Now with the Easter weekend behind us, some good weather promised and it being National Gardening Week, a lot of us are going to be out and about in our gardens preparing them for the summer months. For many this involves digging out the old equipment or even buying new, but unfortunately it is exactly this time of year in which burglars start to find easy targets. There have been a few reports in local areas about theft and the police are aware that this is happening. So we are staying to keep your shed safe in these first few months. How you might ask? Well it’s very simple and doesn’t have to cost the earth, you just have to remember that wooden sheds with no additional security makes for an easy target.

Here are just a few simple pointers that if you follow, you will have a more secure building and be able to protect your contents:

• Never leave shed unlocked. (Sounds the most simple one but, often is the highest cause of burglaries.
• Choose a hardwearing and substantial padlock for the shed doors, and avoid exposing screws that can be easily taken out.
• Consider adding and fitting an alarm to your shed, again this might be a simple sense or a magnet placed between the door and frame, so if broken will sound an alarm. For the real techy you could even add a webcam on the inside and give your shed a simple CCTV system.
• Build your shed in a location that takes it out of visibility and cannot be accessed simply or if this cannot be avoided then ensure that windows do not point onto the road, easy for prying eyes. Another alternative would be to purchase a shed without windows.
• If you have an issue with the above comment, in that you already have a shed with windows in an exposed area, they simply add curtains on the inside.
• Place your shed in a well lit area or if this is not an option then add a garden light. Sensors or timer lights can be brought pretty cheaply these days and will deter a burglar if they think their chances of being caught have increase.

A few pointers to protect your equipment a little bit more:

• Think about cementing down ornaments in the garden, and photograph any valuables.
• Using a thick permanent marker inscribe your power tools, lawnmowers etc, with your postcode and house number. This not only makes them traceable but devalues the item if the burglar is thinking of selling them on.
• Finally, chain all bicycles together through the wheel and frame, then to a solid structure. Furthermore, if they bike have quick release wheels or seats then consider removing them too.

These are just a few simple pointers that if you follow will enhance the security of your shed. If you already have taken a few of these steps onboard and are wondering what else you can do, the answer is simply just add more of what you have. More locks or a different alarm, more is definitely not less when it comes to security.