How to protect your garage or outbuildings

Securing your home is something that you will know how to do – or at least have a good idea about. However, what about your outbuildings such as sheds and garages? Are they secure? Could they be at risk? It’s essential that you keep these in mind as well when you are looking at security features for your home, as they can be some of the most vulnerable spaces you own. This risk is heightened because not only are they generally kept separate from the house, but they also contain many tempting items such as bikes and tools. Therefore, protecting your outbuildings should always be on the agenda.

 

The Door

A garage door is secure up to a point – it won’t accidentally fly open in a strong wind, for example. However, if someone is determined to get in, they will; there is only one central lock, and it can be broken. Therefore, you should always assume that your garage door is not secure. Ideally, you will want to change it for something better. A stronger door with a lock on either side is something that, if you want to protect the interior of your garage or shed, is certainly something to consider.

 

Roller shutter doors, for example, are a great alternative to the standard doors that you will find on most exterior buildings.

 

Up And Over Doors

If you do have an up and over door and you can’t retrofit better locks or change the entire door for a stronger roller shutter type, then there are some things you can do that will help you make your garage more secure. If you have an additional pedestrian door, for example, and you don’t even use the larger vehicle door, then you can add bolts to the inside of it. If you do need to open it at a later date, you can enter through the pedestrian door to do so, but if not, it is entirely secure, especially if you add two or more bolts.

 

As an alternative to standard bolts, and if you are going to want easier access, you can use pad bolts. These are made especially for use on garage doors and are used along with a padlock, ensuring a high level of security.

 

The Pedestrian Door

Securing the large vehicle door is always a good idea, but this may not be where thieves choose to enter your garage. They will most likely want to use the smaller pedestrian door since this will be less noticeable if it is opened during the night or when no one is at home, for example. These doors make less sound as well. Therefore, they will also need to be secured (and especially so if they lead to the interior of your home). Top and bottom locks rather than a standard lock will help you do this, and so will changing a door with a glazed window area to a solid wooden version.

 

Inside the Garage

If a thief were to gain access to your garage, what would they be able to take? It could be a huge amount, especially when you add up the cost of tools and equipment. If you work from there and have a workshop or office, the cost could be much, much more. To secure your tools and equipment inside your garage, you can use ground anchors and wall brackets. The idea is to make things as hard as possible for would-be thieves so that they realise it’s just not worth it.

 

CCTV And Alarms

Burglar alarms are commonplace in many homes, and CCTV is becoming more and more usual. Extending your CCTV (or adding an additional camera) to capture your outbuildings as well as your home itself can be an extra deterrent, as can installing a visible (and working) alarm.

 

If you’d like to find out more about how to protect your property or get a quote please get in touch.