Possibly the dullest topic ever, but what do people recommend to a lock a shed door with? Currently I’m using a £10 padlock but happy to pay up to £50 or so.

Would a small d-lock be more secure (assuming it fits)?

There is no point getting anything special if the shed isn’t armoured.

Agree with Waderider.

It’s unlikely the lock (any padlock) is going to be the weakest link in shed security.

FWIW, in a ‘non armoured scenario’ (attempt to make shed security sound all Chuck Norris) I’d go with one of these:

ABUS Waterproof padlock

Just over a tenner and genuinely weatherproof. Have one on a shed door that’s been outside for more than five years, and no signs of weakness. Just a drop of chain lube from time to time.

what they say IMHO an expensive lock will only serve to draw attention to a shed

30 seconds with small cordless plunge saw or circular saw and thief could cut a whole new door. Probably better spending money of decent ground anchor, chain and padlock.. and maybe a deafeningly loud alarm

Sadly I concur with all of the above. Lock not touched either time ours was done.

Sheds are usually made from shiplap tounge and groove timber about half inch thick usually nail gunned to to thin uprights inside the shed, the roof is sometimes strand board or t and g flooring, nailed to the sides of the shed, the floor is made the same way, the door is usually made from shiplap and again screwed to battons across the inside of the door, with thin steel hinges screwed to the door.

So basicly about as secure as a tupperware box, secure roof with builders band inside , bolt hinges and locks, fit an alarm if it can be heard and covert cctv, an outside light,insulate the inside with insulation and wire maesh then cover with half inch mdf, cover windows with bars and a curtain inside.

Then think about a padlock or padlocks one third up and one a third down.

ex shed erector

Whoops, I should have said that it’s a brick shed but with quite a thick wooden door. I think it was originally an out house.

Is it worth getting one or would they just cut through the door?

Ground anchor and chain inside, preferably a motorbike one, then whatever for the door if it’s not armoured.

I’m going to disagree with most of the above. A row of garages near us was broken into recently. The thieves went along the row snipping locks and those with tough locks they snipped the hasp. Any with heavy duty locks and hasps were left despite having pretty shonky wooden doors. There’s a big difference between cutting a cheap lock with bolt croppers and sawing through a door or removing panelling. Yes I’m sure if they were targeting your shed they’d get in eventually but more likely they are targeting the area and will pick on the easy targets.

Search Amazon for van lock. I used one and it thwarted 3 shed breakins. Would recommend two on the door as one of my attempted breaking had the door being ripped apart using a corner as leverage. The lock holding allowed time for the neighbours to call the police who turned up with dogs!

Disc/circular padlocks are harder to get bolt cutters into. If you can get that working with a van hasp that is bolted through rather than screwed too…

as you have got brick building possibly change the door, i have just removed rotten garage window and fitted steel fire door and frame (£0 from site i was on) external handle /lock was £40 seen doors on ebay for not much past your 50
mrs G bike still lives in the house though!!

Whoops, I should have said that it’s a brick shed but with quite a thick wooden door.

As others have said, there is no point fitting a very expensive padlock if it can be easily bypassed. So things to think about:

– is the hasp and staple going to be the weak link?
– similarly, external strap hinges are easy to overcome.
– does the shed have a window? It might not be possible to get a bike out through it, but it makes it easier for someone to look in and decide if its worth going to the trouble of breaking in.
– if you are storing a £5,000+ superbike in there, I would think again. There comes a point where no matter how much physical security you install, the contents are so attractive to thieves that they will spend their time overcoming them, e.g. going in through the roof.

At the end of the day, padlocks are generally low security locks, and the open shackles can be pried open relatively easily. Proper high security padlocks are like these:

Chubb Battleship close shackle padlock

Better still, a concealed shackle padlock

EDIT Check the door frame as well: given the nature of the shed/out house, the frame may not be very well secured to the walls, and might need additional fastenings. You can also fit hinge bolts to stop someone levering the door open from the hinge side.

I had reinforced our shed with bolts through the hinges and latch as well as wood reinforcement of those areas with a later addition of metal plates. After the first break in the walls were partially panelled where they could be accessed from the outside and the roof and door the same – although only with MDF. However, they still broke though the door the last time.

The lock was left well alone.

This one.

Other security suggestions:

Make the door open outwards.
Bikes inside car if heading away, not on racks if possible. Don’t drive some polished T5 covered in SantaCruz stickers shouting ‘me! Me!’
Don’t work on / clean bike on stand in full view of road etc.
Security lighting, spiky planting, side gates etc can help
An alarm (mains or battery).
Make shed look unloved from outside, Fort Knox inside.

The other weak link is the roof.. could a thief just easily kick the roof in or peel a piece off?