After spending your time and hard-earned money building a beautiful and welcoming backyard, finding that someone has come to steal it away is stomach-wrenching. Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence. Taking a few preventative steps can make a difference in your backyard being the target of thieves. A few precautions can also give you peace of mind and ultimately save you money from having to replace your patio furniture. Follow our guide and keep your backyard protected from theft year-round.
How to Stop Patio Furniture from being Stolen
Stealing is usually a crime of opportunity, meaning thieves are looking for an easy route, vulnerability, and the path of least resistance to target their victims. Adopting some critical prevention methods will deter thieves from seeing your yard as an easy target while you’re on vacation or away at work. With that in mind, most prevention methods won’t outright stop a determined thief with time and tools.
#1: Cover Your Furniture While Away
A great way to hinder a thief’s interest in your valuable backyard furniture is to simply cover it with patio furniture covers. A criminal is much more likely to see your home as a profitable opportunity if your expensive teak dining set is visible. A cover not only protects your furniture, grill, or any other backyard addition from the elements but also blocks a potential perps view. In addition to obstructing the lurking eyes of any criminals, features such as adjustable buckle straps and a drawcord hem serve as yet another obstacle thieves won’t want to deal with. A quality cover combined with a few of our tips below will do wonders to keep thieves at bay.
#2: Use Cable Locks
If you are looking for a more secure method of keeping your valuables safe, a braided cable lock is the way to go. For a relatively low cost, you can safeguard just about any item in your backyard or patio. We suggest using a cable that has some kind of plastic coating. This prevents rust which would not only weaken the cable but also rub off on your grill, patio furniture, or anything else it comes in contact with. Our first tip when implementing a cable lock is to ensure you attach it to something concrete and hard to move. If your furniture is near a tree or patio support post, you can loop it around them for a secure base. If your items are in the open without nearby structures, a yard anchor that easily screws into the ground is a great alternative.
If you have many items in close proximity, like a dining set, running the cable through the items can create a headache and convince a criminal to move on. Lastly, pairing a quality cable lock and patio furniture covers will add multiple layers of security that work well for long, seasonal departures like vacation trips.
#3: Hang Warning Signs
Taking the time to add a few signs around the yard’s premises may sound like an underwhelming solution, but it can be effective. You don’t even have to possess the threats you are advertising. Remember that while one method may not stop a determined thief, layers of protection translate into more problems a thief must solve. A simple sign mentioning cameras, alarm systems, or even pets could be enough to make a potential intruder have second thoughts. With visible obstacles in their way, your home will not seem like the easy target they were hoping for.
#4: Install Automated Lighting
A few well-placed motion-activated lights around your backyard can send potential thieves running for the fence. You can find quality lights for as low as $30 at most big box hardware stores in the U.S. For those with limited access to such stores, a great alternative is, of course, online retail. They are simple to install and can give you an added layer of protection. Keep in mind that these lights will be activated by pets, wildlife, and just about anything else, so they may turn on more than you expect.
#5: Invest in Security Cameras
Last but not least, we have security cameras. Though they may be the most expensive of our suggestions, they may also provide the most piece of mind. With 24/7 monitoring remote access, you can keep an eye on any suspicious activity and respond even if you are not home. Not to mention if a criminal sees a camera system, they are sure to have second thoughts. A monitoring camera in full view, even if it is not functional, can give off the impression that the area is being supervised, that they are being recorded, and that you may respond quickly to a threat, all serious risks to criminals.
As you prepare for your departure from your summer home, contemplate a vacation, or simply want additional security, a few preventative measures can deter thieves from targeting your backyard. Thieves looking for points of vulnerability that create opportunity, removing visibility to coveted items, placing cable locks as additional barriers, posting warning signs, and installing automated lighting or security cameras do well to create a headache criminals want to avoid.
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