The Crime Prevention Website

It’s funny how sheds keep coming up this summer.

I was visiting a client in North London last week, offering them some home security advice, when I came across something that I’ve seen all too often. It’s to do with the way that people fit padbolts to their sheds and gates.

My clients had literally just moved in and as a consequence of a theft from the neighbour’s garden they thought this would be an opportune moment to call me in. I hasten to add then that what I am about to describe was not of their doing.  

On examining their fairly new shed at the back of the garden I immediately spotted that the padbolt has been screwed to the door and frame – with simple cross-head screws.  The padlock dangling from it was absolutely fine and up to the job, but if I was a thief all I would have to do was to unscrew the screws and take the padbolt off the door, thereby bypassing the padlock. This would not only give access to the electrical tools stored inside, but also access to the garden spade or the pickaxe that I could use to force open a window or a door.

When it comes to fitting padbolts do please use coach bolts with the nuts and washers on the inside of the door or gate. Coach bolts are the sort of bolts that have that dome shaped head which can’t be undone. Even if you managed to get some mole grips to grip the head it would still be very difficult indeed to undo them.

On sheds, in particular, you can further improve the fixing by adding a small plate of steel on the inside of the door and frame. I’ve done this to my own shed door. This means that the bolts will travel through the padbolts; through the timber; through the steel plate and then through the washer and nut. This combination will create a formidable sandwich fitting and will help prevent the nut from pulling into the timber when you tighten it all up.

And while on the subject of screws and fittings it also makes sense to use coach bolts to fit those T-hinges that are commonly used to hang the shed doors.

Remember that this is a very common problem, but one that can be fixed very easily for very little cost. I would appreciate it if my followers would send this message around.

Further help and advice for sheds and outbuildings: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/preventing-theft-from-the-garden/606/security-for-garden-outbuildings/

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