SHED SECURITY TIPS FOR THIS WINTER

Without doubt the task of gardening has been made a lot easier in recent years with the ever-increasing range of gardening tools on offer. Today we have all manner of tools at our disposal ranging from mowers, hand tools and powered hand tools.
Depending on the size of garden, a typical garden shed may house a couple of mowers, a strimmer, hedge cutter, blower, fertiliser spreader, and numerous hand tools (spades forks, loppers, secateurs) all of which come to a substantial value of money. It is important to take care of this equipment and store it safely in a well secured shed/garage.
With theft from garages and sheds on the increase, it is important to secure this valuable equipment and tools in a secure location.
It pays to invest in a decent shed with solid doors and a good locking mechanism with metal sheds deemed a safer proposition than wooden ones. To help deter thieves further, you may also consider chaining up machinery separately inside the shed valuable mowers and power tools.
The setting up of a small CCTV camera to view the shed is now seen as a popular deterrent.
Also remember to list and take pictures of your equipment/tools, so if you ever do get anything stolen you have relevant information to aid the police and satisfy your insurers.
However, far too often I still see many garden sheds full of broken, dirty and damaged garden tools and machinery. People seem to have a habit of chucking tools into sheds and forgetting to clean them or throw them away when broke. This trait often, also occurs with the maintenance and up keep of their mowers and other powered equipment such as strimmers, blowers and hedge trimmers.
Often for many, it is down to lack of time and having the right resources and mind set to look after these tools and equipment. Ideally you will need an outside tap/hose facility to enable you to wash down your mowers, tools and equipment easily.
The next process is to have a shed/storage facility with appropriate space to store your gardening tools, mowers and equipment safely.
Regular cleaning after use is a good practice to undertake, by keeping tools clean you can reduce the chance of spreading disease and viruses on hand tools such as spades, forks, pruners, loppers and shears. Once washed down, you can wipe down the metal surfaces with an oily rag to prevent them going rusty.
As for mechanical equipment, it is important to keep them in good condition and in good working order, always inspect and check your machinery before use, check oil and fuel levels, check air filters and then check for any loose nuts, bolts and cables.
Prior to using your mower, it is important to check the height of cut and ensure the blades are sharp.

It is also important to store fertilisers, chemicals and fuel in appropriate containers within the shed or better still in a separate storage area.
The last task for the winter is to get your mowers and powered tools serviced ready for the following year.