You may want to consider these options for safeguarding your property boundary:
- Having high fences or hedges can be helpful as they reduce the visibility of what is in your garden and secure your garden from potential trespassing or burglary.
- If you have a garden, pathway or driveway gate to access the back of your property, we recommend fitting locks, bolts or padlocks on the inside, towards the top and bottom for added security and to reduce the possibility of the locks being damaged to gain access.
- Having gravel around your property grounds can help to prevent intruders as it is noisy to walk on.
- Place thorny shrubbery or plants around the top of perimeter fencing to deter intruders from climbing over. Diamond shaped garden trellis fencing is difficult to climb and is good for placing thorny plants.
- Install Prikka-Strip panels on fencing or walls.
- Hedges, trees or shrubs in front boundaries should be 1m high or less, as these can give a burglar a screen to hide behind.
- Side and rear boundaries should be a minimum of 1.8m in height. Planning permission may be needed for anything about 2m.
- Outdoor security lighting can help to intimidate a thief when it is dark as they do not want to be seen or recognised. Security lighting known as 'dusk till dawn' can be used to detect movement through heat and motion sensors. Try to place lights out of reach to avoid them being tampered with.
Securing sheds, gardens and outbuildings
Items in your gardens, sheds and other outbuildings are usually more accessible to thieves. Alongside our advice to prevent your property being burgled, we also recommend that you protect any belongings kept outside your home:
- Always ensure you lock your garage or shed and do not store any valuable items in there, unless you use appropriate safety measures.
- Store gardening equipment and tools in your shed, garden or other outbuilding, as burglars can use these to break into your home.
- Depending on the type of garage door you have, it is recommended you seek advice from a registered trades person or locksmith to ensure you have the correct locks or bolts for ultimate security, to reduce the possibility of a break-in.
- Side or rear garage doors can be secure with British Standard 5-lever mortice locks and two internal mortice rack bolts placed towards the top and bottom to reduce leverage points.
- Shed doors can be secured with two hasp and staple bolts for closed shackle padlocks to be attached to. Install the bolts with one towards the top and the other at the bottom to reduce leverage points. You could also replace the screws of the fixings with one-way clutch head screws to prevent them being tampered with.
- Windows to garages, sheds or outbuildings can be secured with internal diamond mesh-grilles, which provide a good visual obstacle to burglars.