Shed Security

[terry huckle]

I fitted a Yale infra red motion detector alarm in my shed, it cost £15, and worked fine....for about a month. Anyone got any experience with any others?

I used security screws too....remembering to fit them to both sides of the hinge (I recently had a bike stolen when the door was removed one dark night)

 

[Plax]

Well for the time being, I have just got an extra hasp and padlock. I also found an old bow handle and screwed that to the inside of the shed and looped the cheap bike lock I had through it. I've secured the lawnmower and strimmer to this.
Won't put my bike in it yet until I have done something more secure. Those coach bolts look good - are they easy to fit? I might replace the window or board it up or something. Mr Plax thinks I'm paranoid. I'm just adamant I'm not going to make myself an easy target.

 

[bonj2]

Whatever you do don't think that locking your bike to the wall of the shed itself is going to be a good idea, and then go spending ludicrous amounts of money on some security product that's stronger than the wall itself. Wood can be easily cut through like butter with a saw.
Get a ground anchor (the blue oxford ones for £8) and a chain and padlock, ideally 12mm links or greater.
(You have got a solid concrete floor on this shed haven't you?)

 

[Plax]

I have these on both sheds-

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?isSearch=true&fh_search=shed+alarm&selected=products

They've scared burglars off twice now.

Looks nice and cheap enough to might as well get one - is there a delay on the alarm? So you get to open the door and deactivate the alarm before it goes off?

 

[Plax]

Whatever you do don't think that locking your bike to the wall of the shed itself is going to be a good idea, and then go spending ludicrous amounts of money on some security product that's stronger than the wall itself. Wood can be easily cut through like butter with a saw.
Get a ground anchor (the blue oxford ones for £8) and a chain and padlock, ideally 12mm links or greater.
(You have got a solid concrete floor on this shed haven't you?)

Ummmm, no actually. It's a wooden base. It's in the garden, so on top of grass. Could eventually, as suggested, cut a hole in the base and put an anchor bolt in the ground and fill it with concrete as you do with washing line poles.

 

[bonj2]

Ummmm, no actually. It's a wooden base. It's in the garden, so on top of grass. Could eventually, as suggested, cut a hole in the base and put an anchor bolt in the ground and fill it with concrete as you do with washing line poles.

yes, do that. But don't do it 'eventually', go and do it now. And make sure it's a big deep hole and a lot of concrete.

 

[Plax]

yes, do that. But don't do it 'eventually', go and do it now. And make sure it's a big deep hole and a lot of concrete.

Well, it is a bit late to go and do it right now - It's somewhat dark and stormy out . It is beyond my ability to dig holes and fill them with concrete (I struggled to use the power drill to screw the extra lock and stuff on , so I shall get my old man over again at some point to do it for me. I'm much better on tea and cheese butty & brown sauce duty .

 

[bonj2]

hmm. as soon as b&q opens get down there and get a bag of concrete.
Surely digging isn't hard? but as long as you understand the reason behind it that's the main thing.

 

[Plax]

hmm. as soon as b&q opens get down there and get a bag of concrete.
Surely digging isn't hard?

Oh I'm sure I could dig a hole and fill it with concrete if I tried really hard and had instructions, but why struggle to dig a hole yourself and probably concrete yourself to the floor when somebody else can do it much quicker, easier and better? Dads need to feel wanted and needed

 

[Night Train]

If you use concrete then you will need a fairly deep hole otherwise the lump of concrete could be pulled out the ground.

The screw in ground anchors are quite good as they are sometimes used by Off Road drivers for winching Land Rovers from. The trick for security is to make sure they can't be unscrewed so either fit it where it is difficult to get at, near a corner or the back edge of the shed, or put two in next to each other and put your security chain through both.

I am trusting my £2000 trailer to a screw in anchor in my driveway. I did once forget to unchain it and couldn't tow it off the drive with my car.

 

[Arch]

The trick for security is to make sure they can't be unscrewed so either fit it where it is difficult to get at, near a corner or the back edge of the shed, or put two in next to each other and put your security chain through both.

A slight digression, but I saw this tip for securing your bike while camping - get two of those things you screw into the ground to tether dogs too, and D-lock your bike to them lying down on top, with the D-lock going through both to prevent unscrewing..

Bonj, while I'm sure concrete and ground anchors are best, if you can fit them, the point of things like the shed shackle is that the thief will have to cut away a whole side of your shed, or at least a large strip of it, and then carry it off with the bike. Unless the bike is obviously very valuable, or being stolen to order, most chancers won't want to take the risk of being caught, or the hassle of doing it..

 

[classic33]

Looks nice and cheap enough to might as well get one - is there a delay on the alarm? So you get to open the door and deactivate the alarm before it goes off?

Ten second delay before the alarm goes off.

 

[tdr1nka]

Also good as impromtue ski poles!

 

[bonj2]

If you use concrete then you will need a fairly deep hole otherwise the lump of concrete could be pulled out the ground.

The screw in ground anchors are quite good as they are sometimes used by Off Road drivers for winching Land Rovers from. The trick for security is to make sure they can't be unscrewed so either fit it where it is difficult to get at, near a corner or the back edge of the shed, or put two in next to each other and put your security chain through both.

I am trusting my £2000 trailer to a screw in anchor in my driveway. I did once forget to unchain it and couldn't tow it off the drive with my car.

The one i got, the £8 oxford one, comes with ball bearings to bang into the hex bolt heads so you can't ever unscrew them once the ball bearings are in. Basically the only way it's coming off is with a (good) angle grinder, but if someone's got one of them then there's not much at all to stand in their way.

 

[tdr1nka]

That's what happened the last time our shed got broken into. The bugger ran off, leaving the door swinging open.

*Makes note; prospective thief probably born in a barn.*