Whilst home security becomes more and more advanced, many people forget about the other roof that needs protecting – the shed! There is a whole other world of electronics and valuables in your garden that a simple padlock cannot defend. In addition, in most cases, the shed will hold all the tools a burglar needs to break into your home!
With this in mind, here are some tips to ensure that your shed is protected against burglars:
1: Buying a solid, high quality shed is the first step towards total security. There is no point buying all the right locks and keys if your shed is made of flimsy material which is easily breakable. A shed is an investment not to be taken lightly, do your research to find the best shed within your budget.
2: Position it well. A shed should be as close to your house as possible, not too hidden by trees or hedges, so that you can keep an eye on it.
3: Illumination. Security lighting in your garden can help deter thieves, make sure that your shed is well lit so that in the event of an intrusion you can clearly see what is happening.
4: Alarms. Similar to installing security lights, a simple alarm system will immediately enhance your shed protection. A loud alarm paired with lights can help scare off intruders very quickly.
5: Ensure windows are secure. Shed window security can be easily overlooked, but they are notoriously less resilient than house windows –often single pane glass that can quickly be smashed. Therefore in most cases a tougher material less easy to break such as polycarbonate plastic may be a good idea. Similarly if you are not concerned with your shed looking ‘good’, horizontal, very narrow windows to let in only sunlight would be a great deterrent to thieves.
6: Secure shed to the ground. It may sound idiotic but with smaller sheds it is not uncommon for the structure to not actually be attached to the ground. Therefore thieves have been known to lift the whole shed off the ground to enter it. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you!
7: Fit a secure cage inside your shed. Just like you may have a safe in your home, a second line of defence in your shed such as a cage lock up could provide a lot more protection for your most valuable tools and equipment. Breaking in to this would be time consuming for a thief that wants to be in and out as quickly as possible.
8: Secure any hinges with coach bolts NOT screws. Very specific but a great tip, if your shed doors are put together with screws, there is nothing stopping a thief from using a screwdriver to open up the door from there.
9: Get a lock bar. With the previous tip in mind, a good idea for locking mechanisms would be to get a strong lock bar – a lock which crosses the entire length of the door meaning that without unlocking it the door is completely disabled.
We hope that these tips have been of use, if you have any questions regarding your shed security or any other matters of home security, feel free to contact us on 0800 0612 677 or visit our main site lockrite.org