Home security now includes storage sheds and garages because they are a very hot target that thieves like to break into. There are home security systems that you can use to secure your shed from robbers and vandals. If you’re like me I have 1,000’s of dollars’ worth of things stored in my shed.
In this article I’m going to go over 10 tips to secure your storage shed you can use to prevent break-ins without using a home security system. I’m also going to look at various home security devices you can use to keep your storage shed or garage secure and protect your belongings.
10 Tips to Secure Your Shed Without Home Security Systems
Number 1] Location… There are a couple of things you can do to stop thieves from targeting your storage shed when you don’t have a security alarm system.
First… Choose the location of your storage shed wisely and try to locate it so it’s not going to visible from the street, if the thieves don’t know you have a storage shed they won’t be trying to break-into it.
Second… The location you choose should be visible from your home and have some motion sensor lighting that will direct light to the shed if someone is in your back yard uninvited.
Number 2] Secure the Shed… Some thieves will target small plastic or metal sheds that are just sitting on the ground or on their foundation. Take measures to attach the shed to the foundation, there are various devices you can use to anchor your shed in place. Another choice is to put your shed against the house and attach it securely to it.
Number 3] Door Hinges… Most sheds don’t have very strong door hinges and many can be removed from the outside. Get some nuts and bolts, carriage bolts work great and drill thru the hinge and bolt them into the framing of the shed for maximum security.
Number 4] Lock… Even if you have a home security system or even a home alarm system you still will have good locks on your house, so why wouldn’t you install better locks on your storage shed? At the same time you don’t want to draw a hold bunch of attention to your shed by installing several locks.
Just simple install a good quality closed shackle padlock with a reinforced hasp and you’ll have excellent security in place. You can check out Amazons full line of closed shackle locks here on Amazon to find one that will work for you.
Number 5] Obscured Windows… If you have windows in your storage shed anyone can peek inside and see what’s in there. While many of the smaller plastic and metal sheds don’t have windows a larger shed that’s been built will very likely have a couple or more windows depending on what the shed is being used for.
If your using your shed for simple storage than you can apply some self-sticking opaque window treatments that simply install with a bit of water. If you really want to be able to see out of your sheds windows then install some curtains that you can close when you leave.
Number 6] Wireless Alarm… Even following steps 1 thru 5 a hard-core thief may try to break-into your shed. Get one of those simple battery powered motion sensor alarm that will go off scaring away any intruder and alerting you to them.
A good inexpensive home alarm system that you can use outside of your shed is the “Ideal Security Wireless Motion Package Battery-operated Alarm” It’s an Amazons choice and weatherproof and has good reviews and is available in grey or white and sells for around $27 bucks. You can check it out here on Amazon.
Number 7] Put Tools Away… A bad habit to get into is leaving tools out in the yard; this puts your property at risk. The tools you leave out can be used to break-in to your shed, garage and house. Get into the habit of putting your tools back in the shed when you’re finished with them. You can read my article “10 Tips on How to Organize Your Storage Shed” for ideas for organizing your tools and maximizing the sheds space. You can read it here.
Number 8] Lock Box… If you’re like me I have lots of smaller tools and power tools, so to keep them secure and prevent kids from accessing them I use a job lock box inside the shed that’s secured to the foundation, there a great way to give extra security to your good tools, you can check out Amazons full line of job lock boxes here.
Number 9] Lock Bigger Items Together… If you have larger items and want to step up security you can use a bike lock or I like to use a 6 foot piece of heavy chain and loop the chain thru the bigger items, especially if I’m going to be away for a bit. Not very likely a thief will want to go thru the work of cutting the chain. It’s a great deterrent!
Number 10] Mark Expensive Items… As an added precaution you can engrave your name on expensive items that way if there stolen you have a much better chance of having these items returned to you. You can see Amazons full line of engraver pens here.
Smart Home Security Devices For Sheds
You’ve heard the expression “there’s no place like home” and most folks have some type of home security system to protect their home from intruders. But what about protecting their shed, not many folks ever consider protecting their sheds.
A lot of homeowners store there expensive bikes and even motorcycles and tools in the storage shed and without any security measures in place those items are at risk. You should at least have anchor points in your shed so you can lock your expensive items in place. Well not everyone keeps there expensive toys in the shed, some do and you need to take measures to protect them.
Let’s talk about how you can use smart technology to monitor your shed and not have to be concerned about thief’s breaking in and stealing your stuff anymore. It doesn’t matter what type of shed you have or what you’re using it for, there’s a suitable home security option to make that dumb storage shed smarter without spending a pile of money.
The Best Location For a Smart Security System
In my article “What’s the Best Location For an Outdoor Storage Shed?” I go into detail for choosing the best location for your shed and look at use of the shed, permits, property layout, access and appearance. You can Read it here. Now we need to look at the best location from a home security viewpoint, and that covers having access to your homes security system wirelessly.
If you haven’t constructed your storage shed yet you need to choose a location that will allow the wireless communication between the sheds sensors and cameras and your homes security system. The easiest way to find these good spots is to do a walkabout to the different locations that can work for your shed.
Using your cell phone go to the various possible shed locations and see how strong the Wi-Fi signal is in that location. Also if you have a metal shed it could interfere with the signal and you may need to mount the equipment on the exterior of the metal shed to receive a good signal. If the locations you choose don’t have a good signal from the house you can add another Wi-Fi repeater or signal booster to get a better signal.
