Garages and Sheds

Garden sheds, garages and outhouses can present problems in themselves and are often broken into.

Remember a garden shed is a weatherproof shelter and was never designed to hold valuable items. Thieves rarely travel with tools in their possession and often steal them from sheds and garages to use to break in to houses.

• Bolster the security of the door by fitting a good quality padlock and hasp. All fittings should be done with non-return screws or coach bolts and that includes hinges. Sometimes the thief will simply unscrew the door at the hinges, so enlarge the slots in the screw heads or fill with something like epoxy resin to prevent this.

• If your shed has a window, fit an internal grille or cover it with net curtains to prevent a thief from window-shopping.

• A good shed alarm can be bought for as little as £10 and could prove to be a valuable deterrent.

• A light on a PIR or movement detector is a good idea and solar powered lights which do away with the need for a power supply are available

• If you have gardening tools get a length of chain or cable and weave it through the tools and secure the ends to the uprights of the shed to prevent their theft.

• Security mark your tools with your postcode and make it visible with an etching kit or paint. The thief will not want marked tools, as it will be much harder for him to sell on.