shed window

[Cuprager]

I have a brick outhouse in a shared garden (flat) and have installed a workbench etc to facilitate my DIY. There are few valuables left in the shed at all (some hand tools, gas heater, gas lamp) everything else gets taken into the flat when not in use. The shed has a fairly secure door with a good lock and my window is made of perspex, not glass.

What I want to know is would you folks suggest covering the window with a blind/curtain/hardboard etc so that prying eyes cant see in when I am not there OR would you allow all to look in and see that there isnt MUCH to steal inside. I am not sure, on one hand I think that a blind is a good idea but will it tempt people into wondering what MAY be inside the shed???

I am in a quandary, what would you all do? (And what have you done?)

TIA

Gerry

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Does it matter? if someone wants to break into the shed,they will regardless of how fortified the shed is.

[Cuprager]

I am not sure - hence me asking the question in the first place!

I agree, however this doesn't help answer the original question!

[Phil Anthropist]

In order of priority:

1) Remove all valuable tools and store in flat 2) Remove most valuable tools and store in flat 3) Leave all tools in shed but out of sight, preferably in a strong locked box. 4) Install a metal window grille and shed alarm

Clarify with your insurance company what security they require in order to pay out for theft. For example, they may specify a 5 lever mortise lock.

I often see a sign on work vans: No tools left in here overnight. But can these buggers read? Might be worth trying!

[TMC]

On my son's house insurance policy so long as the shed is locked (no lock type specified as a cordless jigsaw will cut round an expensive lock as easy as round a cheap one) and has a shed alarm in use then he has cover of £2000

Tony

[Owain]

Yes, but tools in the shed can be very helpful to a thief trying to gain access to the house/flat.

Owain

[Owain]

I'd be inclined to get a couple of layers of weldmesh over that perspex, regardless. Neds will break into *anything*, blinds or no blinds, and tools may be very useful for helping them break into the house. Spades are quite useful against windows, so I understand, and gas cylinders would be an arsonist's dream.

Owain

[Guy King]

The message from Cuprager contains these words:

If I was that bothered I'd fit a bit of steel mesh over the inside of the window.

[Cuprager]

The consensus so far seems to be either fit a bit of steel mesh over the window or leave it alone. No one on here has a blind or a curtain etc, just steel mesh - I am impressed!

Cheers

[simonsmith.uk]

I'd add that if you fit an alarm , make sure they can see it from the window (if they can see in ) otherwise its no deterrent .

also get a big gym bag to carry stuff out otherwise they may see you take all the goodies to your house, thereby encoraging them to have a pop there ....

[Ian_m]

Last house I used some offcuts of steel reinforcing mesh (10cm size ?) across shed window and shed door. Painted with Hammerite black primer first and screwed to window frame and back of door using little U fixings. Also had nylon nets (from Oxfam shop) across window as well to stop any one nosing in.

[Cuprager]

Also

That is what my original question was asking - 'is there any point obscuring the window so people cannot see in or is it best to allow the contents (which are not of much value) to be seen so that the potential thief buggers off next door'. No one really answered that, I got great advice regarding mesh, alarms and other things though :~)

[Phil Anthropist]

On the basis that the police have always advised that items of value in cars should be hidden from view, or not left in the car in the first place, I assume that the same will apply to sheds. If thieves cannot see in your shed, or if they can see in they cannot see anything of value, they are more likely to try someone else's shed.

[Owain]

Okay, I think best to leave the windows see-through - not so the thieves can see the contents are of low value, because druggies will steal 50p if it helps them get their next fix, but because so anyone in the shed is more visible from outside, and thus more vulnerable to detection.

However a big f*ck-off "sonic bomb" alarm would probably be more effective than anything.

Owain

[Zoinks]

IMO You should make it as hard as possible to see what's inside, irrespective of the fact that it's worthless. It's your stuff. Being stolen from is traumatic even if it's junk.

You could use the stick-on film that makes the window translucent instead of transparent. They have rolls of it at IKEA, or so I am told. Net curtains ? Ugh.

Z.

[fred]

I would defo obscure it, 2" weld mesh first and visible to discourage a casual pop then something translucent to obscure it but let a little light in. Make a good job of securing the mesh too, p-clips formed from folded over fixing strap heavily screwed every 6" sounds about right.

[Douglas de Lacey]

I have done 2 things:

I have fitted curtains so that no-one can look in, but I've tried to make them look as though they are to make the place look nicer rather than disguise lots of goodies.

*Much more important*: I have postcoded all my tools &c, and have a sticker on the window saying so. NHW or police should be able to provide the stickers.

About 10 years ago (before I had a shed) all the sheds at the bottom of the gardens here were broken into, and quite a lot of stuff taken. I advised everyone to postcode stuff and handed out stickers. A year later the first shed (nearest the main road) was again broken into and nothing was taken. The next one was looked into (door had been left unlocked and shed empty) -- the rest weren't touched. I'm pretty sure postcoding was the reason.

Douglas de Lacey

[Guy King]

The message from Douglas de Lacey contains these words:

You can get datagram stickers which are very hard to remove, but for "utility" things like lawnmowers I burn the postcode in with a smouldering iron. Deep, too, and very large in very prominent places.

[Cuprager]

Thanks to all for the advice.

I will put up some mesh to deter and put up some form of obscuring. I will take out all of value and hopefully that should do the trick.

Cheers

Gerry

[Dave Liquorice]

I agree as you are going to be removing anything of real value. I wouldn't use a strong box as the scrotes will just take the whole thing to open at thier leisure elsewhere. Grills on windows just shout "valuables inside" to me and any scrote with half a brain cell will know that they can't be properly fixed (P clips every 6" ho ho ho!). So smashing the window and pushing will just remove the "security grill".

Postcoding is a good idea with big notices to say all tools are postcoded. Combine that with lurid shade of paint blodged onto them and/or used to mark the PC. I wouldn't completely empty the shed but leave a few cheap low value and obvioulsy marked things lying about in view.

Is it worth it, if there is nothing of real value in there? There is no way you can secure your average timber garden shed. Scroates will kango their way through walls to get in, a bit of nailed on shiplap or wavy edge is nothing...