It seems like every time you turn around there is another smart device on the market. Technology manufacturers are figuring out how to turn just about everything into a smart or automated gadget that makes life more convenient, more energy-efficient, or more secure. Take the smart garage door controller. It is one of the latest and most popular home automation products available right now.
What is a smart garage door controller? Think of it as a cross between a garage door opener and a smart monitoring system. Between the two types of functionalities, you gain more control over your garage door than ever before. The smart garage door controller is one of those devices you probably wouldn’t miss if you didn’t install one. But then, after installation, you would wonder how you ever lived without it.
Vivint, a nationwide provider of home automation and home security equipment, describes the smart garage door controller as “a small device that pairs with your existing garage door opener, allowing you to control your garage door remotely, receive notifications on your phone if your door is left open, and pair it with other devices within your smart home.”
Control Your Door Remotely
Let us discuss the Vivint definition by looking at each of the three components separately. We will begin with controlling your garage door remotely. With a smart controller, your door is truly never out of reach. No matter where you are, you can open or close the door with your smartphone. How valuable is this? Leave your garage door open while you are gone on a two-week vacation, and you might just find out.
Imagine oversleeping on Monday morning. You jump out of bed, quickly shower, and head out the door. You are about halfway to work when you realize you left the garage door open. There is no going back now. With a smart garage door controller, the problem is an easy one to solve. Pull out your phone at the next light and take care of it.
Open Doors Invite Burglary
In the old days, you would have had to turn around and go home or leave the door open and take your chances. The problem is that open garage doors are an invitation to burglary. Anyone walking by can see exactly what you have to offer. And if they know you will not be home for a while, helping themselves is not that hard to do.
There is something else to consider: a garage filled with goodies may be enticing enough to encourage a burglar to break into your house. You have already left your garage door open, so perhaps getting inside will be equally easy. It is worth a try, right? Some burglars think that way.
Receiving Phone Notifications
Next up is receiving notifications on your phone when the door is left open. Using the previous example, you may get all the way to work and never realize you forgot to close the door. Without some sort of reminder, you could go all day and not realize it. But with a smart garage door controller, you also get a sensor that keeps track of how long the door stays open. If it is open for too long, you get a message on your phone.
On a similar note, you can program your system to send notifications whenever the door is opened or closed. How does this help? It might tell you that someone has opened your garage door at a time when you know there should be no one home. You could be alerted to a burglary attempt.
Pairing It with Other Smart Home Devices
Finally, Vivint Smart Home says that a smart garage door controller can be paired with other smart home devices. The possibilities here are mind-boggling. For example, integrate your garage door controller with your smart door lock and your alarm system for maximum protection.
You can program things so that arming your security system would automatically lock the front door and close the garage door (if it’s open). Practically speaking, you could do all three things with a simple swipe of a finger. Just pull the car out of the garage and, before you back down the driveway, use your phone to arm the security system. You can drive away knowing that your garage door is down,and your front door is locked.
You could also program the system to integrate your garage door with an external video surveillance camera. If the garage door is open as someone walks up the driveway, a motion sensor turns the camera on and shuts the door. This prevents someone from randomly walking into your garage and helping themselves to your valuables.
Many Other Possibilities
Installing a smart garage door controller offers even more possibilities for automation and security. For example, it is a safe bet you are familiar with the concept of porch piracy. What if you had a smart garage door controller and a video doorbell? You could eliminate porch piracy in one fell swoop.
Let’s say you know a package is destined to be delivered to your house today. Keep your phone close by. As soon as your video doorbell alerts you to someone walking up the front walk, you can pull out your phone and see live video. Now, assume it is the delivery driver with your package. Use the two-way audio to tell them to put the package in the garage. Meanwhile, use your phone to open the garage door. When the delivery driver leaves, close it.
A smart garage door controller makes a terrific addition to any home automation system. It is not something that gets a lot of press right now, but that’s only because it’s relatively new as a home automation device. Chances are it is going to get a lot more attention in the future.
If you have a home automation system and a garage, consider installing a smart home garage door controller. You may wonder how you ever lived without it.
