Shed security

[Phil May]

After a recent spate of break in's lately in garden sheds local to me, I was looking for some advice on security  for my hanger. I use a wooden shed at the bottom of my garden to keep my models in, this has 2 locks on it and I have installed an alarm system to the door. One of my concerns are the windows, these are made of styrene  which I have fixed in with silicon and pins.

 Also I am concerned about the door hinges which are screwed on the outside of the door.

 Any advice, as usual, would be gratefully appreciated.

  Thanks.  B.P

 

   

 

 

[birdy]

You could try filling in the screw heads with something hard that can also melt if needed, eg solder. Chances are they won't bring a soldering iron. Hope none of your stuff gets nicked, birdy.

[steve 1]

you could put a couple of coach bolts through the hinges instead of the screws say two per hinge one at either end and perhaps some mirror film on the windows and some wire mesh inside of the windows apart from that i don't know. It's a catch twenty two really because if they see to much security then they will be thinking why so much security. Fingers crossed for you.

steve 

[Stephen Grigg]

A Bed

[IanN]

There ain't a lot you can do to make a wooden shed proof against break ins

 

Some blinds inside the windows so intruders can't see what's inside may help. Even the thickest smackhead robber will always choose a target that's in plain sight, over a random break in. So, don't leave your gear on view.

 

You can't guarantee against it - all any of us can do is to try our best to reduce the odds

Edited By IanN on 19/04/2010 23:17:48

Edited By IanN on 19/04/2010 23:18:28

[Pete B]

Realistically, Phil, you cannot prevent entry to the shed. The best you can hope for is to slow the burglar down and force him to make so much noise it will attract attention.

 

Hinges and locks are the weak point, as are the windows. As birdy and Steve suggest, make the hinge screws impossible to unscrew, add a coachbolt through them and obscure the windows, barring them as well if possible.

.

Put a third hinge in the middle of the hinge side - two are weak, three are stronger. The single point fixing on the opening side of the door is a weakness - it's easy to jemmy it open at the extremity of the door. 

 

Fit hasp & staple fasteners with coachbolts through the door using the upper and lower stiles for strength, making sure the hasp folds over the bolt heads, and use good quality padlocks. Alternatively, a pair of meaty barrel bolts like this, for example, fixed through the stiles, again with quality padlocks.

 

Can you fit a PIR security lamp to overlook the shed without upsetting the neighbours?

 

Mark your tools, equipment, indelibly with a postcode and number and pen your details inside the fuselages too.

 

These standalone alarms may be worth considering if you feel the door alarm can be circumvented.

Lastly, don't rule out ringing your local nick and asking if they have a crime prevention officer (the job's probably gone to the local council now...........) who can advise on shed security. That's what they are there for!

 

Good luck,

 

Pete

 

 

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Find a 415V 3 phase supply and connect it to the door handle

 

Seriously, I go with an earlier comment - subtle security is better. If its too overt the low lifes start wondering what you are trying to protect. These scum will always look for the easy hit. If they are doing sheds then they are small time and after tools they can sell.

 

I'd suggest dirty windows - i.e. roughen up the styrene on the inside with some wet and dry - so they can't see in. This in more subtle than blinds - it just looks old and decrepid as opposed to blinds that looks furtive!

 

Security light - they hate them - just make it light that area of your garden generally rather than the shed specifically if possible.

 

At least two top quality harden steel padlocks on the door and pinon the hinges from the inside rather than coach bolts - less obvious. Filling the screw heads on the hinges with solder or araldite is a good idea.

 

Micro switch on the inside of the shed door linked to a siren? - open the door and bang - off it goes. You could have a simple wooden wedge that kepts it closed - but you you know its there - they don't!

 

BEB

[Phil May]

Thanks chaps, I like the ideas of coach bolts and scuffing up, and fitting the wire mesh, to the inside of the windows. 

BEB , 3 phase sounds brilliant, but in this world were scum- bags have more rights than victims I could be heading for trouble!! 

 Maybe I'll make my terrier, Alfie , sleep in there  

 

  

 

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Phil May]

Hi Eric, I've just fitted coach bolts to the door hinges so they can not be un-screwed,there is a delay entry alarm fitted . the problem with the windows and the reason i want to add some security is the fact that I have nosey neighbours and they know whats in the shed.

 I know if someone wants to get in, then they will, but if forced entry is made a noisy affair I'm hopping they will not bother, or it will wake the dog or myself up. 

 I think the dummy alarm box is a good idea, it will make the alarm appear more sophisticated than it is.

 I'm thinking of making a strong shutter for the window  which is hinged at the bottom so it can swing down to let  light in, and a heavy lock on the top for when in the closed position. Not the best description, but I think you will get the idea.

