Top reasons to keep your garage door closed

For many people, choosing to talk about the reasons to keep your garage door shut might seem odd. However, even those who have the best intentions may find they occasionally forget to close the door. Perhaps you need to rush in or out of the house and closing the door slips your mind. You don’t consider it a big deal, so you just let it happen without thinking about it. The problem is that this is not safe!

There are numerous negative consequences that can be the result of leaving your garage door open for hours during the day or while you’re asleep at night. In this blog, we’ll look at a few reasons why you should put prevention first and make sure your garage door is closed each and every time it is used.

Don’t leave an open invitation to a would‑be burglar.

Even if you think your garage door is open only for a couple of minutes and even if it happens in broad daylight, there’s enough time for a thief to see what valuables you have in your garage and watch to see if the door goes shut again. Of course, the most expensive item in your garage may be the car, but you might also have other things like mountain bikes, lawn tractors, snow blowers, or motorcycles inside. Beyond that, any carpentry and power tools that you have laying around can add up.

Some people will have homeowner’s insurance that covers the fair value of your belongings, but even then, making a claim can be a long and frustrating process. You will also likely have some items you need to replace with newer items, which can cost you more money. While you might believe you live somewhere that is peaceful and nice, that doesn’t mean that a break‑in is impossible. This is especially the case if your garage door is hanging open and everyone can see what is inside for the taking.

Make sure you don’t give critters a place to move in and make their home.

With winter coming up, this is an important thing to consider. Let’s say you have a bag of seeds hanging out in your garage, so you can easily fill up the birdfeeders in your backyard. You may be surprised to realize that animals like chipmunks are able to smell the odor from a large distance. Once they know it’s there, they are going to be more than happy to come inside and fill up on these treats. After that has happened once, they are much harder to remove in the long‑term. If one of the critters gets stuck in the garage, it’s also possible that they will choose to chew their way out, perhaps right through your weatherstripping.

Realize that weather can change in an instant.

Maybe you came home and the weather was beautiful outside and expect it to stay that way. The truth is that things can change quickly in a single day or even hours. When you leave your door open while you’re asleep, there’s always a possibility that you’ll wake up to snow, water damage, or even hail in your garage.

So how should I make sure the door is always closed?

You have two major options to keep your garage closed and protected after using it:

• A Garage Door Monitor (829LM)

  This type of device is installed in your home, typically in your bedroom. At all times, you can take a look at it and determine what the state of the garage door is. You can also close it without leaving the room.

• LiftMaster’s MyQ Technology

  The other solution was introduced by Chamberlain / LiftMaster back in 2003. MyQ technology allows you to use your smartphone, laptop, or tablet to connect with your garage door opener. No matter where you are in the world, your MyQ app will send you an SMS that lets you know if the garage door is closed or open, so you don’t have to check on your own.

Things to keep in mind

As you can see, it’s a bad idea to leave your garage door hanging open all night long or for hours during the day. When the door isn’t properly secured, you could allow in rodents or thieves. By making a small change to your routine and checking the garage door each evening, you’ll ensure your home is safe and your belongings are protected.

If you’re ready for some addition information about the devices that help make this a cinch, contact us. We are garage door specialists who can help advise you on the best choice for your needs. We’ll consider your requirements and your budget to you the best answers. We can also send you a quotation by email.

We also offer a Design Centre so you can truly get an idea of what your garage door might look like. For inspiration, consider browsing our image gallery for dozens of fantastic examples.