Shed Security, Keeping the Thief Out of Your Shed

What is in your garden shed?

There is all your gardening equipment of course, from your rather costly lawn mower, garden cart, brand new chainsaw, your well used heavy duty garden hose, down to your more lowly hand held gardening tools.

What else do you store in there? Other kinds of tools maybe? All your do-it-yourself and home decorating equipment? Power drills, circular saw, cordless screwdriver, hammers, chisel set, portable workbench, ladder. Specialist hobby tools maybe? Golf clubs, bicycles?

Perhaps you store a few family heirlooms in your shed because there isn't room for them in your house.

Yes, when you add it up there is a lot in your garden shed, plenty in there to interest a burglar.

Unfortunately too many homeowners make it to easy for the burglar to help himself to the contents of their shed or outbuilding. Many even make good efforts to secure their home but leave their shed unlocked.

How long does it take for a thief to make sure that he is not being observed, take what he wants from your shed and drive off?

If you do lock up your shed, do you use a low quality padlock? Change that for a quality lock and make sure that the hasp is fitted correctly.

What condition is your shed in?

Is it a poorly constructed, flimsy, insecure hutch? Or a well designed and sturdy outbuilding?

The condition of even the best constructed shed will deteriorate over time. What shape are the side panels in? Are any loose, any sign of rot? Make sure that a thief cannot easily jimmy bar off a side panel and help himself. Is your shed securely anchored to the base? A pair of thieves can lift a poorly secured shed right off its base to get at the goodies inside. How about the windows, are they in good shape and secure? Consider fitting window security grills.

Where is your garden shed sited, can it be easily seen by your neighbors? Or is it out of sight in a hidden part of your garden, perhaps obscured by bushes and trees. It may pay you to re-lay the base and position your shed in a more visible part of your garden. A bit of work would be involved but a shed that is easily observed is less likely to be targeted by thieves.

If a burglar needs a ladder to break in through an upper story window in your house, or one of your neighbors houses, where could he get one? Yes, he could use the one in your shed. Is the ladder in your shed secured with a chain? Chaining your ladder to a secure anchor point will mean the burglar spending more time if he is to get it. burglars don't like spending time. Same goes for the other expensive items in your garden shed, chain them down. Alternatively install a mesh security cage within your shed to stow expensive items in.

Is your garden shed connected into your home security system? If not consider including it in your system, if it is not practical to do so consider a stand alone battery alarm.

Although you cannot make a shed absolutely burglar proof there is much you can do to make it more secure, so much so that the thief moves on elsewhere. Think about it, isn't it better to spend a little time and effort protecting all the items in your shed, rather than have a thief make off with them?