Prevent Break-Ins And Secure Your Garage Door With An Easy Pool Noodle Hack

A garage's emergency release cord (the red string attached to the opening mechanism's trolley) can prove invaluable when the power goes out. After pulling the cord, you'll be able to manually open and close the door, without having to rely on your garage door opener. However, this same cord can also pose a major security risk.

It can take a burglar as little as six seconds to grab the cord from outside and gain access to your garage, vehicle, and house. Luckily, you can help prevent a potential break-in and secure your door by cleverly reusing a pool noodle in your garage as a DIY safety feature. All it takes is trimming and attaching a foam noodle (the Big Joe Swim Pool Noodle is just $1 at Walmart) around the emergency release cord. That's because a malicious actor will try to pass a hooked wire or bent metal clothes hanger through the gap between the top of your garage door and its frame, grab the cord, pull it through the slit, and pull. They'll then be able to manually lift up the door and enter – without the alarm ever going off. When the cord is covered by a pool noodle, though, they won't be able to grab it or pull it out.

While some folks recommend threading a zip tie through the trolley mechanism, this method is not ideal as it will also prevent you from manually opening the door when needed. The pool noodle hack, on the other hand, provides both safety and the ability for the emergency cord to function as normal. Here's how to get it done.

Just like your outdated garage door opener is making your home more vulnerable to break-ins, it's imperative to beware of the hazard posed by your garage's emergency release cord. The key is to ensure the cord can't easily be hooked and pulled through to the outside. A simple and affordable way to achieve this is to use a foam pool noodle with a core cutout. Measure the full length of the cord and cut the noodle to size using scissors. Untie the plastic handle at the bottom, run the string through the noodle, and retie the tab. While you'll still be able to use the cord, thieves will struggle to hook the wider diameter with a hanger. What's more, even if they do, it will be impossible to fish out.

Another option is to use a pool noodle without a center cutout. After trimming the noodle to the length of the cord, drag an X-ACTO knife down the middle of the full length of one side. Next, flip it over and make a one-inch cut running from the top. Align the noodle with the cord so that the slit faces away from the garage door, feed the cord inside, then push the noodle as high up as possible. The one-inch slit on the back should fit snugly around the trolley, providing extra security. Finally, wrap duct tape all the way around to secure the noodle in place, leaving about an inch at the bottom open, so you can pull on the plastic tab in an emergency.