Back Door and Garden Security

Burglars, thieves, and criminals love to gain entry to your back garden as it gives them easy access to your home. While passers-by may raise awareness of someone attempting to enter your property at the front, they can break through your back door without interruption – unless you add extra security.

Burglaries are forecast to rise as the cost-of-living crisis begins to bite, so improving your back door and garden security should be a priority. Here, we show you some practical ways to increase your garden security and protect your back door to keep your home secure.

5 steps to improve garden security

Your first line of defence is to ensure intruders find it challenging to access your back garden. Of course, you could secure it all from the inside – but then you’d never be able to get in!

Protection is about being pragmatic. You must do all you can to up security without sacrificing your enjoyment of the property. Here are 5 steps you can take to improve garden security:

• Fit a drop bolt and lock to your back garden – You can put your garden gate on the latch, but anyone can lift it and get access to the rear of your property. So it’s essential to fit a high-quality drop bolt and lock. Invest in high-quality galvanised metal to provide long-term performance. Choose a heavyweight lock that won’t be easy to break and won’t rust away when exposed to the elements.
• Secure loose fence panels – Even if your garden gate is secured with a lock, burglars may find access through loose, damaged, or broken fence panels. Walk around your garden to identify any potential access points and patch them or replace panels.
• Add plants for extra protection – Plants can make your garden look beautiful and make it difficult for burglars. Long trailing plants like a rambling rose are fast-growing and can quickly cover gaps in your garden. The thorns make it difficult for climbers to grab hold and get a purchase, meaning they’re likely to move on to easier targets.
• Fit a security light – Many burglaries occur at night when thieves can work under cover of darkness. A security light in your garden will stop them in their tracks! Modern security lights can distinguish between a pet cat or other night-time animals and humans, so you don’t need to worry about upsetting the neighbours.
• Hide away valuables – Garden tools, BBQs, bikes, mowers, and more are all left on display in our gardens – which can encourage thieves to attempt to access your garden. Always tidy up your garden and store any valuables out of sight.

How to secure your back door(s)

Even with all this additional security, a dedicated burglar will be able to get access to your back garden. If they do, don’t make it easy for them to enter your home.

There are several ways you can secure exterior doors, but before we get to them, there’s one thing everyone should do: check the strength and durability of your locking system. Over time, locking systems can wear out, and doors can slip, creating gaps that thieves can prise open. Check all doors and lock mechanisms to identify any issues or potential problems. If you need to replace them, choose an anti-snap lock for the best peace of mind.

Once you’re confident that your door locks are the best they can be, it’s time to consider what extra protection you can add. Why? Because burglars can use bump keys and other devices to pick the toughest locks. Thankfully, there are several ways you can add extra security to French doors, an external composite door, and inward opening front doors and back doors.

• Protect French doors and patio doors – Patio doors and French doors are popular home improvements, bringing light into the home and making it easier to access the garden. But they are vulnerable and can be snapped with some force. As a result, all homeowners with rear-facing patio doors and French doors should add extra security, such as a bar lock or handle lock. These slip onto the door handles in seconds and provide an almost unbreakable barrier to burglars. In fact, fit one of these, and many thieves won’t bother attempting to access your property. Instead, they’ll likely move on to an easier target.
• Protect external composite doors – Door bars only work if you’ve got two handles, but don’t worry, there are alternatives for your exterior composite doors with a single handle. For example, the Securian PX-4 single–handed French door lock can be used to provide extra protection for any single-handle door. It secures to the handle and means that they’re not getting in however hard someone pulls from the outside.
• Protect inward-opening external doors – Many homes have inward opening back doors and front doors that can be forced open by a committed criminal. Door jammers slot behind your door and simply can’t be shifted despite how hard someone pushes the door. There are several types of door jammers that are suitable for different doors and types of floors. They all slide behind the door, creating a burglar–proof barrier.

Summary

Alongside improving your garden protection, you should invest in high-security devices to give you peace of mind. With burglaries predicted to rise, spending some time identifying access points and adding extra security devices, such as Securian’s range of French door locks and door jammers, is a low-cost way of protecting your home, possessions, and your family.