Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Lock up your tools

by Sarah - December 12th, 2011.
Filed under: allotment.

More sheds on allotments broken into in the Newmarket area
Sheds on allotments are often targeted. What can you do?

First mark all your tools. Get a metal stamp and get your postcode stamped into them – put your house number on too so if items are found then you’ll be able to identify them. The beauty of them being garden tools is that you can cover up the mark with mud and no one stealing them would know it was on which means they are unlikely to notice it. Even if they do it’d have to be ground off which will make it’s own mark!

You can chain things up with bike locks or chains and a padlock too. By fixing tools together you’ll make them really hard to carry and whilst this might not put off someone it’ll make it so difficult to do that it’ll take longer and they might give up.

A steel shed might be more secure than a wooden one. You can concrete something to the floor and chain your tools to this. This would make it even harder to steal things.

New items added today at Tooled Up

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 1500mm x 800mm x 1900mm

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 1500mm x 800mm x 1900mm £220.95
Galvanized steel panels easily bolt and rivet together to form a rigid and secure shed. Single door fitted with cross bolt and eyelet that accepts padlock (not included) for additional security. Features a Skillion style roof. Supplied with bolt down…

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 1500mm x 1500mm x 1900mm

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 1500mm x 1500mm x 1900mm £268.95
Galvanized steel panels easily bolt and rivet together to form a rigid and secure shed. Single door fitted with cross bolt and eyelet that accepts padlock (not included) for additional security. Features a Skillion style roof. Supplied with bolt down…

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 2300mm x 2300mm x 1900mm

Sealey Galvanized Steel Shed 2300mm x 2300mm x 1900mm £407.95
Galvanized steel panels easily bolt and rivet together to form a rigid and secure shed. Single door fitted with cross bolt and eyelet that accepts padlock (not included) for additional security. Features a Gable style roof which gives extra water run…

Other things you could try – shed alarms – battery run but need someone to hear them. A busy site might have less empty time – but during the night would still be a risk. CCTV and lighting can assist as a deterrent and in identifying any problems – but ideally needs electric. Make friends with the plot neighbours and ensure they know what to do and who to contact if there are any problems on the site.
Take the neighbours some veg and fruit and they might act as the deterrent you need!

Garden Buildings Direct just added these new products

BillyOh Deluxe Padlock and Hasp

BillyOh Deluxe Padlock and Hasp £12.95
BillyOh Deluxe Padlock and Hasp

BillyOh Deluxe 50mm Padlock Protector

BillyOh Deluxe 50mm Padlock Protector £39.95
BillyOh Deluxe 50mm Padlock Protector

BillyOh Garden Storage Box Wheels with Seat - Small

BillyOh Garden Storage Box Wheels with Seat – Small £64.90
BillyOh Garden Storage Box Wheels with Seat – Small. This no maintenance and easy to assemble plastic storage box is a great value way to help sort out your storage needs. It is weather-proof and lockable. It has built in integral wheels to help you move this plastic storage box easy without fuss. Its great colour scheme is also sure to delight anyone who buys it.

Sometimes you’ll get problems with vandals on the site and it’s important to make sure it’s as hard to get on as possible and keep the boundary secure. Ask your local crime prevention officer for advice about what you can and can’t do to keep people out.

Hasp and staples are a secure way of using a padlock on the door of the shed. Use one that hides the screw holes making it harder to get off. You can reinforce the door of the shed too to make it stronger but remember a wooden shed is only wooden – but making it noisy when it breaks means it might attract attention.
Don’t forget your padlock key when you go to your plot though otherwise you’ll have a fruitless journey!