Theft deterrent for garden shed

[KD]

Greetings all:

Last April, someone went and broke into my garden shed, runningaway with a few choice items. We added a second lock to the door after that episode, thought that putting it high on the door would make it more difficult to pry off.

WRONG!

The SOBs were back on the weekend, or at least someone was. On the way out Sunday morning we discovered that some cretin had ripped off the parts of the door that the locks were attached to in order to get a peek into our shed. Fortunately they didn't happen to see anything that they liked that much, nothing seems to be missing (having taken the more valuable bits last year). Most valuable thing in there these days is probably the electric lawn mower, and not much of a market for those this time of year, at least not in Atlantic Canada.

Question is, what the heck can we DO? The police recommended that when we put the locks back on, we install them with bolts that go right through the door to make them more difficult to rip off. While that might make it more difficult, I think that bolting the locks on will probably result in someone just plain removing the door next time.

The shed is out in the open, in plain view from the street; a rather bold move to walk right through my front yard and break in, even at night. Security lights might help, but there's already a bus stop and a street light right there. There just doesn't seem to be a deterrent.

Does anyone have any advice? I'm highly tempted to booby trap it somehow, have something rigged up to spray the buggers with a combination of skunk scent and glitter when they try to break in. Of course that would be violating the rights of some poor innocent criminal, and I'd probably find myself in hot water over that.

*grr*

KD

[Al Moran]

Here in America we just shoot the bastards and be done with it.

[Chub]

methinks Canada is in N America also.

[HotRod]

If you have power out there add a motion light. If thats not good enough hook a radio up to it.

[Rich]

Use carriage bolts to hold the locking device in place. Drill half inch holes into the hinge end of the door just below the top hinge, just above the lower hinge and at the center. Insert a couple of snug fitting drill rods into these holes so that they extend about an inch out of the door. Drill holes into the door jamb so that when you close the door the drill rods go into the holes in the jamb. Now if the thief removes the hinge pins the door still won't come out of the opening. Install an alarm in the shed as well.

[Doug Kanter]

The cops are right about bolting all the way through the door, especially if you install a steel plate on the back, too. You'll need to use carriage bolts so there's nothing for a screwdriver to fit into on the outside.

But, if the door's hinged on the outside, there's still a problem, although there's a solution of sorts. Is that how the door's mounted?

[David Martel]

KD,

You may wish to rig a motion detector up at the shed door. The hasp really should be bolted to a reinforced part of the door. If the doors are easy to remove then fix the doors. A determined thief may still get in.

Dave M.

[Doug Kanter]

That's a cool trick and it works really well.

[Bob]

Put up security lighting to start with.

[KD]

Lots of good suggestions here, thanks folks.

Anyone have experience with solar or battery powered motion lights? The shed is close to the house, but doesn't have electricity in it.

BTW, the door hinges are on the outside.

I know that determined thieves will get in no matter what really, I'm just trying to make this shed less attractive.

I'm still liking the skunk oil and glitter idea though...have YOU ever tried to remove glitter? :) Not to say that a young person is necessarily responsible for this headache, but do you think that your kid could come up with a satisfactory response were he or she to come home covered with glitter and smelling of skunk? *hee hee*

KD

[Edwin Pawlowski]

How about a very loud battery operated alarm horn?

The skunk oil is good but you will have to clean up around your shed also.

See if you can do something to the hinge pins to make it more difficult to remove them also.

[Doug Kanter]

Maybe include a sign on the door saying "We Don't Dial 911. Can you outrun a bullet?"

[KD]

Hmmm. That might be more effective if I lived in Miami rather than Canada. :)

[Doug Kanter]

Well, I understand that your gun laws are a bit insane at the moment, but how does a thief know that you're not even more insane than the laws themselves? :-)

[John Willis]

On 30 Jan 2006 05:12:16 -0800, "KD" scribbled this interesting note:

Good suggestions. You have good advice on how to fix the latch part of the door. Now for the hinges...

Go buy piano hinges. Look it up. There are good online hardware sources that stock these.

Of course the thief could always just take off a bit of siding to gain access...

-- John Willis [e-mail] (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

[marilyn]

Someone in my backyard, also in Atlantic Canada, was taking the screws out of the panels in my shed. We noticed a couple gone one day, and two more the next day. The police suggested we crazy glue the screws and that seems to have worked. We don't have much crime here, but there was a rash of shed break-ins and unlocked cars being riffled, plus a couple of bikes where stolen from an open garage.

I'm a lot more paranoid than more of my neighbours, at least I lock the door when I leave the house..

[Harry K]

The drill rod idea is one good way. Another way is to just buy security hinges that already have a pin included that prevents the leaves from separating. One good thing about outward opening doors is they are hard to 'kick in'.

Harry K

[Bob]

And spend the next 5-10 thinking about whethter that was smart, from everything I've been told.

Bob

[Bob]

Thay've got a gun in the house? Now that's worth something!

Bob

[Doug Kanter]

I suppose he could have a metal door custom made, but it would probably cost more than the entire shed. :-)