 

  B.P 

Edited By Big Phil on 21/04/2010 19:44:07

[Phil Claridge]

my brother has just bought two substantial padlocks with integral 110 decibel alarms they will go off even if anybody rattles them hard. he bought them at the model engineering show at shepton mallet on saturday you may be able to find them on the net

[Spice Cat]

Cheap and cheerful. If you can get hold of one of those personal attack alarms. It's the sort of thing that goes off when you pull the pin out of the end. Quite deafening they are too. It's easy to rig them up so the pin is pulled when the door is open by someone else.

Hope this helps. Still like the three phase 415 volt solution.......

[inspector9566]

talking of pulling pins to trigger alarms forget the alarm and rigg a crossbow with fishing line to the door.

Oooops did I just say that out loud

[Spice Cat]

As we're pulling pins, a grenade comes to mind. No, bad idea; will damage the models.

[Doug Ireland]

One of those dummy CCTV cameras are a good deterrent. Could you replace the plastic windows with wire reinforced glass ones?

[Myron Beaumont]

Many people round here spread a layer of black sticky stuff on the top of their reinforced  fences that doesn't dry out .It looks 'orrible ! BUT seems to work .I think most professional burglars can tell the difference between a dummy & the real thing & how many people respond to a few bleeps anyway . I don't ,'cos I assume its just another false alarm .

The 3 phase voltage idea is the way to go !

Then again ,this is God's country

Bet I get moderated for that last remark .It's the truth though.! I'd be OK if I walked around all day with a football "supporters" shirt on & hung out flags with the George cross on it on the house front . This is absolutely true by the way !

Myron

[ken anderson.]

big phil -most of the post's have got it covered for you....i've seen shed alarm system's advertised for reasonable price's...failing that i'll send you down a photo of my mother in law....put it in the shed window...that'll put the wind up anybody who fancies there chance's......she has just been given an asbo for biting rottwieller's....        

 

       ken anderson...ne 1..

[Big Bandit]

Phil,

 

Lots of good advice already, why not check out the local motorcycle accessory shops, they usually sell good security devices for garages and sheds. the personal attack alarms rigged across the door should work well, I rigged one under the seat on my bike as they are normally easy to lift and hot-wire the alarm immobilizer. The mechanic got a surprise when I took the bike in for it's first service, he couldn't stop it going off.

they also sell a small bracket that holds a blank shotgun cartridge, it's rigged with the firing pin held off by a washer rigged with fishing line across the door frame. As long as it's facing down to the floor, it'll not cause any injury.

 

Chris.

[Olly P]

Or the 9mm version - smaller and safer, i'd put either inside a steel box though - I know of injuries to a friend who was setting one up and decided to test it, even facing the floor the rubbish they fire can be quite nasty.

[Solid Snake]

Personally I think this is the best way 

 

[Myron Beaumont]

Big Bandit

Thanks for the tip about motor cycle shops .I'll give them a try .Never thought of that ,but there is a road in Newcastle of end to end bike shops called Westgate road I believe .(Ken NE3 might confirm that for me)

Thanks again . I need three systems .(House/shed/ campervan) 

Edited By Myron Beaumont on 06/06/2010 14:08:20

[ken anderson.]

myron-many moon's ago when you and even i were young lad's...westgate road was end to end with M/C shop's...but alas...time has also caught up with it also......there are still a few M/C shop's but all selling the same kind of bike's...as you say bring back the goldstar's/flash's/speedtwin's/beezer's the lot...........

 

   ken anderson..ne 1......... ...ice cool baby....

Edited By ken anderson. on 06/06/2010 15:12:45

[Myron Beaumont]

Ken

I did notice on the way to the hospital regularly that one of the first shops to get boarded up was the Honda one a while back .I have several photos of the bikes that I have built / owned .If only I knew how to put pics on the forum ?

M    NE3

Especially my Goldie BB32 (chromed and enamelled at RR as an apprentice)for a few packets of Parkdrive . Memories Eh!

You tell young people -------etc

Edited By Myron Beaumont on 06/06/2010 16:02:07

[John Privett]

Posted by Myron Beaumont on 06/06/2010 14:07:20:

Big Bandit

Thanks for the tip about motor cycle shops .I'll give them a try .Never thought of that ,but there is a road in Newcastle of end to end bike shops called Westgate road I believe .(Ken NE3 might confirm that for me)

 

Is Westgate Road still like that?  (I see Ken has also added his doubts to that thought!) I know it was back in the days when I had a summer, then w/end job, working in the Blenheim St model shop (about 1975/6.)  But last time I tried to find Blenheim St it seemed to have been turned into a hyper-space bypass or something similar...

[Myron Beaumont]

John

Don't know . I was in Cornwall at that time ! When I arrived up here my first objective was to go to the model shop .Shortly after-it shut  Still got their sticker on my flight box

Edited By Myron Beaumont on 06/06/2010 17:32:01