Shed Security

Why shed security matters

Most people lock the house carefully and then guard the garden shed with a cheap padlock. Thieves know it. The Metropolitan Police shed and garage advice points out that an opportunist will often try the shed first, partly for what is inside and partly because it holds the tools needed to break into the house. Bikes, lawn mowers, power tools and garden equipment are the usual targets.

No single product does the whole job. Good security comes in layers: something that makes a thief think twice (lights, an alarm sticker, a shed they cannot see into), something that slows them down (strong locks, a solid door, an anchored building) and something that makes stolen items hard to sell (marking and registering them). The sections below cover each security layer, with the products on this page and what to add.

Shed alarms: the cheapest security upgrade

A shed alarm is a small, battery powered unit with a motion sensor and a loud siren. You arm it when you leave, and if anyone moves inside the shed without keying in the code, the siren goes off. Police crime prevention advice suggests one for any shed that holds valuables: a burglar who sets off a loud siren rarely hangs around.

The Yale shed and garage alarm on this page is a good example of the type. It is wire free, so there is no cable to run from the house, and it can be screwed to a wall or simply stood on a shelf. The motion sensor covers up to 12m, which is more than the length of the biggest shed here. When it detects movement it gives you 10 seconds to enter the 4 digit PIN; after that the 100dB siren sounds. A light warns you when the batteries are running low.

Getting the best from a shed alarm

Mount the sensor high in a back corner, pointing at the door, where it cannot be seen through a window. Keep pets out of the shed once it is armed, pick a code only you know, and test it after fitting by walking in without entering the code. A security sticker on the door costs nothing and puts some thieves off before they start.

Other types of shed security alarm include door contact sensors, which trigger when the door opens, and sensors that link to a house alarm or a smart home system and send a notice to your phone. They cost more, but you hear about a break-in even when you are away. A standalone siren is still the simplest place to start.

Shed door security: locks and padlocks

The door is the first thing a thief tests, and most break-ins gain access there. A shed door lock is only as strong as its weakest part, so look at the whole set: the padlock, the hasp and staple it runs through, and the fixings holding them on.

• Choose a closed shackle padlock. The body guards the shackle, so there is far less steel for bolt cutters to grip.
• Look for a Sold Secure rating. Sold Secure is the independent UK test house for locks; Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond show how long a lock held out against attack.
• Fit a strong hasp and staple with coach bolts through the door, or security screws whose heads cannot be undone. A good padlock on a thin hasp held by four short screws is easy to lever off.
• Use two padlocks on a wooden door: West Yorkshire Police suggest one a third of the way up and one a third of the way down.
• Protect the hinges. On a timber shed, swap exposed hinge screws for coach bolts or non-return screws so the door cannot be lifted off.

The Yale combination padlock on this page is a handy key free shed padlock: three dials, about 1,000 codes and a steel shackle, so nobody in the family needs to hunt for a key. Its listing gives no Sold Secure rating, so treat it as a light-duty lock for a storage box, a side gate or a second lock. For the main door of a shed full of bikes, add a heavier closed shackle padlock with a Sold Secure rating.

Are plastic sheds secure?

Shedstore's own security shed guide says plastic sheds are not generally thought of as security sheds, and some cheap ones prove it: they close with a plastic bolt that can be cut through in seconds, and they are light enough to tip over. But a plastic shed does have some real strengths. The panels cannot be pried apart like overlap boards, the hinges are usually fixed from inside, and there are no rotten corners to kick through.

The answer is to buy a lockable plastic shed built for the job and then secure it properly. The 11 sheds on this page were picked for that:

• Metal locking points: the Keter Stronghold has a 3-point locking system that holds each door at several points; the Palram Canopia Yukon doors are lockable and ready for your own padlock.
• Strong walls: steel-reinforced Evotech resin on the Stronghold, and commercial-grade 10mm polycarbonate on an aluminium frame on the Yukon.
• Weight: from 184kg packed for the smallest Stronghold to almost 384kg for the longest Yukon with its floor, so nobody is carrying one away.
• Contents out of sight: the Yukon has no wall windows at all, just a skylight roof that is opaque from outside. The Stronghold's windows sit high in the walls.

None of these sheds comes with a padlock, so budget for one when you order. If you are still choosing a material, our plastic vs wooden shed guide compares the two in more detail.

