Shed broken into

[Rohen]

How do others keep their sheds secure?

Just a padlock and hasp or something different?

Nothing seems to have been taken but its still a gross inconvenience and a pain in the neck.

[Magpie]

That's awful anyway - what a pain in the bum!

We have always just used the padlock and flat metal thingy that swings over a hoop of metal - is that a hasp?

Even in aour last house of horrors, where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, we at least weren't broken into... daughter's bike was stolen from outside, but somehow it's not so bad if they don't come inside any buildings.

[Muddypause]

Is the shed in your garden or on an allotment, or somewhere else?

In my garden, the backl gate is kept padlocked, and so is the shed door, as well as having a (pretty useless) rim lock. Between you and me, that wouldn't stop a great deal - sheds really aren't very secure places at the best of times. Sometimes I think two padlocks would be better, but much more of a fiddle to get the door open.

I guess it helps if it is near your house and the door is clearly visible from the house, and it would probably be good if the shed was overlooked by neighbouring properties, too. You can get shed alarms, that are very simple and easy to fit, but don't do much other than make a bit of a noise. Frankly, the alarms themselves are not very secure, but they may deter casual theives.

I suppose, disappointingly, the real answer is not to put stuff in the shed that you can't afford to lose.

[ohareward]

That's a bit of a crap deal Rohen. What about one of those pad bolts that slide into the door frame and then put a padlock on. I suppose the purpose of a shed is to be able to lock your good stuff away safely. There is always some B#@%$d trying to spoil it all. I bet they don't have anything of their own.

Robin

[Wombat]

Yeah mate, that sucks!

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

You can get those alarms that you stick onto windows and doors that sound when opened. It sounds like someone was either rumbled or it was kids messing about. If it was the former then they might be back. So extra security would be advisable.

[paradox]

I remember a post somewhere where the police had advised to paint all your garden tools bright pink.

It wont stop a break in but thieves are less likly to take your tools as they would be harder to sell and easier to spot.

[Merry]

The absolute rotters!!
We`ve been broken into a couple of times at the allotment. When your allotment is a half hour`s walk away you really need to keep everything on site! We`ve now fitted our padlocks and hasps with coach bolts so that the bar-stewards can`t get a grip with breaking in tools.
The next door neighbour had his shed door practically armour plated. He`s disabled so uses more machinery than usual. So the little dears just jemmied the whole door frame away from the body of the shed!
The rotten thing about his break-in was - he pays insurance through the allotments committee. BUT the committee had lumped all the plot-holders` premiums into one policy!
So the first few claims took the policy up to the limit!
Guess whose claims went in first??

[the.fee.fairy]

Do garden tools really sell for a large amount?
If its just 'people' entertaining themselves, then what's the point?!

And...you can buy bright pink tools now. maybe paint them camouflage or some really offensive colour combination!!

[Merry]

The police told us that `power tools` like rotovators and strimmers etc sold well at car boot sales and hand tools like spades and such like were used as breaking in tools!! Apparently a good spade or fork can lever open a shed door as well as turn over a sod!!
Also, they said that if you kept fuel for your rotovater in your shed it can be used to set a nice blaze!

[the.fee.fairy]

Aaah, now i see.

I my shed there's some gardening gloves, a load of hand tools, 3 demijohns filled with sterilising stuff (gee, i'd love to see some git who'd broken in drinking that!!)...and my ginger beer

...Must move the gingerbeer when i get home...

So i didnt really think of powertools and the like. haven't got a big enough garden to justify them... and my tools weren't that expensive in the first place.

If someone stole my purple gardening gloves though...well...that'd be a different matter!

On one of my storage sheds, i've got a flippy thing that should have a padlock on it, but its got a screw going through the flippy bit instead. Don't know if that would stop someone breaking in. It might cut them a bit, or p them off..it takes ages to undo. To be fair though, they could probably take a flying jump at it and the shed would fall down.

[Merry]

Okay - I did hear that there was an organised gang of purple-gardening-glove thieves out there!
There`s a thriving underground market for the more interesting examples.
Some of them are stolen to order for glovophiliacs who gloat over them in basements

[Thomzo]

I know what you mean about the purple gardening gloves though. I have a pair (as well as a bright pink pair). I wear them even though they are practically falling apart.

Well, they are very practical, if you put them down you can spot them a mile off.

Zoe

[mithril]

I feel for you, I know we left a couple of large pots and a deep shop crate on our lottie (at the bottom) and someone decided to wade through other stuff to help themselves to it!! It just doesn't feel nice. Still, now we keep everything in the car or the shed at home! Thankfully it's all been safe since then! Once we get our shed we'll be using 2 padlocks!! 1 at the top and one at the bottom like I do at home!
mithril.

[the.fee.fairy]

Okay - I did hear that there was an organised gang of purple-gardening-glove thieves out there!
There`s a thriving underground market for the more interesting examples.
Some of them are stolen to order for glovophiliacs who gloat over them in basements

Its ok...i have 2 more pairs under lock and key just in case. They're different shades too...dont tell the glovomaniacs about it!

i wonder what the proper word for a glovomaniac is...