When thinking about buying garden sheds, there are several things which can affect security aside from your choice of shed. You may think that by ordering a security shed, you don’t need to worry about the safety of whatever is inside. Yes, a ‘security shed’ with no windows is one of the more secure options, but there is a lot more to consider.
Garden sheds can contain valuable assets and criminals are very aware of this. Whether your shed is used as a bike shed, to store garden furniture or a lawn mower, you should look into keeping your possessions secure and out of sight.
There is no use in buying a shed, plonking it at the end of the garden, loading it with gear and not thinking about the protection of whatever is inside. If you spend three figures on a garden shed and cheapen out on a padlock or alarm, you may as well not bother with a shed in the first place. Here are a few pointers in the right direction to give your shed the security it deserves…
Securing your shed
Start by securing access to your garden. This is not always possible, but for those that have gates ensure a decent lock is installed. Hedges and fences also provide effective barriers, while gravel is noisy to walk over so can also be a good deterrent.
Location
The location of your shed can be as important a factor as any. Put yourself in the position of the thief: they are looking for a shed which is unlikely to be seen by you or your neighbours who may come calling. Positioning your shed near the house is recommended, simply to make it easier to see a potential thief. Having the shed on show to those around you may seem risky, but this is a great way to deter burglary – the more neighbours or even street bystanders that can spot a theft, the less likely the chance of one happening in the first place. By locating the shed properly, a thief is likely to discard your property and move on.
Windowless/security sheds
The obvious benefit of a shed without windows, in terms of security, is the fact that your valuables will not be on show. As well as this, there is that fact that either a styrene or glass window is the most fragile and penetrable component. Our security sheds are all constructed with overlap cladding, the thickest and generally the strongest type. The real benefit of this range is their physical construction and lack of view inside – but they are at their best when complemented with security accessories detailed below.
If you don’t have a windowless shed and you are concerned about your tools being on show, you can place some blinds or a curtain over the window to obscure the view. For fixings which look a little flimsy, many of them are easy to beef up – screws are usually better off replaced by large nuts and bolts. The easiest methods are often the most effective!
Padlocks and alarms
If the sheer value of your belongings is your main worry, fixing on the biggest, scariest padlock - or possibly more than one padlock - could well be the giveaway that there is something inside worth stealing. Therefore, the best padlocks do their job efficiently without drawing attention.
An alarmed padlock, such as the ones we stock, makes sure that any burglar doesn’t have a chance to stick around should they penetrate the lock. The benefit of the Security Alarm Padlock (£17.99) is that its small size can deceive the thief into thinking that it is easily dismantled, whereas the thick casing, not to mention the extremely loud alarm sound, make the lock a formidable defence.