Let’s Look at the Various Smart Home Security Devices
Security Cameras
If you’re going to be using a security camera make sure that’s it’s designed for use for outdoor weather conditions. Also get a good quality camera that will send video that is clear that way you can see exactly what the camera is seeing. Another point is to get a wireless camera system simply because it’s likely you don’t have power in your shed. Let’s take a look at the top 2 security cameras for use for your storage shed.
Both of these camera systems are wireless, which means you won’t need any wiring to use them and you can install them anywhere. There also motion activated and have really good night vision. These are both waterproof and can be monitored from just about anywhere.
First is “Arlo Wireless Home Security Camera System“
This is an excellent option and with various packages from 1 camera to 6 cameras will give you the security coverage you need for you shed.
Features
– Completely wire-less and can be used anywhere.
– Night vision capable for full 24 hour coverage.
– Motion activated and can be set up to send email or via app.
– Only records and sends alerts if the motion sensor detects movement, this ensures long battery life.
– Can be used indoors or outdoors.
– App lets you see video from wherever you are.
– You also get a 1 month free trail of customized alerts.
The Arlo Wireless Home Security Camera System has 17,016 reviews and over 1000 answered questions. And the best thing is it won’t break the bank, you can read the reviews and see all the packages here on Amazon.
Second is the “Blink XT2 Outdoor Indoor Smart Security Camera”
This is another great outdoor camera home security system that you can get with 1 camera or up to 5 cameras with the option to add more if you need them.
Features
– 2 year battery life.
– Has 2 way talk capability from your smartphone.
– Fully customizable motion detector.
– Comes with free online cloud service.
– Compatible with Alexa.
– You can operate the camera/s with a Alexa enabled devices.
– Infrared camera with daytime and nighttime recording.
– Designed for outside use.
– No tools or wires needed to setup.
The “Blink XT2 camera system” has 41 customer reviews and 57 answered questions with a rating of 4.2/5. What I like about this system is there’s no monthly contracts and you can see what’s on the camera right on your smartphone. Take a look here on Amazon.
Those are the best two wireless security cameras that will work very well on an outdoor storage building. Depending on your situation you may not even need a home security camera for your storage shed. Let’s take a look at:
Smart Locks
Depending on the type of door you have on your shed you can use a smart lock. To use a smart lock for your shed it will need to have a regular door that’s used for most home entries. It will have a passage handle or lock as well as a dead bolt lock.
If you have built the shed yourself or the shed uses a normal man door than the smart lock can be used, but in most situations a storage shed won’t have a normal man door. Most will use a sliding door or thin type door that attaches to the outside with hardware.
If that the case with your shed than reinforce the door hinges and install a good quality hasp and padlock as I mentioned in number 3 and 4 in the “Secure Your Shed Without Home Security Systems” at the beginning of this article.
If you do have a regular man door or your storage building than you can use a smart lock, I’m going to recommend the “Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt”. If you’re tired of looking for keys or do what I do a lot is leave the shed key in the house and then have to run into the house to get it. Then you’re going to love the keypad that you just enter the code and the door opens.
Other Features
– You can use your smartphone to unlock the lock or if you can’t remember if you locked it and you’re not home, just lock it from your smartphone!
– Lock installs fast.
– Operates with the key like any lock and the keypad is battery powered so you won’t have to worry about having to have power in the shed.
– Battery typically lasts for a year and has a handy low battery light that lets you know when the battery is getting low.
– When new features are released you can update your app and not have to buy a new lock.
– You can get the optional Wi-Fi adapter and connect it to your smart home system.
The “Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt” has 886 customer reviews and 502 answered questions and it’s an Amazons Choice with a user rating of 4.1/5. Check it out here on Amazon. Or maybe you just need a plain old simple hasp and padlock. You can see Amazons full line of hasps and locks here.
Home Security Smart Lighting
Another inexpensive method to help prevent break-ins is to use motion sensor lighting. Let’s look at the “Mr. Beams Led Wireless Motion Sensing Spotlight System” They operate on 3 d-size batteries which makes them completely portable and can be mounted anywhere to light up an area when motion is detected. They will all light up if you have more than one really lighting up the outside.
Features
– Available in 1 pack up to 6 pack.
– Each Led fixture gives off 200 lumens of light.
– You can set-up different zones of connected lights.
– Maximum of 50 lights on one network.
– With 150 feet range between lights ensures maximum light coverage.
These wireless home security lights have 44 customer reviews and a user rating of 4.3/5. Definitely an excellent choice for nighttime security. Check them out here on Amazon.
Another great choice if your storage shed is wired is using a dawn to dust sensor LED bulb in the outside light fixture, there pretty cheap… Around $20 bucks for a 3 pack. See them here on Amazon.
Home Security Motion Sensors
Motion sensors play an important role in nearly all home security systems, and what I really like about them is you get an alert when there triggered, not after the fact. I’m going to recommend the “NetVue Motion Detection Outdoor Surveillance Camera” as the best motion sensor camera especially for use on outbuildings.
Features
– 1080 Full High Definition camera and night vision.
– Wi-Fi capable and wireless and will work with most smart home automation systems.
– Has 2 way voice capacity and deterrent built-in alarm.
– Records in real time and you can upload the video or snapshots.
– Waterproof and vandal resistant.
The “NetVue Motion Detection Outdoor Surveillance Camera” has 482 customer reviews and 234 answered questions and a user rating of 4.5/5. Sells for about $60 bucks and worth every penny, see it for yourself here on Amazon.
Conclusion
As you can see there are many different types of home security systems that you can use on a storage shed or other outdoor building to secure them. I hope you have found this article useful and I have given you the information you need to protect your belongings when there stored in a storage shed. Thanks for reading.