Essential Steps to Secure Your Garden Shed and Garage

What You Need To Know

• Shed break-ins are increasingly common, with close to 3 in 10 Britons experiencing this incident
• Preventing a break-in means adding extra protection, such as having a solid garden gate lock
• Use our advice to secure your property and make sure you are less likely to suffer a break-in
• Common starting places include adding new high-performance locks and reinforcing door locks
• Consider hiring a professional locksmith or security professional for a bespoke property review

When it comes to stopping a break-in, it’s important to understand how effective your garden gate lock is. If your garden contains valuable equipment or furniture or has outbuildings such as a shed or garage, you could be targeted. Sadly, with around 29% of British residents reporting a shed break-in at one stage, this is not something you can ignore. So, what steps can you take to avoid this headache?

We’ll give you some useful insights below, backed by advice coming from Locks & Hardware. As experts in the field of home and gate security, you’ll get professional advice on how to make your garden less of a target. From the best locks for garden gates to other security upgrades, we’ll help you to reduce the risk of being an unfortunate target for this kind of vandalism in the future.

Why Are Garden Sheds & Garages So Commonly Targeted?

That number – almost 3 in 10 UK residents experiencing a break-in to their shed or garage – might shock you. However, it’s easier to understand when you put yourself in the position of a criminal.

• Think about it: most criminals want an easy target, right? They want a simple break-in
• Many homes today have high-security features, like modern locks & video camera systems
• That makes a break-in to a home much harder, but outbuildings are usually far less secure
• There is also less risk of being caught; criminals can break in here without being spotted
• Generally, breaking into a shed or garage offers potentially high-value, low-risk theft options

So, your outdoor areas are vulnerable. The first thing you should always do when assessing how secure your garden shed and/or garage is, is to check the type of lock on your garden gate. Is it easy to remove or disable? Does it offer an imposing enough level of entry prevention to put a criminal off?

If not, you might want to think about carrying out a very important upgrade to your property perimeter:

Upgrade Your Locks And Hinges On All Garden Gates & Outbuildings

The first place that Locks & Hardware – and we – recommend is to look at your garden gate lock. As we always say, prevention is better than the cure, right? That’s why stopping someone from even getting into your garden area is more effective than having to install new high-security locks after the fact.

If you have a quality gate lock with a key on your garden entrance, you immediately put off entry-level thieves and criminals. They’ll see an obstacle they need to overcome, likely one that concerns them. Again, criminals want easy wins; if they need to work to overcome your gate, they’ll likely move on.

First & Foremost: Upgrade To High-Performance Locks

1. Starting with your garden gate lock, we highly recommend replacing any locks that are weak, easy to disable from the outside, and/or are rusty.
2. If possible, get a garden gate lock with key access. A keyed lock is far harder to undo, but keep in mind you need to make locking it a habit.
3. Once you upgrade your locks for garden gates, move on to the outbuildings. Start by taking a closer look at the quality of your lock mechanism.
4. Most of the time, you can go for a padlock as a starting point. Avoid those cheap padlocks you can buy in pound shops, though; get a padlock with a hardened steel closed shackle.
5. For more high-end doors, go for a multipoint lock system. These are ideal for many door types, including UPVC and composite doors, and they are much more challenging to disable.
6. Do not forget about windows, as well. If your garden shed or garage windows are easy to open from the outside or to smash, fit new locks or buy high-security glass panes.
7. Add other deterrents to ward off potential intruders. Extend your video security to your entire perimeter, making sure all entrances are covered. Add motion lighting, as criminals hate them!
8. Invest in alarm systems for all outbuilding entrances. From an intruder alarm on your garden gate lock to outbuilding doorways and entrances, alarm systems are a must-have.

Reinforcing & Replacing Garden Gate, Shed & Garage Door Hinges

The next step we recommend is to go about upgrading – or replacing – your hinges on all doors. That means your garden gate, your garden shed and your garage. High-quality, robust hinges are vital to maintaining high security standards. Why?

• You can have all the fancy locks you want; if a criminal can undo your hinges, the door is gone
• That means they can simply remove the hinges and take the door off the frame without issue
• You need to have highly secure, robust hinges: check every hinge for signs of wear and tear
• If any of your hinges feel loose, tighten the screws. Add screw covers, if you can, to stop access
• If any of your hinges look rusty, have them replaced. A hinge should be rust-free if possible
• Should any of your hinges look weak or lightweight, replace them with heavy-duty alternatives

Keep A Regular Check On All Outbuilding Security Systems

With the above, you should now have a decent checklist to start with when reviewing security standards around your garden and outbuildings. Start with the above, and you can make short work of any potential vulnerabilities. At the very least, ensure all door locks and hinges are robust and in full working order.

Ensure that your security systems are in ideal condition, and, if needed, invest in a replacement. If you wish to gain more insight into how to make your garden, outdoor space, and outbuildings more secure, contact a locksmith in your local area. They should be able to offer bespoke advice.