Keeping Your Shed Safe From Theft

If you have a detached shed on your property, you will want to take steps to have it secured so you do not lose some of your items to theft. Power tools, landscaping equipment and bicycles are often kept in sheds, making them prone to break-ins. Since a shed is a separate building from the home, you will need to take additional necessary steps from your home's security in having it properly safeguarded from robbery. Here are some ways you can keep your shed's belongings inside and away from the hands of thieves.

Add Lighting

Placing lights that are used specifically for your shed will help ward off robbers. Add flood lights in the ground pointing at each corner of the shed. This added illumination may feel as if you are highlighting your shed for all to see, but it will actually help keep people from getting too close so they are not spotted in the area by others. Add some motion detecting lights around the shed as well to help keep both people and wild animals away from the area.

Use Locks

Your shed door and windows should have locks installed to help keep the area off-limits to others. Hire a locksmith to add a hasp and staple to the door. These should be attached with heavy-duty bolts. Add a padlock with a short metal loop so it cannot be easily cut. Opening windows should have window locks installed to help keep thieves out.

Add Difficulty

Inside your shed, bolt a few locking steel containers to the floor. These can hold some of your more expensive power tools or landscaping equipment so they will not be seen by something trying to grab and go. Slow down a thief by placing a chain through handles of tools and padlocking them to a metal loop bolted into the floor or wall of your shed. Without bolt cutters, the tools will not be able to be stolen. The same can be done with bicycles, motorbikes, or other small vehicles.

Place Deterrents

Make it difficult to get to a shed by planting bushes with thorns near the entryway or by placing a locking fence around the structure. These will slow a thief down, possibly saving your belongings if they find these obstructions to be a hassle to gain entry. Place a "Beware Of Dog" sign near your shed to make thieves think they may be attacked if they stick around on your property.

To learn more, contact a locksmith company like Timberline Locksmith Service.