How to Secure Your Garden Room or Shed

With so many of us now working from home, having set up home-based businesses, or generally spending more of our leisure time at home, it is no wonder the popularity of the garden room has escalated. If you have invested in a garden office, studio, treatment or leisure room, home gym or upgraded shed, then it is vital that you take steps to protect it with good levels of security.

Garden rooms and sheds are prime targets for thieves. Not only are they usually filled with valuable equipment or, in the case of a garden office, potentially sensitive data, they also tend to be less secure than the main property.

In terms of garden sheds, these will no doubt be home to all sorts of tools, the likes of which could be used by an intruder to break into the main house. For this reason, it is vital that steps are taken to adequately secure your outbuilding. With this in mind, our experts share their top shed and garden room security tips.

Think carefully about the location of your garden building

In an ideal scenario, your shed or garden building should be located in a position where it cannot be seen from the street, but not so out of the way so that you cannot keep an eye on it from the house.

Of course, you’ll want to ensure the orientation of the building is such that it makes the most of the garden views, but do give security due consideration when settling on the final location.

Anchor the garden building

One of the best shed or garden building security strategies, particularly for smaller sized structures such as office pods or potting sheds, is to anchor the building to the ground. This will prevent a potential thief from lifting up one side to gain access to the contents.

You can use L-brackets for this purpose, or place breeze blocks inside to make it too heavy to lift. Another idea is to attach the shed or garden room to a wall. The double benefit with this measure is that it will ensure the building doesn’t blow over during stormy weather.

Ensure door hardware is up to scratch

Generally, a modern garden room will be fitted with good quality doors. But for a shed, this may not be the case, especially if it is an older model. Door hinges are a particular weak point for garden sheds as they can be quite easily unscrewed or forced off.

Replacing the screws with nuts and bolts is one solution, or swapping the hinges for high security alternatives is another.

Fit high security locks

A good quality padlock, such as a closed shackle model, is usually sufficient for a shed, but for garden buildings such as home offices, gyms, studios or treatment rooms, you’re going to need something more substantial.

The quality of a lock is of vital importance, especially with lock snapping having become such a prevalent issue. The higher the level of security you wish to achieve, the more you will need to invest in lock quality. So, if you are seeking to protect valuable office or gym equipment for example, then you will need to ensure you choose the right locks for the right doors.

This is where it is essential you take advice from a security professional, in particular a Master Locksmith Association member. That way, you will know you are being guided in the right direction to suit your specific needs and level of risk.

Obscure windows

Any garden building that has windows will prove to be an open invitation for passing intruders. If something valuable can be seen inside, it will be a heightened temptation.

A shed that’s used purely for storage can probably do without windows, but for all other outbuildings that do have them, it is a good idea to obscure them. A garden room such as an office or studio could make use of blinds or shutters, and for sheds, opaque security sheets are a good option if you prefer not to replace the glass. These are self-adhesive and easily applied, and have the added benefit of preventing glass from shattering too.

Install an intruder alarm and CCTV system

Installing an intruder alarm and CCTV system is one of the best methods of garden room security. As well as acting as a deterrent, it will instantly alert you to any attempted break-ins.

Wireless intruder alarms using smart sensors make it very easy to protect your garden room, without having to worry about a complex installation. Internet-powered smart security systems pick up on movement, and instantly send alerts and footage to your smart device, as well as sounding an alarm or alerting a receiving centre.

Security mark your valuables

Marking your property makes it instantly identifiable to you and your address. This means that, in the event of your valuables being stolen, the police will find it easier to recover them. What’s more, property marking acts as a deterrent to thieves because it makes it more difficult to sell on.

There are various ways of marking your property, from UV pens and etching to microdot, DNA and chemical property marking to RFID property tagging.

Protect your shed or garden building with help from Barry Bros Security

There are various solutions when it comes to shed or garden building security. If you can, try to adopt a layered approach using a range of measures for maximum protection.

For tailored advice on protecting your garden outbuilding or shed, please feel free to get in touch with the experts at Barry Bros Security, or call in to our London showroom for personalised advice.