Securing the shed

[David]

Our shed (and the neighbours') was broken into recently. Very windy night gave them very good cover. Only lost a bike and the insurance have been gre at. However, would now like to make the shed as secure as poss, though I r ealise the limitations of a wooden hut in this regard.

First step taken is to order a pair of these:

which will be coach bolted through the panel and door into sheets of glued ply.

Window is fairly small and high up and is wired glass - plan to obscure it to allow light but not a clear view.

Hinges - obviously a weak point. Thought about doing my own security studs with 3-4" pieces of threaded rod, secured through the door frame and closi ng into holes in the jamb. Any other ideas for this one??? - door opens ou twards.

Thinking about a shed alarm.

Any other ideas?? All suggestions gratefully received. SWMBO has ruled ou t my minefield.

Ta

David

[F Murtz]

Couple of geese.

[David]

With Christmas coming up, I suspect they would become part of the problem rather than the solution.

[Chris Hogg]

When securing sheds, everyone naturally thinks of making the door as burglar-proof as possible. Thieves know this, and will force entry another way, like by prising off the flimsily nailed slats on the walls, which the owner never considered.

IMO, if you keep stuff in a wooden shed, you must be prepared to lose it.

[ss]

I have a couple of shed alarms the type where a pin is pulled out. I extended with a piece of string across the width of the shed. You could always weave the string through a bike etc so if it is lifted the alarm will go off.

[Albert Zweistein]

How about a motion sensor that triggers an alarm call to a French swat team and they turn up and fire 25000 rounds into the shed.

[Peter Parry]

Don't make it look like Fort Knox. If you put steel bars on the door it simply indicates it has more worth nicking than the shed next door. You need to make it look a bit ramshackle but moderately secure. If it is a normal garden shed then, as has been pointed out, getting through the walls is trivial. The damage caused to the shed may be more expensive/inconvenient than the value of the goods removed.

A "Sound Bomb" sounder like this :-

A 12V battery and a few micro switches can make enough sound to frighten any casual scrote off.

[Tim Watts]

I think he wants a shed left, not a pile of matchsticks :)

[Adam Aglionby]

t gave them very good cover. Only lost a bike and the insurance have been g reat. However, would now like to make the shed as secure as poss, though I realise the limitations of a wooden hut in this regard.

t to allow light but not a clear view.

ds with 3-4" pieces of threaded rod, secured through the door frame and clo sing into holes in the jamb. Any other ideas for this one??? - door opens outwards.

out my minefield.

Van locks are OK, lock core is a bit weak but most scroats use brute force rather than finesse

If you use bars , get decent closed shoulder padlocks, pro tip, decent padl ocks don`t have Master written on them.

Line the inside of the door and walls with OSB or ply to stop straight forw ard kicking through.

Anti lift hinge pins are an excellent idea.

Anything that makes a noise and won`t problem trigger is good.

[Adam Aglionby]

ght gave them very good cover. Only lost a bike and the insurance have been great. However, would now like to make the shed as secure as poss, though I realise the limitations of a wooden hut in this regard.

it to allow light but not a clear view.

tuds with 3-4" pieces of threaded rod, secured through the door frame and c losing into holes in the jamb. Any other ideas for this one??? - door open s outwards.

d out my minefield.

Tunnocks of Caramel Wafer and Tea Cake fame use geese to guard their factor y.

[David]

I suspect this may have detrimental effect on my tins of congealing paint

[Albert Zweistein]

Nah they'd be 'well mixed' french style.

[pamela]

A shed alarm seems like a good idea. To be honest I think a PIR floorlight would deter an intruder more than an alarm going off.

There are shed alarms which wirelessly alert the occupant of the house and I like that sort although in my experience cheap shed alarms can nuisance trip too easily.

[RJH]

That would be my initial thinking - anything that generates noise or light. Rather than trying too hard to secure something that's inherently insecure.

[spuorgelgoog]

Tipping the whole thing over and going in through the floor (or the gap where the floor used to be) might not be that difficult either.

Owain

[David]

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.

David

[damduck-egg]

Another idea is to use more than one shed especially if you can place another where it is not as obvious. If they set an alarm off in one it will be a determined Tea leaf to bother with two or three unless they actually know you have something worth having and are looking for it.

G.Harman

[harry]

t gave them very good cover. Only lost a bike and the insurance have been g reat. However, would now like to make the shed as secure as poss, though I realise the limitations of a wooden hut in this regard.

t to allow light but not a clear view.

ds with 3-4" pieces of threaded rod, secured through the door frame and clo sing into holes in the jamb. Any other ideas for this one??? - door opens outwards.

out my minefield.

(Fake) TV camera? Get a dog? Lights/alarm on motion sensor?

Pointless going OTT on a shed. Easy to prise boards off.

[Eednud]

I got a couple of cheap "Rape Alarms" off eBay. When the pin is pulled out, they set off a 120dB alarm. hooked up to Shed door with a bit of string. I then open door 6" and unhook string when I want in. You wouldn't know they were there until too late.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Do the motorcycle thing - lock all the valuables and large things together with a substantial chain. It's very difficult to carry a few bikes and a ladder away, when they're all loosely chained together.