These days, garages are used for far more than just storing a car, as was often the case in the 1970s and 1980s. They are used for home storage, home gyms, offices, tool storage, workshops and much more, with valuable items often kept inside, so securing the space inside the garage is important.
There are all sorts of gadgets and security devices to help keep your home secure, with wireless CCTV cameras and of course burglar alarms, both of which can be configured to monitor and protect key entry points. But what about securing the doors to your property, or more specifically your garage door? Your garage door can be a vulnerable entry point, especially for integral garages which are built as part of the house, enabling burglars to gain access to the main house.
Purchasing a garage door with excellent security features is important but you could further enhance the security of your garage door with an electric operator.
Mechanical Locking and Security
Fitting a GaraMatic electric operator with hand transmitters can undoubtedly help to secure a sectional or up & over garage door more effectively (GaraRoll roller garage doors are electrically automated as standard). For example, Garador’s GaraMatic operators are engineered with a mechanical locking system that engages as soon as the garage door is closed, making it nearly impossible to force the garage door open. Plus, this mechanical lock has a unique manual locking facility so that you can still lock the door in the event of a power cut, where the operator does not have power.
In addition to the mechanical locking system, the GaraMatic operator uses high-frequency 868MHz encrypted radio signals to ensure no one can copy your hand transmitter signal and gain access to your garage. Plus 128-bit encryption, the same as that used by high-street banks to protect their customer’s details online, is used for the transmission of data between hand transmitter and operator unit. Rolling code technology comes as standard, further enhancing the security of your operator, as a new code is transmitted each time your hand transmitter is used to communicate with the operator unit to open your garage door; so even by the most tech-savvy burglar won’t be able to gain entry into the garage.
Retro-fitting an electric operator
The great thing about GaraMatic electric operators is that they can easily be retro-fitted to an existing Garador garage door. Garador’s up & over garage doors with retractable lifting gear are ideally suited to electric operation, requiring a minimum of 105mm space above the top of the garage door and the boom (n.b. see Garador Price List for current specification). For those with an up & over garage door with canopy lifting gear they also offer a GaraMatic Canopy operator, which has been engineered to work specifically with Garador canopy garage doors; with no loss of drive-through height. Electric operators can also be retro-fitted to Garador sectional garage doors too.
It’s convenient
One of the most notable benefits of an electric operator is the convenience of being able to open your garage door, by simply pressing a button on the hand transmitter. The electric operator will open and close your garage door automatically when you press a button on the hand transmitter. Garador offer a full range of GaraMatic electric operators, designed with various different features such as soft start/ stop, integral light, bi-directional signals, safety reversal feature, and automatic locking to prevent forced entry.
Lots of ways to control your garage door
There are lots of different ways to open and close your garage door when it is controlled with an electric operator. A wireless code switch, for example, enables the homeowner to input a 4-10 digit code to gain entry into the garage.
A 2-channel transmitter that plugs directly into your cigarette lighter in your car, means that you can open your garage door without leaving the comfort of your car. This is also possible with one of Garador’s stylish Series 3 hand transmitters, but the cigarette lighter has the convenience of being left in your car ready to use when you arrive home. Other radio accessories to control your garage door and operator include a key-switch, whereby the door opens by turning a key, as well as a variety of 1 button, 2 button, 4 button and 5 button hand transmitters, in various colours.
To find out more about Garador garage doors and their range of electric operators, please visit www.garador.co.uk