Do you know that keeping your shed secure is much more important than you believe? Most sheds are used to house all the garden equipment and other valuables. However, since they are often not as secure as the house itself, thieves consider them easy targets.
Even if the tools in your shed are not valuable enough for buglers to cart away, they can be quiet instrumental to the thieves for breaking into your home and stealing your belongings.
This is why you should pay more attention to making your shed less vulnerable to buglers. These security tips that we’ve gathered from security experts will help you safeguard your shed. Continue reading.
Steps To Secure Your Shed, and Stop Break-ins
Here are how you can secure your shed and stop break-ins below:
1. Choose A Safe Location
You should position your garden shed at an angle that cannot easily be seen by those on the street. This will make it less likely to be invaded.
However, you will also want to make sure that the angle you place the shed is easy to see from inside your house. This way, even if thieves manage to get in, you’ll easily spot them.
2. Remove All Tools Outside Your House at Night
Make it a habit to bring all your tools inside before going to bed at night. When you leave your equipment out there in the open you don’t only permit thieves to steal them, you also provide burglars with tools to break into your shed or home. Organize your shed. Create a compartment for tools and it will be easy to store them when you’re done with them.
3. Hide Windows
Obvious windows allow thieves to see into your shed and find out if there are any valuable things to steal in it. And once they detect something of value, your shed becomes a target. This makes windows a kind of weakness for your shed. Sheds that are used only to store items do not require windows.
However, if there are windows in it, they should be covered up. On the other hand, some people do some work in their shed and need air and light. This is why curtains should be used to cover the windows to prevent anyone from seeing into the shed.
4. Change the Hinge of The Door
One thing that can make your shed more vulnerable is its door hinge. The hinge will easily be ripped off unless you tighten them by removing the screws and using bolts and nuts instead. You can superglue the nut tightly around the bolt in the inner side of the shed’s door.
5. Enhance the Lock
Sheds typically come with weak locks. As such, you should get a stronger lock. Consider buying a sturdy padlock and hasp. These are inexpensive and safe. Keep in mind that it is not a good idea to use many locks at once since this can give off the idea that you’re hiding something valuable.
Closed shackle locks to guard your shed and prevents it from being penetrated with saws or bolt cutters. This is because only a small part of the closed lock is not protected
6. Make Sure Your Shed is Anchored
Especially for small sheds, thieves can easily raise one side and get to your belongings. If you don’t want this to happen, you must find a way of holding the shed securely to the ground.
You can use screws, L brackets, with plugs. You can also put breeze blocks in the shed to make it difficult to lift. Another thing you may do is connect the shed to your wall. Apart from safeguarding it from thieves, it will also stop the shed from getting easily blown away when the wind is very strong.
7. Store Your Valuables in a Site Box
What happens when despite all your attempt to prevent thieves from penetrating your shed, they still do? There is a way you can prepare for this eventuality.
You can store your most important items in a site box so that even when thieves break-in, they do not easily find the important things.
8. Scare Thieves Away with an Alarm
Sometimes no amount of hiding and locking will protect your shed from keen burglars. However, there is one tactic which you can use to chase them away before they manage to cart any of your belongings away–fit an alarm! Thanks to technology, people can now tell when others are trespassing into their properties through motion sensors.
Simply put the option sensor at a good angle in your shed. Anytime the devices senses movement, there will be a loud sound informing you that there’s an intruder on your property. We recommend you use the ERA Valiant Wireless Alarm since it is cordless and is perfect for use outside the main house.
9. Chain Big Items Together
Another way you can prevent thieves from actually stealing your tools away despite successfully breaking into your shed is by locking all the big items in your shed together.
For examples, you can chain your bike to your power hedge trimmer and other huge machines in the shed. This way, the thieve will not be able to lift anything since all the huge items are connected.
10. Label Your Things
When guarding against thieves, you want to be ready for anything and that includes them stealing away your belongings. If this happens, your chances of finding them back will be boosted if you have marked the items beforehand.
With this, when you see your stolen things again, you’ll recognise them easily and the markings will also serve as proof that the items are yours. You can use an advanced system of marking or inscribe something unique and permanent on the items so they’re difficult to decipher.