Garage Door Break-Ins | 6-Second Opening
This is an updated article on garage door break-ins. Our first article was several years ago, and we will continue to update this article with even more ways to prevent this garage door vulnerability as they emerge.
There are extra vulnerabilities that those of us with garage doors have to consider for security. Garage door break-ins are easy and can be done without leaving any sign of entry. They can be broken into so easily that it can take a home intruder only 6 seconds to release the garage door.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to bolster security in the garage, and we’ll list them out below.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
The 6-Second Break-In
One of the quickest ways for a burglar or intruder to gain entry to your home is the 6-second break-in. This technique to gain entry to a garage is pretty simple. You apply pressure to the center top of the door from the outside. Most doors will easily bow in, allowing you to fish a hanger in to hook the garage door release trigger.
Once this string is pulled, the door can easily be lifted. Manufacturers include this release mechanism so that people can easily escape their homes in the event of an emergency. This is, of course, a double-edged sword since people can use the same release to open the door from the outside.
How It Works So Quickly
Intruders (among others) have figured out that two tools you can break into a garage with the manual release latch very quickly.
The tools of choice are:
- A wedge (cheap 6″ door stop)
- A pre-bent coat hanger with a compressed hook and a gradual J handle
With those, you can slide the wedge up under any weatherstripping slightly offset from the center top of the door and hit it with your fist to create a one-inch gap for the hanger. With the hook on the hanger pre-compressed, it doesn’t need much clearance anyway.
Sliding the hanger in when it is already pre-bent from practice makes it very fast. Most garage door openers have this manual release in the same location, so once you get the hanger bent and some practice in, you can get very fast without needing to see what is going on.
How Often is This Happening?
Every so often, you’ll see news of it popping up again in the news cycle, just because it’s such a simple but uncommon break-in method. Many burglars and intruders are opportunists and do not plan how to get into garages more effectively.
Locksmiths also use this method occasionally to help homeowners get into their houses if they are locked out. They have the luxury of using their airbags on the door to create a crack to slide the hook through, rather than a doorstop or just pushing on it with their other hand.
I’ve personally used this method to help a neighbor get into their house. Because I didn’t have a pre-bent hanger or doorstop, it took a few minutes rather than six seconds, but it still goes pretty quickly. I didn’t even need to use a doorstop- the neighbor helped out just by pushing on the top of the door.
Prevention: Cut the String
One of the easiest ways to prevent the 6-second break-in is to cut the cord and handle that dangles down from the release latch. It is much harder for an intruder to hook the actual release latch than the string with the handle.
If that isn’t secure enough for you, place an easily cuttable or breakable zip tie on the release latch and let everyone know to cut it in case of an emergency.
Safety Warning: If you have kids or people in your home who can’t reach the release latch without a rope (or cut a zip tie), it would be safer to only remove the handle from the rope rather than the rope itself. Don’t trap yourself or your loved ones in the event of a fire, and be able to
Prevention: Manual Lock
Manual locks are tedious, but they are a very good solution to keeping garage doors closed. You have to be inside the garage to close a manual lock, which limits when it can protect against intruders.
If these are engaged on a door, an intruder would have to bash the door in to gain entry. Make sure you use long screws to install them to ensure that they are rock solid: Prime Line Garage Door Deadlock.
Prevention: Block the Rope
Garage Shield offers an option to help prevent garage door break-ins by blocking the release with an actual ‘shield.’ The shield blocks the line of sight and the path the coat hanger uses to grab the string. Garage Door Armor is another popular brand that does this.
This fix costs some money, obviously, but allows you to still utilize the emergency release latch in the event of an emergency.
While all of those brands work, the least expensive option is more easily modifiable, making it fit a wider range of doors.
Prevention: Power Lock
Power locks are pricey, but they can accomplish what manual locks accomplish without the hassle or limitations. When the opener they are paired with is activated, the locks activate to make sure your garage door is that much more protected.
Some of the newer garage door openers are being sold with these included since manufacturers recognize the vulnerability. Here is the power lock for one major brand: LiftMaster Automatic Garage Door Lock.
Mitigation: Security Cameras
They won’t prevent someone from using the garage door vulnerability, but they will alert you as soon as it happens. Some door openers come with integrated cameras now and do just that. Other times, it might make sense to install a camera that works with your entire home’s security system.
We’ve reviewed the best security cameras for preppers’ home security, and any of our picks will work in your garage. Whether you have gone with WiFi, CCTV, or a hybrid system, covering your entry points should always be a priority.
The Final Word
Whether you are a suburbanite with a garage door opener, an apartment dweller without a garage, or a homesteader with a manual lift garage, you never know when this information can come in handy. Protect your house and everything you’ve earned.
Keep your garage door and opener in good working order and test the safety features at the manufacturer-recommended intervals. Kids and grown-ups still die every year in incidents involving garage doors, so keep in mind that safety is just as important as security.
Here are some other prepper security articles our readers have found helpful:
- Outdoor Home Security without Advertising that You are a Prepper
- The Best Door Reinforcement Kit for Home Security
- Home Survival Kit Guide, Gear List, and Checklist
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
See more of our expert-written guides, resources, and reviews in your search results – add TruePrepper as a preferred source.
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