How to Maximise Your Garage Door Security: Expert Tips for Homeowners

The modern garage stores much more than cars. Bikes, tools, sports equipment, freezers – for many households, the garage is one of the most valuable rooms in the house. And yet, it’s often the weakest point of entry for any burglars.

Ground-floor doors and windows account for the majority of break-ins across England and Wales, according to the ONS crime survey, and an old or poorly secured garage door is an open invitation.

The optimistic news is that most of the fixes are straightforward. Here’s what to look at to tighten your security up.

How Modern Garage Doors Lock

First off, manual garage doors are a green flag for burglars

A manual up-and-over door typically relies on a side lock or padlock. They’re easy to forget, easy to force, and visible from the street. That last point is crucial. Secure your garage from outside using a big, obvious lock, and you’re putting up a neon sign for intruders.

An electric roller garage door or sectional door locks automatically every time it closes, engaging at multiple points without you having to think about it.

Our G91 roller doors have no exterior handles or locks. There’s nothing for a burglar to grip, prise, or pick. The horizontal slats sit tightly within rubber and brush-sealed guide rails, making them extremely difficult to force open.

Our G90 sectional garage doors go a step further – they hold PAS 24 approval from BSI and meet the requirements for Police Preferred Specification.

Beyond the Door Itself

A secure door is the foundation, but it works best as part of a wider setup. A few additions that make a real difference:

• Motion-activated lighting around the garage and driveway – most opportunistic burglars avoid well-lit properties
• A visible camera or smart doorbell covering the front elevation
• No valuables left on display through garage windows – consider frosted or obscured glazing if your door has window panels
• A secure internal door between the garage and the house, with its own deadlock

If your garage is detached, the idea is similar, but the internal door point doesn’t apply. Focus on the door quality, the lighting, and making sure the garage doesn’t look like an easy target from the street.

What About a Double Garage Door?

A double garage door covers a wider opening, which can feel like a bigger vulnerability. But really, the locking mechanism engages across the full width, and the sealed guide rails run the entire length on both sides. So it’s not a lot different – though it may present itself as a more lucrative opportunity for burglars.

What does still matter is the quality of the door itself. A cheap double roller with thin slats and minimal locking is a different proposition from a properly engineered one.

If you’re fitting or replacing a double, it’s worth specifying the same standard you’d expect from any external door on your home.

Request a Free Survey From Skandoor

If your current garage door is showing its age or you’re not confident in its security, a free survey is the simplest way to find out where you stand.

Boosting your garage door security is straightforward, and there are so many other benefits, too, from enhancing your property’s value to sweetening its overall aesthetics.

Our surveyor will assess the opening, talk you through the options, and give you an instant quote on the day. Request a free survey to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are electric garage doors more secure than manual ones?

In almost every case, yes. Electric doors lock automatically when they close, removing the risk of forgetting to lock up. They also eliminate external handles and keyholes, which are common weak points on manual doors. Our roller and sectional doors engage robust locking mechanisms every time, with no input needed from you.

Can a burglar force open a roller garage door?

A well-built roller door is very difficult to force. Our G91 slats sit within sealed guide rails with no exterior handles or leverage points. The curtain is designed to resist prying, and the locking mechanism holds it firmly in place. No door is completely impenetrable, but a quality roller door is one of the hardest types to breach.

What is PAS 24 approval?

PAS 24 is a British security standard for doors and windows, tested and certified by BSI. It means the door has been independently assessed for resistance to forced entry. Our G90 sectional garage doors carry PAS 24 approval and also meet Police Preferred Specification.

Should I lock my garage door if it’s electric?

You don’t need to – the door locks itself automatically when it closes. There’s no padlock, key, or manual step involved. If the power fails, a manual override lets you operate the door from inside, but it remains locked to the outside.

Do you offer security upgrades for existing doors?

We service and maintain the doors we install, and we can advise on whether an upgrade or replacement would be more cost-effective for your situation. If the door is old or the locking mechanism is no longer reliable, replacing it is usually the better investment. Get in touch and we’ll take a look.