Do I Need A Lock For My Garage Door?

By Tony Hall

How secure is your garage? With recent break-ins in the Amarillo area, and burglars entering the garage, you may wondering this. The way most homes are built today, the garage is part of the house that has entry into the house rather than a detached building. It is therefore very important that the garage is well secured. If not, it can be the route that burglars use to gain entry into the house. We recently discussed garage door security, and today we’d like to expand on that topic by talking about locks for your garage door.

What kind of garage door lock do I need?

There are different types of garage door locks. Most of them secure the garage door from overhead. Every type of lock works differently.

Slide or sliding locks are most commonly used to secure overhead garage doors. Also known as a latch, the lock has a latch that slides from the garage door into a vertical track with a hole that is cut to fit it. 

This ensures that the door cannot go up when the lock is on. This kind of lock is not recommended for automatic garage door openers. It is common for homeowners to forget that the lock is engaged and run their opener. This burns the motor and can bend the upper section of the garage door.

What other garage door locks are there?

T Handle keyed lock

This is the second most  common type of garage door lock. It has a handle that is shaped like the letter T which is installed on the outside. The inside is made up of a cable system that are affixed with bolts. The bolts are fastened into the track and they can only be released when the T handle lock is turned.

The handle can only be turned using a key. Like the slide lock, this key is also not ideal for use on garage doors that have an automatic opener. Forgetting that the T handle keyed lock is on and running the opener while the lock is still engaged will leave your garage door operator damaged.

Electronic locks

There are garage door openers that use electronic locks. An example is the LiftMaster side mount Jackshaft 3800. These kind of doors have motors that engage and release the lock automatically before the door is operated. This works like a slide lock with the difference that the lock is automatically operated. This eliminates the problem of damaging the door by operating it while the lock is still engaged.

Others

Every modern automatic garage door comes with a lock built into it. The lock is usually on the operator arm on the trolley will lock into place when the garage door is closed. This makes it impossible  for the garage door to manually be lifted up. Different brands have different names for their locks. An example is the Chamberlain LiftMaster PosiLock.

How can you ensure maximum security?

You have to play your part in maintaining the security of your garage door and home. The different parts work together and the failing of one part can cause problems with the whole door, and give a thief or burglar ample opportunity to break into your house or business.

How can you do your part? Maintain your garage door. Lubricate the parts as they need it, check for any problems with the track and pay attention to a squeaky garage door. Make sure the door is sealed properly.

For more garage door safety and maintenance tips, call Tony Hall, owner of Amarillo garage door company, Willow Creek Overhead Door. Willow Creek Overhead Door is one the premier garage and overhead door companies in the Texas Panhandle. In addition to repairs and installations, Willow Creek Overhead Door offers great bargains on garage door parts.  

---

Our Services

image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / Free Digital Photos