The UK is home to millions of garden sheds – and that means millions of opportunities for burglars to strike.
Summer is prime time for shed raids, so now is the perfect time to assess if yours is secure enough.
These great shed security ideas can help…
How to make your shed more secure
As your shed is separated from your main property, yet could contain valuable items, it may be a prime target for opportunist burglars.
There are things you can do to make your shed more secure, however, including where you place it in your garden, the kind of locks you use and how you store your belongings inside.
1. Keep your shed out of sight
Where you place your shed is just as important as the other security steps you take to secure it.
Try to make your shed difficult to see from outside of your property – if a thief can’t be certain you even have a shed, they’re more likely to move on.
Trees, shrubs and trellis can be great for shielding your shed by creating height and blocking the view into your garden from outside.
You could even consider painting your shed, so it blends in with the foliage in your garden at night.
2. Hide what’s inside your shed
Many thieves will scan entire neighbourhoods for an easy break-in opportunity, checking sheds up close.
So, try to make what’s inside your shed is hidden from view.
If your shed has windows, consider covering them with blinds, or privacy film.
And if your shed doesn’t need windows, you should think about boarding them up or even buying a new, windowless shed.
Think, also, about storing things like power tools in locked drawers inside your shed.
That means even if a thief does gain access, they’ll be facing even more hard work if they want to get away with what’s inside.
3. Use a shed security bar
A security bar is one of the best ways to secure your garden shed and protect your belongings inside.
Shed security bars are made of metal and cover the entire width of your shed door with locks on both sides.
Installed correctly on to a shed door that is fully framed, most thieves won’t even attempt to break-in when faced with a well-fitted security bar.
4. Fit shed security hinges correctly
Shed security hinges are another great way to make your shed more secure – but only if they’re fitted correctly.
Hinges supplied with sheds often offer only a basic level of security, so you should consider upgrading if you want to make your shed more secure.
Look for shed security hinges that:
• Have a ‘hidden’ hinge pin that can’t be removed
• Have a high metal gauge, meaning they can’t be bent
• Come with 'one-way' security screws
If you’re worried about how secure your hinges are, you could replace any screws with through bolts and secure these on the inside of the shed door frame with a nut and washer.
5. Add a security light
If there’s one thing thieves hate, it’s light.
All of them will work under the cover of darkness, so a security light, with motion detection, attached to your shed can be a superb deterrent.
Think about where you place your security light, as animals can sometimes set off the motion detection, and ensure the light isn’t shining towards neighbouring properties.
6. Fit a security camera
Security camera technology has come on leaps and bounds and there are some great options if you really want to tighten up your shed security.
A motion-detection camera can beam footage straight to your tablet or smart phone, while some even have speakers so you can warn off thieves.
If you’re away on holiday, a security camera that works with your smart phone can be a great way to keep an eye on your shed and property, too.
7. Anchor your belongings
If your shed sits on a concrete base, you could consider anchoring expensive items to the ground.
Expensive belongings like bikes and lawn mowers are always on a shed thief’s wish list, but by anchoring them to your shed’s base, you’re almost guaranteeing they can’t be stolen.
The best way to create an anchor point is when your shed and base is being installed.
You should:
• Embed your anchor point into the concrete base and allow to set.
• Create a small hole in the floor of your shed to allow the anchor point to protrude through.
• Attach chains to the anchor point and around the items you want to secure
• Connect the chains with a high-quality padlock
If your shed is already in place, try attaching all your bikes and your mower to each other using strong chains and a good-quality padlock.
This will make it as hard as possible for any thief to emerge with your most valuable belongings.
How to secure a shed door
There are several steps you can take to make your shed door more secure, including:
• Using hinges with a thick metal gauge
• Using a padlock with a ‘closed’ shackle that shows as little of the lock hoop as possible
• Fitting a security bar and securing it with flat-head coach bolts
• Attach hinges and security locks to thick wooden frames, securing with coach bolts
What is the best lock for a shed?
The best kind of lock for a shed is a ‘closed’ shackle padlock.
Closed shackle locks expose only a small amount of the loop, meaning a thief is unlikely to be able to cut it with bolt cutters or an angle grinder.
