Gardens can be a point of pride for homeowners – they can include beautiful arrangements of flowers and ornate bushes and trees, as well as delectable vegetables. The valuable tools and equipment needed to maintain the health and appearance of your garden are most likely stored in a garden shed. Yet, nearly 25 per cent of homeowners fail to properly secure the outbuilding.
This oversight can provide potential vandals with access to tools that can either damage your garden or help them gain entry into your home. To better protect both, consider installing these five safety measures:
- Equip all garden shed and gate doors with strong padlock.. Always lock the shed when it is not being used and keep the key on a designated peg, hook or in a small storage space.
- Plant either a privacy hedge or several thorny bushes around the perimeter of your garden to discourage burglars. Options include firethorn, juniper, blackthorn and blue spruce bushes.
- Install motion-sensor security lights at the back of your home and in the front of the garden shed to not only deter thieves, but to also deter hungry, mischievous animals.
- Always return items-such as barbecues, power tools and bicycles-to the garden shed when they are not being used.
- Maintain the condition of your garden shed to prevent inclement weather from damaging the outbuilding’s contents and to restrict easy access.
