For those of you with automatic garage door openers.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

A friend of mine had this happen to him. Late one night some punk cut the ragtop on his wifes convertible and got the garage door opener, hit the button and up came the door. Little punk then gets inside his house and steals some stuff before leaving . All done while they were sleeping. Sobering.

[freakshow10mm]

We have one but no remote. Just the wall button.

[RustyFN]

Mine is loud. You can't sleep through it opening.
Rusty

[Sky Pilot]

That IS sobering! -- and I don't even drink!

[mbradst]

Good thing my wife lost my remote for ours. Now the only remote left is in her car, parked in the garage. A two car garage that my truck has not seen the inside of since about 2 months after moving in four years ago.

[MullahElRon]

http://i31.tinypic.com/vdo4jl.jpg

[HellsBelle]

I have a miniature dachshund, which as a guard dog really is a JOKE, glorified ankle biter that she is.

However, the one thing she does do is hear better than me. Anything bumps or makes noise, she barks. That's really all I needed her for is for "advanced notice".

[xtimberman]

Lots of folks use the garage door opener as a house key. They never lock that inside door and rely on the opener to always get them in the house. I can't tell you how many times I've driven someone to their home after picking them up at the auto shop or airport - and they can't get in the house because the opener is in their car, somewhere else. Sometimes they have a key hidden outdoors and I wait in the truck while they grub around in the dark trying to remember exactly where it's located and if they replaced it last time they came back from the auto mechanic.

Sometimes we'll have a overnight lightning storm that triggers my opener, and I'll wake up to an open garage - a really secure situation if that inner door is unlocked. :wink5: We also live at the bitter end of an electric line that has frequent power outages. It's almost amusing to watch these same people arrive home - unable to enter the house. :)

xtm

[Steve Koski]

I have auto's and remotes, but the cars are parked INSIDE the garage. Isn't that what god intended?

[BIGGUNGOBOOM]

Being that i am OCD, i keep my garage door opener out of site even though i park outside. and check the garage door many times before hitting the hay. one good thing is my Dog "Elvis" goes nuts when the garage door opens. if this was to happen the perp would be met by a 100 pound Chessie and one big ass guy with a 44. " I DONT FIRE WARNING SHOTS"

[alank2]

Hi,

Garage security is a big issue for sure. The one car I keep outside only gets its opener when I take it out and then I put the opener in it and bring it back to the garage when I get back.

I also go one extra step and set my opener to "vacation mode" whenever I am home which means it will not respond to any transmitter. Only while I am out will it open to the transmitter because I disable vacation mode. I also make a very good effort to keep my address out of my car so it can't be broken into and my transmitter AND address be at easy reach.

Also, people should NEVER leave the door between the garage and house unlocked. This is a very common way for criminals to get in.

Thanks,

Alan

[layusn1]

Seriously...watch It Takes a Thief...that is some scary stuff how quick he breaks in and how.

[DCGoth]

Seriously...watch It Takes a Thief...that is some scary stuff how quick he breaks in and how.

When pre-fab, modular housing starting getting big in high-dollar neighborhoods, there was a number of B&E's where the alarm system was bypassed by cutting a new "door" through the vinyl siding and pressed board and then just walking in and loading up.

Of course, with the noise associated with the on-the-fly carpentry, I believe that it was always accomplished when nobody was home. It was, however, usually done during the day. I guess the neighbor's must have thought they were building a deck or something, but when you build an entirely new housing development within the period of a year, no one gets a chance to know there neighbors.

[Oreo]

Brick exterior FTMFW yo!!:yesnod:

[LexDiamonds]

For people that are seriously concerned about this, I would also recommend a codehopping garagedoor system. Building a codegrabber is really quite simple for anyone with some intermediate electrical knowledge.

[nwsalmon]

My car has the garage door opener built into the rear view mirror so yes that can be a problem.

If my car is parked outside of the garage when I'm home they'll get a rude awakening if they walk into my house. At night and when on vacation I have a sensor in my garage that trips the alarm system if someone gets in that way while I'm gone or at night.

