How to secure a shed

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No great British garden is complete without a garden shed.

Whether we use ours as a storage outhouse for garden tools and accessories, a luxury she shed for relaxation or a garden shed home office for remote work, we love it to bits.

The problem is:

So do burglars. So much so, in fact, that 22,500 garden and shed burglaries take place in the UK each year!

This is huge!

Now:

With shed security being such a massive issue, you need to learn how to secure a shed. And at Door Superstore, we’re here to show you exactly how to go about it.

So, how do you make a shed unbreakable?

It’s time to find out with our top 8 shed security ideas.

Table of contents:

• Consider your shed location and overall garden security
• Anchor your shed to the ground
• Reinforce your shed roof
• Improve your shed door security
• Improve your shed window security
• Install outside shed lights
• Install a burglar alarm
• Consider shed insurance
• Why you need to think about shed protection now

Consider your shed location and overall garden shed security

Opportunistic burglars are likely to target your shed if it’s easily visible from the outside. So, it’s important to choose its location wisely.

Here’s the thing:

On the one hand, you want to be able to keep an eye on your shed from inside your home.

On the other hand, you don’t want it to be too conspicuous and attract unnecessary attention. It certainly helps if you have tall fences or hedges, but that’s not always possible and may require planning permission.

Ideally, you want to place your shed somewhere in your back garden. This way, you can decorate it as you wish while keeping it reasonably safe and secure.

What’s more:

Think about your overall garden security. Make sure your fences are well maintained and you’ve invested in sturdy wooden gates. If you make it difficult for thieves to enter your property in the first place, that’s half the battle won!

Anchor your shed to the ground

It might not seem like an obvious thing to do, but many burglars try to lift up smaller sheds from one end in order to sneak it. To prevent this from happening, it’s a good idea to anchor your shed to the ground.

You can use either brackets or fence posts to get the job done quickly and easily. Anchoring kits are also readily available. In addition to making it impossible for burglars to lift a smaller shed, anchoring it to the ground will also stop the shed from falling to one side or even being blown away in extreme weather.

Reinforce your shed roof

If your shed isn’t particularly tall, a burglar might be tempted to take the entire roof off, or at least part of it, to gain entry. So, make sure your shed roof is secure by adding screws, bolts or nails at regular intervals on all sides.

As an added bonus, a reinforced roof will prevent leaks that might otherwise damage the structure and any tools, accessories or furniture you might keep inside.

Improve your shed door security

It’s vital to invest in a solid wooden shed door because doors, including shed doors with windows, are obvious points of entry. But by itself, that’s not enough.

The thing is:

You also need to think about shed security hinges and a shed door lock. If the hinges are easy to tamper with, an experienced burglar is going to have a field day. And the same goes for the lock. The problem with standard shed locks and pad bolts is that they’re easy to pick. So, buck up your shed lock ideas and choose heavy-duty padlocks, mortice locks or Yale locks.

At the same time, try not to go overboard with too many types of locks. If you do, you’ll attract burglars’ attention by making it seem like you’re keeping the crown jewels in your shed! Besides, when it comes to locks, quality is more important than quantity.

Now that you know how to secure a shed door, we need to talk about windows.

Improve your shed window security

Next to garden shed doors, shed windows are typical points of entry. Admittedly, not all sheds have windows, so if yours isn’t a shed with windows, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But if it is, there are a few things you can do to discourage break-ins.

First, consider fitting shed curtains or blinds. Most thieves are opportunistic by nature. So, if they happen to see something valuable, they’ll be tempted to try to steal it. But if they can’t see what’s inside your shed, they’re less likely to try to break in and risk getting caught.

What’s more:

If you’re using your shed as a home office, man cave or even a spare bedroom, you’re going to want the extra privacy. And if you’re a creative type, you can come up with plenty more shed window covering ideas, such as painting them in certain patterns.

Additionally, you can install window shutters as well as tempered windows and solid window frames for sheds.

Install outside shed lights

A well-lit shed has multiple benefits. To begin with, it will make it easier for you to find your way around the garden after dark. It will also make it easier for you to keep an eye out for any intruders from your home.

Last but not least, external lights add a nice touch of style to your garden décor. It’s a win on all fronts!

If you don’t have electricity in your shed, solar panel lights are an excellent alternative that’s also eco-friendly.

Install a burglar alarm

Even with all these precautions and enhancements, a determined burglar would be likely to persevere. And at the end of the day, nothing works better than a burglar alarm.

Let’s face it:

You probably have a safety system in your home, so why not use one for your shed as well? That’s probably not necessary if you only have a few rusty old garden tools lying around, gathering dust. But if you’re serious about using your shed as a place to relax or a home office, that’s unlikely to be the case.

So, you need to treat your garden shed as an extension of your home and fit one of the many available shed alarms on the market. Additionally, installing a security camera is also a great way to be able to monitor and record any potential intrusion into your shed from the safety of your home.

Consider shed insurance

Many home insurance policies automatically extend to sheds and other outbuildings, so you might already be covered. However, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

So, make sure you read the small print and talk to your insurance company. If your shed isn’t covered and you’ve invested a considerable amount of money turning it into, say, a state-of-the-art man cave, you’d be wise to invest in comprehensive shed insurance.

Why you need to think about shed protection now

During the lockdown, many homeowners spent a considerable amount of time either building a brand-new garden shed or renovating and vastly improving their existing one.

After all:

A garden shed is a valuable asset to your home property, so why wouldn’t you want to make the most of it?

Unfortunately, a neat garden shed is also a tempting target for burglars. And while many homeowners go out of their way to secure their homes with top-notch security systems, they often tend to treat shed security merely as an afterthought – much to their eventual regret.

Don’t be one of them! Now that you know how to secure a shed, it’s high time you gave your shed the protection it deserves. Remember – a secure shed is a happy shed.

And now it’s over to you:

What do you consider to be the best way to secure a shed that you’re going to try first?