Today's useless fact - What are the odds that someone will be able to open my garage with their opener?

You needn't worry about strangers stealing your old paint cans. According to the article by Mary Jo Harrod, the odds of two garage door openers using the same frequency are about 65,000 to 1. Additionally, some openers change frequencies constantly.

That said, garage door openers aren't infallible. We learned they can be affected by a number of outside influences. One article we came across explains that the United States military is currently in the process of installing a new radio system in 125 military bases. This system uses the same frequencies as 90% of garage door openers. Because the military's radio signal is so strong, garage doors located near bases often don't work like they should.

As far as the criminal element, it's possible for burglars to clone your signal, but it's highly unlikely. Most garage door openers use a signal scrambling device that makes breaking in very difficult. So instead of worrying about your garage being breached, why not fret over something more likely to happen? For example, nationwide, the odds of your car being stolen are about 1 in 194. Check out the links in the Doors category for more.