10 Tips for Garden Shed Security

Summer is here! With warm temperatures and blazing sunshine comes opportunity to spend the summer outdoors.

We become more relaxed. But the problems is, we become too relaxed. Leaving the garage doors open with the family bikes on display or leaving the garden shed unlocked are just two security faux pas that could cost us dearly.

Opportunistic

Most thieves are opportunistic, especially when it comes to lifting things from garden sheds and garages in the summer. The door is open, the items clearly on display and no one around.

It takes seconds to clamber on a bike and cycle off. It takes seconds to grab a lawn mower or another piece of expensive gardening equipment.

You may have ‘only been gone a minute or two’ but that’s all it takes.

And so, with the statistic of thefts from gardens and garden sheds increasing in the summer by 40%, what tips do we have for keeping your garden more secure?

#1 Lock it!
A thief will look for two things when sizing up whether they can take something – how accessible it is and how likely are they to be caught.
Time is of the essence so the more effort they have to make to gain access to a garden shed, the less likely they are to try.
Have a padlock and bolt on the door and have it clearly on display.

#2 It looks sound
A shed that looks damaged and dilapidated won’t take as much effort to break into than one that is structurally sound.
Repair damage, replace panels and the like to make it harder for thieves to gain access.

#3 Bolt it down
Don’t forget to bolt the shed down when you build it. It’ll be safer and less easy to gain access from the ground up.

#4 Tint the glass
A potting shed can have an expanse of glass, perfect for when your seedlings are taking shape but a window in any shed means that people can see in and size up what you have.
Tint can be bought in hardware stores or car part dealers and works a treat for shading the interior of the shed as well as blocking people’s vision.

#5 Be aware of leaving it open…
It’s easier, we know when completing DIY tasks or gardening to leave the garden shed door open to get things in and out of.
And when you know you will continue the task tomorrow, leaving stuff out overnight may seem like a good option.
But tidying away and placing things under lock and key will mean they are less likely to be taken. And be aware if you leave the shed open and unguarded for long periods too.

#6 Buy the best quality shed you can
This is an important message if you are keeping your collection of sporting equipment in a garden shed. It may be better to opt for a metal shed with a sophisticated locking system and other security measures to keep your gear safer and more secure.

#7 Or chain it down
Again, the more effort someone has to make off with the bike, the lawnmower of the golf clubs from the shed, the less likely they are to try or to be successful.
Try chaining stuff down in the shed, as well as updating the lock and other obvious security measures.

#8 Beef your outdoor security lighting and other systems
From sensors on doors and windows to security lighting that sets off an alert inside the house and so on, there are many security measures you can take to make your outdoor space more secure.
Relatively inexpensive, they are easy to set up and use, giving you an extra pair of monitoring eyes on the garden, the garden shed and the garage too if you have one.

#9 The bigger security picture
By not making it so easy for intruders to gain access to your garden, you instantly make your garden less of a target.
Thus, locks on garden gates, thorny climbers on fences, keeping walls in a good state of repair and moving items that could help them gain access, such as ladders and wheelie bins, all help to make your garden more secure.

#10 Mark it
Police do recover items from burglaries and garden shed thefts but are often unable to return it because they don’t know where it’s come from.
Take a photo of your shed with your equipment in it, as well as marking your property so that should the police recover it, it can be returned to you. There are invisible markers that can do this, as well as ways of permanently stamping your postcode etc. onto equipment.

Have a secure summer in your garden with these great tips – enjoy!