Reasons You Should Never Leave Your Garage Door Open Overnight

Many homeowners will at times forget to close the garage door overnight. Most people think that it’s not a big deal especially when no one is sleeping in the garage. However, leaving the garage door open is risky and could have serious consequences.

Below are some of the reasons you should lock the garage door before going to bed every night:

Valuable assets

Most people store valuable assets in the garage. Some of the items you store in the garage, for example family souvenirs, may not be worth much but they are irreplaceable. By leaving your door open, you are inviting intruders into your garage to steal and destroy your valuables. Even if you are convinced that your neighborhood is safe, you can’t afford to be careless. Soon someone will notice that you are not keen on locking your door, and you will be the next garage theft target. So keep the door locked, before you wake up one morning to a shocking experience of an empty garage.

Infestations

Some garages don’t have proper ventilation and air conditioning and this is one of the reasons why people leave the door open. While it is okay to open the door for fresh air when you are working in the garage, you should not leave it open when you are done. An open door invites all sorts of small animals into your garage. The small animals love to hide out in dark and warm places. By leaving the door open, you will be welcoming raccoons, mice, rats, squirrels and cats into your garage. Raccoons and squirrels can crawl up and gain access to your main house. These small animals destroy your belongings and they can be a health hazard as well. In the end you may have to invest in pest removal services to get rid of the animals that have found comfort in your home. You can easily keep out pests by locking your garage door overnight.

Security hazard

Leaving your garage door open makes home invasion easy. With an open garage door, you make it easy for thieves to break into your house. Thus for the safety of your family, always keep the garage door closed when you are not in there.

Weather damage

Weather damage is another reason why you should keep the garage door locked overnight. When you leave the door open on a rainy and windy night, rain water will find its way into the garage, wetting and damaging your belongings. If the garage is poorly ventilated it will take longer for the garage to dry up. A damp garage is a health hazard. Dampness favors the growth of mold. Mold is a cause of serious health issues such as pneumonia, asthma, allergic reactions and migraines. Leaving the door open when it’s snowing could also cause damage to your car.
In summary, ensure that you never leave your garage door open when you are not using the garage. If you are having a hard time closing the door, contact a garage door expert for repairs and maintenance.

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