Garden Security Information
Keeping your home safe is vitally important and most of us invest in some sort of security – alarms, locks and lights – one area we often forget to protect is our gardens. Modern gardens don’t just consist of lawns and a football net anymore, most feature sheds and other garden buildings, which are often filled with valuable items.
Criminals often target garden buildings because they contain expensive tools which are easy to sell on the black market. Many criminals also target sheds because they contain the perfect tools needed for breaking into a house – ladders, screwdrivers and hammers. This article will go through a few simple steps you can take to making your garden and home more secure.
The first step to protecting your home is to check it from angles, look at your home from every direction and see how it looks. Lighting is very important when it comes to security. A dark garden acts as cover for criminals and can make it hard for anyone to detect any disturbances. Security lighting is common in most gardens and is relatively inexpensive to install. Most security lighting contains a PIR sensor (Passive Infra-Red) it detects movement in the garden and automatically switches on the light.
Having a strong, bright security light will make your garden less of a target as criminals will feel exposed. Security lighting will also alert neighbours, making your garden visible and easier for them to see. Another option is to install a low wattage light, which stays on all the time, making your garden visible.
Prevention is one of the key points to remember when trying to secure your garden. Do not leave anything out in the garden that may be valuable like bicycles, lawnmowers, barbecues or tools. You need to store these items somewhere safe, if you have no room in your home then consider purchasing a garden shed.
Garden sheds provide ample space to store garden items, but they still need to be secure as many burglars target sheds because of their valuable contents.
Wooden sheds are very popular due to their traditional design but they are not always the most secure. Low quality, cheap wooden sheds are easily broken into so always try and purchase a high quality, tongue and groove shed. They are stronger and more reliable. If you want a really secure garden shed then try a metal garden shed. Usually made from aluminium or steel, metal sheds provide great protection.
Mark garden tools with thick black marker, marking tools with your name and postcode makes it harder for criminals to sell stock on the black market. UV pens are available from most stationary shops and allow you to discreetly mark items so they can be identified by the police.
If you have large items like bicycles, ladders or a lawnmower, attach them together using a thick, metal chain and a padlock. This will make it harder for most criminals to steal and will help protect the items.
Once you have secured everything inside your shed, you need to make sure your shed is in tip-top condition. Attach a fine wire mesh to the inside of the windows, to prevent them being broken. Make sure you lock your shed with a padlock – if possible invest in a Shed Bar, this clever padlock is attached to the whole door to prevent it being broken. There are many different types of shed alarm available on the market, they are specially designed for outdoor buildings and produce a high pitched alarm when a shed is broken into.
Garden fencing acts as a deterrent, making your garden less easy to break into. The tallest fence you can legally have without planning permission is 6′ tall, this adequate and will make your garden more private. Your fencing should be in good working order, check for any damage or weak points. If you have a garden gate, make sure you can lock it, this can become an access or exit point for potential burglars. Try and position your garden gate close to the front of your house so it is full view of neighbours, criminals will feel vulnerable in view.
If you want to protect your garden fencing further you can plant prickly plants around the boundary of your property, plants like Holly, Berberis and Rubra are thick and have spines, protecting your garden further.
Protecting your garden is just as important as protecting your home, taking simple measure could prevent you losing valuable items. Simple steps like making your garden more visible can deter burglars and give you peace of mind. Always remember to hide valuable items and never leave anything worth stealing on display. Contact your local police force or check their websites for further information on keeping your shed and garden safe.
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