Thieves know right where to look for your garage door opener ( learn how to repair it) remote—clipped to the visor in your car. To avoid giving them easy access to your garage, take the remote with you when you leave the car. The handiest way to do this is to replace your big remote with a small keychain version (sold at home centers or where you bought your garage door opener). Match the remote to the brand and year of your opener. Then follow the instructions for programming it.
If you’ve lost the remote for the garage door opener, it’s possible that it has ended up in the wrong hands. To be safe, follow the instructions that came with your opener to reset the code, disabling the lost remote. While you’re at it, you can also learn how to repair garage doors’ springs and cables!
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Fortify the Service Door to Your Garage
For a service door, the solution is to install a good-quality dead bolt and reinforce the doorjamb and hinges to resist a brute-force attack. The best dead bolts have an ANSI Grade 1 rating, but even a Grade 2 lock will provide above-average security. Look for the rating on the package.
But even the best dead bolt won’t help if the doorjamb and door aren’t reinforced. Before installing the dead bolt, strengthen the lock area of the door with a metal sleeve. Then, install a strong strike plate that’s securely attached to the wall framing with long screws.
Hinges that are installed with the usual 3/4-in. screws are nearly as easy to kick in as a basic door latch. So while you’ve got the drill and screws handy, remove one of the short screws nearest the weather stripping from each hinge and replace it with a 3-in. screw. If you have an attached garage, use these same methods to reinforce the door from the garage into your house.
Also make sure to keep this door locked; otherwise, a burglar who gains access to the garage can walk right in.
Liam Parker 