Secure plastic sheds compared

Here are the lockable sheds on this page with the measurements from the Shedstore listings. Prices change often, so they are shown as rough bands; the grid above has today's price.

WPC is wood polymer composite, a waterproof floor on the Yukon's galvanised steel base. Without it the Yukon goes straight onto a concrete slab or paving, which also gives the best security when you fix it down.

Keter Stronghold: 3-point locking and a steel-reinforced roof

The Stronghold is the most secure Keter shed. The double doors close with a locking lever and a 3-point lock, the apex roof is steel-reinforced and rated to a snow load of 150kg per square metre, and the heavy-duty floor is included. At 1.525m the doorway takes a ride-on mower. It comes in 10x8, 10 x 11'5 and 10x15, all grey with a wood effect finish and a 10-year warranty. See all three on our Keter Stronghold sheds page.

Palram Canopia Yukon: no windows to look through

The Yukon is a dark grey building with 10mm polycarbonate walls on a rust-free aluminium frame and a galvanised steel perimeter base. It is all 3.32m wide and comes in four lengths from 9ft to 21.3ft, each with or without a WPC floor. The shingled skylight roof lets about a tenth of the daylight in, but you cannot see through it from outside, and there are no wall windows, so passers-by have no idea whether it holds a bike or a broom. The lockable double doors have a low ramp, it is tested to winds of 100km/h, and Palram gives a 15-year warranty. More are on our Palram Canopia sheds page.

Anchor the shed and everything in it

An unanchored plastic shed can be tipped or lifted to reach what is inside, and a strong wind can move a light one. Build it on a level concrete slab or paving and fix the base down with the screws or brackets in the kit, or with heavy-duty anchors. Our shed bases page shows the plastic grid bases that suit these sheds; on a grid base, set a few paving slabs or a concrete pad where you plan to fit anchors.

For extra security, lock the contents to the shed itself. A ground anchor bolted into concrete, or a wall anchor fixed through a solid wall, gives you something to chain bikes and a mower to. Police advice is to run a heavy chain through the frames and handles and lock it to the anchor; Sold Secure test anchors too. Small power tools are safer in a lockable box or cabinet, such as the ones on our waterproof garden storage boxes page, with a chain through the handles of anything left loose. For a smaller bike store, see our plastic bike sheds.

Security lighting and keeping things out of sight

Thieves like to work unseen. A dusk-to-dawn or motion-sensing security light over the door takes that away, and there is no cable to run with the solar lights on our solar shed lighting page. Site a new shed where it can be seen from the house, with the door facing your windows rather than a back gate or alley.

Inside, cover anything valuable with an old sheet and keep it away from any window. Frosted film or a blind stops people looking in; on a wooden shed with glass, police advice is to fix mesh or bars on the inside of the frame. Keep the door shut between uses, and lock it every time you leave the garden, even for a few minutes.

Mark it, register it and insure it

• Mark your tools and bikes with your postcode, using a UV pen, engraving or a forensic marking kit. Marked items are harder to sell and easier to return.
• Register serial numbers free on Immobilise, the UK property register used by the police, and keep photos of each item.
• Check your home insurance covers the contents of outbuildings, what the limit is, and whether it needs a certain type of lock.
• Get advice if the contents are worth a lot: a member of the Master Locksmiths Association can survey a shed or garage and fit locks.

Shed security FAQs

What is the best shed alarm?

For most sheds a standalone, battery shed alarm with a motion sensor and a loud siren is the best value. The Yale model on this page needs no wiring. For a phone alert when you are away, choose one that links to a smart home system.

Are plastic sheds secure?

Cheap ones are not, but heavy-duty models like the Keter Stronghold and Palram Canopia Yukon have metal locking points, strong walls and real weight. Add a good padlock, anchor the shed down and fit an alarm for proper security.

Do Keter sheds come with a padlock?

No. The Stronghold has 3-point locking and the Yukon has lockable doors, but neither includes a padlock, so buy one with the shed.

How can I make my shed door more secure?

Fit a strong hasp and staple with coach bolts, use a closed shackle padlock, protect or replace exposed hinge screws, and fix the door frame firmly. On a timber door, two padlocks are better than one.

Which shed is best for storing bikes securely?

For bike shed security, pick a heavy, lockable shed on a concrete base with a ground anchor and a chain inside. The Stronghold 10x8 has room for about four adult bikes and its wide doors make it easy to wheel them in. For more choice, see our large plastic sheds and plastic sheds with floors.