Garage doors not only increase the beauty of your home, but they also provide it with much-needed security. There are a lot of ways you can ensure your garage doors are providing the level of security to your home it is supposed to, and investing in the right kind of lock is one of them.

For this, you must know the different types of garage door locks. 

Of all the types of locks that are used in garage doors, the slide door locks are the most common. You can also go for T-handle locks, which are more suited to wooden garage doors. If you have an automatic garage door, you can opt for automatic garage door locks, as well as keypad locks. 

Let’s take a deeper look at various garage door lock types and see what suits you the most. 

Different types of garage door locks are there?

types of garage door locks

The role of garage doors has evolved from just providing security for the cars inside the garage, to protecting the entire home. As the safety of the entire house depends on the type of garage doors you have, you need to make sure you do everything in your power to make sure nobody can breach these doors. This is where garage door locks come in. 

The right kind of lock for your garage can ensure the garage remains safe and the house is secured. Here are the different types of garage door locks you can choose from. 

1. Slide bolt locks

Slide bolt garage door lock

These locks are suitable for manual garage doors instead of automatic ones. They are also one of the most popular kinds of garage door locks in the country since they are very easy to operate.

These doors are installed on the side of your garage doors which go through a hole made in the vertical garage door tracks. This makes them the best locks for roll-up garage doors.

2. T-handle locks

T-handle Garage Door Lock

Just like their name suggests, T-handle garage door locks have a handle shaped like a T. Unlike most keys, these locks use a cylindrical key to unlock and lock. Also, unlike slide bolt locks, these are installed on the outside of a garage door.

One disadvantage of these locks is that they are not suited for side-hinged garage doors. 

3. Garage door defenders

garage door defender

These are one of the best locks for garage entry doors as well as one of the most robust ones in the market. Garage door defenders are big metal T-bars that are placed in front of the door.

As they’re placed on the concrete, they are padlocked in place, which restricts anybody from opening the doors outwards. The only way you can open a door with garage door defenders installed on them is by unlocking the padlock. 

4. Padlocks

Speaking of padlocks, these used to be one of the most commonly used exterior garage door locks back in the day. They are simple locks, which can be opened by a key. There are a lot of different types of padlocks, all of which are suitable for manual and traditional garage doors. 

The biggest disadvantage of these old-style garage door locks is that they can be easily broken and opened by other lockpicking tools. 

5. Garage deadbolt lock

Another of the most common garage door lock types is the deadbolt lock. These locks can be installed both on the inside and the outside of a garage door, and it needs considerable force to move a door secured by these.

But like padlocks, they can also be messed with lockpicking tools, so it’s best to install them inside the door. 

6. Keypad locks

Garage Door Keypad locks

If you want to completely ensure nobody can gain access to your garage as well as your home, keypad locks are one of the best ideas you can adopt. These locks can only be opened by putting in a certain combination code, and hence provide a greater level of security to the garage as well as the house than all the aforementioned locks. 

7. Automatic locks

If you don’t want the hassle of locking and unlocking your garage door every time you use it, then automatic locks are the best options for you. These electric garage door locking mechanisms have all the bells and whistles, and they can be locked from anywhere in the world, either via a switch, or even an app from your smartphone. 

8. Keyless locks

As time has passed, garage door locks have evolved a lot. One of the most unique and best type of garage door locks is keyless locks. These locks can be opened by either fingerprints or an app.

If your lock has fingerprints, you can store the prints of multiple people’s fingers so that more than one person can enter your garage. 

Final Words

Garage door locks are very important in keeping you and your house safe and secured. Depending on the type of garage door and the budget you have, the type of garage door locks that will suit you will be different.

Go through the above analysis of the garage door lock types and choose the lock that suits your garage door the best. 

FAQ

1. What is the most secure garage door lock?

The most secure garage door lock will depend on the type of garage door you have. For example, you can use garage door defenders or T-handle locks for more traditional types of garage doors. On the other hand, if you have electronic garage doors, you can go for keyless or keypad locks. 

2. What is the most expensive garage door lock type?

Among all the garage door locks, the most expensive of the lot is the smart garage lock or the keyless lock. These locks provide a higher level of security than other locks, and hence, are costlier. 

3. How do you burglar-proof a garage door?

Installing locks aren’t the only way to burglar-proof a garage door. In addition to putting secure garage door locks such as the T-handle or deadbolt lock, you can also reinforce your home interior doors, install home security systems, and ensure the windows are safe and secured.