How to Add a Garage Door Lock

Your garage door is just that: a door. It is used as an entrance to your house probably more than your front door. And although your front door is protected by a lock, your garage door probably is not. The reason for this is simple. For most systems, the entry to your garage is controlled by an electronic key, your garage door opener, which allows only the holder entrance through the door.

For some folks, this isn’t enough. With the ability to mimic automatic garage door signals actually becoming more common, this may allow clever thieves to access to your valuables through your garage door. Also, breaking and entering through the garage door may be possible with certain types of systems, where breaking in would just require pulling up with a little extra force. If any of these situations apply to you, or you simply want the added security of a lock on your garage door, it is possible to buy and install a garage door lock to your automatic garage door opening system.

Types of Garage Door Locks

It’s possible to go old school with this and do it in the simplest and cheapest way available; that method would be to add a padlock hasp and ring to your existing door. In this scenario, you would manually get out of the car, unlock the padlock you’ve installed before opening the garage door, and driving in. This would also mean shutting the door manually from the outside and resetting the padlock. Not a very convenient solution.

In most optional garage door lock systems, you are installing a radio-controlled bolt lock through the track of the door from the door itself. It is the equivalent of adding a dead bolt into the side of your garage door.

A radio control box with a metal dead bolt comes as part of a kit. A specialized slot is installed in the garage door track. The radio control box is mounted to the inside of the garage door. As the garage door drops into the fully closed position, the deadbolt locks into place. The garage door is now secured with a metal deadbolt. You could pry the garage door up from the bottom and still not be able to lift it. The door is completely secure.

When the motor is engaged to rise, the deadbolt automatically releases and remains in the release position until the door goes all the way down again.

Where to Find Garage Door Locks

This type of system is available through hardware and home stores, and there is also a wide variety to be found on the internet. They are generally easily installed by the consumer, although you can probably find someone to do the installation for you if need be.

The type of lock described above deadbolts on a single side, but it is also possible to find this type of lock in a double system, where a deadbolt on each side releases from a spring system mounted on the center of the door. Check the internet and local businesses for varieties of available locks to provide your home with additional security.