Try This Smart Zip-Tie Hack To Help Keep Your Garage Secure

The options available for home security have never been more robust, with many people opting for cameras, motion sensors, smart locks, and a wide assortment of other protections to deter thieves from targeting their homes. In fact, according to a 2022 study published by Markets and Markets, the global home security systems market is estimated to grow to around $84.4 billion dollars by 2027, with North America leading the pack on market share size. Just goes to show you that homeowners are more than willing to shell out some serious cash to keep their families and properties safe.

However, there is one area that many homeowners neglect to secure, leaving their otherwise well-protected homes extremely vulnerable to burglars or home invasions. A frighteningly quick and easy Google search will tell you that all it takes is a coat hanger for an average person to break into a garage door in seconds. And once thieves are in your garage, many people leave the door between the house and garage unlocked, giving them full, unimpeded access to your home.

Scary, right? Well, the great news is that @jmg8tor shared on TikTok how you can easily thwart this break in technique with a simple, properly placed zip tie that prevents the emergency release cable from being triggered. With most small heavy duty zip ties costing pennies per unit, this 10-second hack is a no-brainer to add to your home security line up if you have a motorized garage door opener.

All motorized garage door openers come equipped with a manual release cord in case of emergencies and power outages so the door can be disengaged from the motor and opened by hand. However, it has become widely known that you can simply push the garage door panels apart from the outside enough to slide in a coat hanger bent into a hook shape to trigger the lever and lift the door manually from the outside. Terrifying.

If you secure a zip tie between the hole in the release lever and another hole above it, you can prevent the lever from being pulled down and triggering the release of the door. For a few cents and a few seconds of your time, you've taken away a vulnerable access point for thieves. If you ever need to release the door, simply cut the zip tie for access to the lever. If you're worried about maintaining instant access to the release cord without the zip tie, you can buy a garage shield, which similarly blocks access to the lever without the zip tie, However, it has mixed reviews about universal usage. 

Homeowners should take additional simple proactive measures towards making their homes less of an easy target by improving their garage door security, such as adding motion-activated lights, outdoor home security cameras, privacy film to garage door windows, and locking the door between the house and garage. By taking this small step to prevent a burglar from triggering the manual release lever from the outside with an everyday zip tie, you are adding another layer of protection to a crucial entry point of your home.