Top 6 Foolproof Ways to Secure Your Garden Shed Against Thieves
Garden sheds, as the storage shacks to keep valuable gardening tools, equipment, bikes, etc., are increasingly vulnerable to burglaries and thefts these days. The latest crime statistics show that 1 in 7 households experience a theft from the garden a year.
To help secure your garden shed from opportunist thieves and intruders, here we've rounded up some simple and inexpensive tips that prove to be useful by a host of homeowners.
Secure All Entrances to Your Garden Shed
Enhancing the security level of your garden shed doors and windows is a must, as they are the most common entries for burglars to break into your garden shed.
To thoroughly secure your shed, choose a door lock that's vandal-proof and made from high-quality materials. Also, fix a metal plate to the back of the shed door to prevent thieves cutting out the lock.
When it comes to your shed window security, double glazing or laminated glass windows would be better options than the single glazed glass ones.
And do remember to put up curtains, blinds or any window coverings to hide the contents of your garden shed from plain view. The less visible your belongings are, the safer your garden shed will be.
Install Security Cameras
Another best way to secure a garden shed is to buy a security camera to check in anytime and anywhere from your mobile phone or computers.
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Once the criminals enter your garden shed, you'll receive instant alerts with video clips to take in-time actions. And the recorded footage can also serve as strong evidence to help identify suspects and even file a lawsuit later.
Don't be upset if you have no power source in the garden shed or hate to run messy cables - the battery security cameras can free you from the wiring hassles and tough installation process. When your security needs have changed, you can also take the camera to a new site as you wish.
Trim the Bushes Around Your Garden Shed
While bushes and shrubs can add the outer beauty of your garden shed, they also offer the best sheltering sites for the criminals who wait for a good chance to break into your garden shed.
Actually, you don't need to get rid of them completely, but just trim them regularly to make sure no one can hide behind them.
Inspired by this idea, another good way to make a garden shed secure is planting thorny bushes and spiky plants around the shed to deter unwanted visitors.
Protect Your Belongings Inside a Garden Shed
Securing the items inside your garden shed is also something you shouldn't ignore. Keep your stuff locked away in a hard-to-maneuver manner and it might force the criminals into abandoning the original plan.
For the large pieces, you can use the floor anchors to secure your bikes, ATVS and tool boxes to the floor of your shed. Put away the small valuables and keep them in a site box, which helps maintain your belongings out of sight and, thus, reducing the likelihood of being stolen.
Use Common Sense to Secure Your Garden Shed
Trivial as it sounds, it is worth mentioning again here since many homeowners don't secure their garden sheds in the same way as they do to their residences.
Never leave your gardening tools or equipment (such as ladders) outside unattended, as they might facilitate the criminals to break into your garden shed and even your home.
It is also not a good idea to hide your spare keys to the garden shed under a doormat or flower pot, which are the common sites a smart and experienced thief would search for.
Make Sure Your Garden Shed Is Insured
Though this method won't secure your garden shed from the determined thieves, at least it may help recover your loss in case of shed break-ins (hopefully, it never happens).
So it's best to check with the agent whether your garden shed, as well as the contents, is covered in your home insurance. And you may compare the price quotes from several insurers before you make a final choice.
There are absolutely more effective ways to secure the garden shed. As a gardening lover, what are the best ways for you to secure a garden shed based on your experience? Please feel free to share your ideas and opinions with us!
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