Is It OK To Leave Your Garage Door Partially Open?
Sometimes it seems to make perfect sense to leave your garage door open. In winter, if you like to warm up your car in the mornings, you’re not going to start it and close the door, unless you want carbon monoxide poisoning. There is also the idea that leaving the garage door open a crack in the summer will keep your house cooler.
But with break-ins on the rise in the GTA, and more persistent wildlife in the suburbs, leaving your garage door open is simply not worth the risk.
1. Risk of a Home Invasion
Attached garages that have entry doors to the house are one of the most common ways that burglars gain entry to a home. Leaving your garage door open for even a short time gives a full view of the layout of your garage and how they can get into your home. If you keep any valuables in the garage (including your car), it is easy to take a quick picture for future nefarious purposes.
2. Animal Infestation
Outdoor critters like to find shelter from the elements just like you do. An open garage door is an invitation to a cozy spot. Once inside, they can make nests, get into your walls through the drywall or, if the door is accidentally closed behind them, panic and cause damage to your car and belongings as they try to escape.
3. Weather-Related Worries
Here in Ontario, the weather can be fickle. Temperatures fluctuate, and a warm sunny day can quickly turn dark and stormy. If you leave your doors open, rain, sleet, or snow can make their way into the garage and cause issues with the interior. Even one good gust of wind can blow leaves and debris into your garage. And, if you’re like most homeowners, you don’t need anything else making your garage any messier.
4. You Could Be Liable
If your car is stolen from an open garage, you could be liable for injuries suffered by the thieves. A Bruce County, Ontario, garage owner was found 37% liable for the ‘catastrophic brain injury’ suffered by the 15-year-old accomplice of a car thief who crashed the stolen vehicle.
5. The Security of Everything in the Garage
Stolen cars are one thing, but an open garage door is an invitation to take anything in the garage. Thieves can swipe bicycles, lawn mowers, and power tools in just the time it took you to go inside for a drink of water.
We should all start thinking of our garage doors as the first layer of security for our homes. If that first layer is wide open, all the other layers are easier to get through.