Do a search on X10 for a way to have your garage door automatically close during certain hours if it opens. I haven't done that yet but after reading this thread I may have to think about it again. You can also set up an X10 sensor in your garage to turn on the lights in your bedroom or entire house, or trigger a barking dog sound, etc

http://www.x10.com/security/x10_dk9000.htm

[hugginsvilleH&A]

my garage looks like cohutts , if they find their way in , they will never find their way out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[fludy12]

When pre-fab, modular housing starting getting big in high-dollar neighborhoods, there was a number of B&E's where the alarm system was bypassed by cutting a new "door" through the vinyl siding and pressed board and then just walking in and loading up.

This is why they have motion sensors. And, yes, they work perfectly fine with pets. We arm the system in the "away" function at night and, even though we're home, the motion sensors are armed. We can get to the bathroom from the master bedroom directly. Also have a second keypad in the bedroom so we can quickly disarm the motion sensors to go to the kitchen, etc.

Why was the OPs "friend" stupid enough to leave the door from the garage unlocked? An alarm system with motion sensors would have saved them. But, if he can't lock the door, would he even remember to arm the system?

[MakeMineA10mm]

I've got "Homelink" in my truck, which means you have to have the whole truck to open the garage door... Of course, if it's sitting in the drive, that's still easy.

In addition to several good ideas above (I've got an X10 system in my house and garage with cameras and motion sensors), one I haven't seen mentioned directly yet (though fludy aludes to it) is the motion sensors that are built into some of the newer garage door openers today. I first saw this at a buddy's house. They have the normal IR sensors to open the door as it's closing, if there's a wee child or doggy getting under the doorway, but there's a second set of IR sensors that can be placed similarly (or anywhere else you'd like) that sound a chime in the house, when the beam is broken. This guy always leaves his garage door up, and wanted some way to know if someone was coming in that way, so he mounted them at the back end of his garage about 6' away from the door to enter the home through the garage... I'm looking at this type of opener when I next upgrade, except I'm going to put the alarm/chime sensor out at the front end of the garage, so people won't know it isn't the little squish-the-wee-pet/child sensor...

[fludy12]

I've got "Homelink" in my truck, which means you have to have the whole truck to open the garage door... Of course, if it's sitting in the drive, that's still easy.

Not if they don't have the key to energize the electrical system. Surely this isn't an "always on" type thing, is it?

[MakeMineA10mm]

Not if they don't have the key to energize the electrical system. Surely this isn't an "always on" type thing, is it?

Now that you mention it, I don't THINK so, but sounds like I'm in for an experiment when I get home today...

[fludy12]

I guess if they hotwire the truck, the garage opener would work...

[MakeMineA10mm]

Drat... The home link works even with the keys off and the driver's door open (cutting off the ignition, which stays on until the door is opened or a timer runs out).

[cvfl]

The built in GDO controllers in cars vary on whether they will work key on or key off, each car manufacturer is different (for example Audi = key on).

I too have an X10 system, mine is built into my alarm - you'll need a couple things to accomplish this. Number 1 is your overhead door will need to be contacted = most aren't. Good GDO contacts are $50-60. And you'd need to establish the rule set for what conditions you will want to be occurring to automatically close the door. Something like "after 12pm, every hour, check to see if zone x is unsecure, then blah blah blah".

Only problem if ya come in late, you run the risk of the x10 controller tripping the GDO when you are not expecting it.

[John]

i dont lock the door between the house and the garage, but the garage door is manual. sides locks only keep honest people out. if a theif wants in he'll just break the glass front door or a window.

[Slotback]

Remotes are in the cars that are in the garage. And all doors are locked. Etc.

Valid point by the OP though.

[Steviewonder1]

My remote is built into the car and it is an option to turn off with key or leave on for xx minutes after key is off. Another thing thieves are doing now is at the shopping center, they hit your car, get your garage door opener off the sun visor and your nav system off the front windshield. They go to their car, connect the nav system and hit HOME. While you are reporting the break in at the shopping center they have driven to your home opened your garage door and raided your house. You did leave the kitchen door to the garage unlocked didn't you?