Whilst many homeowners may not pay much attention to the level of security that the garden has on a day to day basis this could be a costly mistake waiting to happen. This is because criminals often target vulnerable looking properties as these are the easiest to gain access too. With this in mind, the following section will highlight the most effective ways of creating a more secure garden

Front Garden & Driveway

• Keep the front of the property well maintained and secure and you will significantly reduce the chances of a criminal targeting your home.
• If you feel your home may be vulnerable look for weak spots in relation to security. For example does the gate have a lockable latch? Or is the front fence damaged and in need of replacement. If the answer is yes them it will be a sensible solution to carry out the required repairs as soon as possible.
• Ensure the front of the property is clearly visible from the street as this will prevent thieves from being able to set to work unseen from passers-by.
• Use gravel instead of paving flags for pathways as this will create a noise should somebody walk on therefore alerting you to an unauthorized presence.
• If you have a garage ensure that vehicles, bikes and other valuable outdoor objects are safely stored inside and keep the door locked whenever access is not required.
• Fitting security lighting combined with movement sensors as these will go on should somebody trip them meaning no dark areas for a criminal to loiter unseen.
• If you are leaving the property for a few days make sure the cancel the milk and newspapers as these can be a dead giveaway the property is vacant.

The Back Garden and Rear of the Property

• Probably the most vulnerable area of your property, the rear garden needs to be well protected to ensure unauthorized trespassers are kept out with high quality fencing or natural hedges.
• The minimum height a fence should be is 6ft however as this is still pretty easy to scale for someone who is athletic we also suggest adding trellis to make the obstacle higher.
• Ensure garden tools and machinery is safely stored out of view
• Remove ladders and steps and store inside the garage as these items may allow a thief to target any upstairs windows with ease.

Gates & Access Points

• Whilst wooden gates offer great levels of privacy they also make it very easy for a criminal to work unseen from view. This is because the solid panel design will provide a visual barrier. In addition to this, because a gate made from timber will be rigid, climbing it will be quite easy so for this reason consider adding some wooden trellis to the top to make this more difficult
• Ensure that gates are kept locked at all times when access is not required. With gates being available with simple sliding latches, pad lockable designs and even ones that feature mortise locks, there really is no excuse to leave a gate unlocked for any more time than necessary.
• In certain circumstances somebody targeting your home may try to simply lift the gate off its hinges. To prevent this we recommend the use of security hinges or for an easier solution simply reverse the top hinge point so it points downwards thus preventing the gate from being lifted off.
• If you are installing new wrought iron gates that are over 1 metre in height and it is adjacent to a highway you may require planning permission so always check with your local council prior to fitting to avoid any nasty surprises at a later date. This will also apply to any gate over 2 metres in height even if it is away from the public highway or your home is located in a conservation area.

Wrought Iron Gates Direct are a leading UK supplier of high strength gates, fencing and railings that are designed to make your garden a more secure place. To view the full range of products on offer we suggest you take a look around the rest of this website to see the available designs or alternatively feel free to call us with your enquiry.