22nd September 2021Hints & Tips

How to Keep Your Shed Secure

Where do you store your garden tools when they aren’t being used? Do you give it a thorough clean after each outing and lock it away in the most secure place in your house? Or do you simply bung it in the garden shed with the rest of your garden tools?

We’ve always kept all of our tools in one of our sheds (cheap tools in the one on the allotment, more expensive kit in the garden shed), along with precious stashes of home-made booze, and have fitted the door with a bulky, intimidating-looking lock. But having spoken to several security experts it would appear that this simple solution may not be enough. In order to further deter thieving fingers and keep your gardening loot safe there are a few other things shed owners should consider. Here are the most important methods to secure your shed…

Is Your Shed up to The Job?

Cheap or rickety sheds are not the best place to lock away expensive tools. Even those sheds that boast strong and sturdy doors are often fitted with windows that can be easily prized open with the most basic implement. Invest in a secure shed that is up to the task of keeping your kit safe, with strong frames and secure door hinges, and make sure that any openings can be locked tightly.

Shed Alternative

If your shed isn’t up to the job, but you can’t afford to replace it, then it’s worth looking at secure garden boxes specifically designed with security in mind. These are much smaller than a shed, made from strong metal and can be fixed to an outside wall, providing an ideal safe place for your most valuable items and tools.

How Strong is Your Hasp?

A hasp is the piece of metal attached to the door that your lock will clip onto. You can have the best lock in the world, but if the hasp can be quickly and easily removed then the lock is largely redundant. Make sure the hasp is strong – toughened steel is the best – and securely fixed to the shed door and shed wall.

Combination or Key Lock?

Padlocks broadly fall into two locking categories; those that need a combination to open them and those that use a key. Deciding which to use is largely down to personal preference. If you have one shed and you like carrying a keyring dangling with multiple pieces of metal then a key will suit. However, if you share your shed with other people (on an allotment, for example) then it’s often easier to use a combination rather than hand out a load of keys. And if you have multiple locks for multiple sheds then setting them all to the same combination can be easier than fumbling around with loads of different keys.

Make Some Noise

Shed alarms add extra security and act as a further deterrent to intruders – they’re particularly useful if your shed is some way from your house, where the noise of a burglar’s boots won’t be heard while you’re sleeping.

Let There be Light

As with noisy alarms, security lights can also add an extra layer of protection to your shed. They light up the garden if triggered by movement and they are generally a much cheaper option than a shed alarm.

More Locks!

The most expensive items in your garden shed – power tools, bicycles, furniture etc – could be a specific target for thieves. It’s worth considering adding an extra lock to keep them in place within the shed so even if you do suffer a break in they’ll be harder to remove. Ideally you should fix an anchor to something solid and unmovable (e.g. the floor) and lock them to it with a heavy-duty security cable, or simply wind a security cable around multiple items to make them difficult to haul through the shed door.

Have you got any tips for keeping your garden tools secure? What security does your shed have? Let us know how you secure your shed in the comments below.