springs, you could reinforce the built-in lock with bullet locks or a ground lock.
For electric roller shutters, you will already benefit from some level of security thanks to the concealed lock inside the motor’s gearing. For added protection, you could have a pair of bullet locks installed as well. Our crew recommends pin lock isolators which could also limit the risk of running the shutter while the locks are inside, thus causing damage to the motor. A single skin up and over garage door usually comes with a pre-installed T-handle. This type of padlock and latch mechanism is bolted to the side of the door’s frame. Security upgrades are easy to do on this type of door. It is also possible to install a ground lock or a garage door defender for added protection.
The Brand
Opti for the most popular and reputable garage door brands including Boss, Guardian, Dominator, Merlin, B&D, Avanti, Centurion, Superlift, or ATA. This way, you will benefit from superior quality and added sturdiness on your locks.
The Best Types of Garage Door Locks
T-handle garage door locks feature an external lock mechanism that can also be used as a handle. The handle can be used to manually open and close the door from the exterior. The interior of the door has a cable system with a pair of bolts securing the door into the tracks. Once the right key is placed into the lock’s cylinder and someone turns the t-handle, the bolts are automatically released. These types of locks work well on standard up and over or single-skin doors. However, adding extra locks on these doors is a good idea, as they are easy to pick and fail to provide protection against crowbar attacks.
Sliding drop bolts are suitable for installation on the lower corners of the door. The bolts are made from metal and they match the slot that needs to be drilled either on the floor or into a wall. These locks can be used with multiple sliding bolts for added security, along with additional security options.
Ground locks are fastened at the bottom of the door with the help of padlocks. They are good on either electric or manual roller shutter doors. They can prevent car jack and crowbar break-in attempts and their installation is easy. On the downside, you may not have enough space outside the garage to fit the defender properly. Its installation may also interfere with your car in the driveway.
Bullet garage door locks are locks that fit through a shutter curtain and go straight into the rails. This way they prevent the shutter from being pushed upwards. They require a key for locking and unlocking purposes.
Multi-point locking systems also require a key and they can be installed on the body of garage doors. Turning the key causes the door to get bolted into the frame and locked in place at multiple points. This means these lock models are much more secure compared to classic models. They can be installed on steel, aluminum, and uPVC doors and they are also a good match for timber pedestrian doors.
Whether you are still in the market for new garage door locks or you need an expert to install or repair them for you, be sure to only work with professional locksmiths. Our team can provide you with quality garage door lock installation, garage door remote repairs, and anything else you may need assistance with.