As things in our life become more common we sometimes feel safer than we really are.  When my parents were growing up it was very unlikely that your home would have a garage attached to your house.  They actually had to use the front or back door as their primary entrance!  But just like David Bowie said  “time may change me” we found ways to attach our garages to our homes and use the front door only for visitors.

Cha-Cha-Changes

I could not tell you the last time I visited my parents and used their front door to enter their home.  It’s always the same routine, park in the driveway, open the garage with their key pad and go into their house through the garage.  Ever since I was a little boy this is how we entered the house and I am sure most people do the same.  Why wouldn’t we enter our house this way?  It’s convenient and we have a huge door that automatically comes up and down protecting us from the outside world.  While this is extremely convenient for us as home owners it is also very convenient for burglars.  Think about it; what are garage doors made out of?  Most are made from wood or aluminum and if the three little pigs taught us anything it’s that these doors won’t keep the big bad wolf from getting into your home.

Huff and Puff

So how do burglars break-in when the garage door is closed? They use a technique called Cord Grabbing.  Standing outside the garage, the intruder slides a hooked end of a straightened coat hanger between the header and top section of the door. The intruder then hooks the emergency release lever, or cord attached to it, and disengages the overhead door from the opener with a slight tug. From there, the garage can be manually opened, yielding an easy passageway to a vulnerable home.  But what if you lock your door?  You should be safe from anyone getting in, right?  According to the FBI 70% of all break-ins happen by kicking in your door! This is the easiest and safest way for an intruder to gain entry to your home because residential doors open inward.  The only thing holding your door closed is your deadbolt lock against a thin wooden door frame. A decent sized man can easily kick your deadbolt lock right through your door frame in a single kick!

So what can we do to prevent intruders from going Cobra Kai on our doors without hiring Daniel LaRusso to protect us?  It’s easy, all you have to do is call suretyCAM and have us install the StrikeMaster II PRO.  What is the StrikeMaster II PRO you may ask?  The StrikeMaster II PRO adds nearly 5 feet of customized steel strength to your existing door frame and does not require additional locking devices. It is powder coated white to match most homeowner’s trim colors or you can paint it to match your decor.  The steel frame gives your door the strength to prevent a 300 pound man from kicking in your door.  This is the protection that your home needs not a wooden or aluminum garage door.

Sweep The Door

So when deciding on how to protect your family do not let old habits keep you unprotected.  Be proactive and not reactive.  Remember criminals go for easy targets, don’t be a target and reinforce your home today.