Garden Room Lock Security

In recent years there has been a significant rise in the use of gardens rooms. But are they secure and what can be done to make sure they are secure enough? This article, written by Lock Guy, a professional locksmith based in Essex, discusses all you need to know about the security of these garden rooms.

What is a Garden Room?

This is the generic term for a detached (normally insulated), fully functional building located in a garden (or other outside space) separate from the house. They act as an extension to the home without the need for doing a full house extension. They can normally be used all year round and have electricity, lighting and heating.

People often use them as offices, gyms, studios or just as a lounge/entertainment space. They are more substantial than a shed and often feature glazing and look more aesthetically.

Often these types of buildings may be referred to as a cabin, outbuilding, summer house, office or studio, but for the purposes of this article – the term garden room will be used.

Why is There an Increase in the Use of Garden Rooms?

The main increase started after the COVID pandemic as many people started to work from home on a remote or hybrid basis. Many have continued to work from home after the pandemic as it suited businesses and people. But space at home is often an issue and a garden room can offer the perfect solution.

It is lower in cost to install and has less regulations than going through the process of a house extension. It is also significantly quicker.

Traditionally those wanting more space have had to move home (or extend), but that is an expensive and stressful route – so garden rooms have become more popular especially as people want more multi-use space (office / gym / leisure).

Is Garden Room Lock Security a Concern?

Due to the activities carried out in garden rooms, there is often expensive equipment and sensitive information kept inside. It may have valuable office equipment like computers or gym equipment or gaming consoles and televisions.

As they are seen as extensions of the home, people tend to leave potentially valuable possessions inside as they would with the main house.

Because they are outside, away from the main home and have lots of glazing – it is easier for a potential burglar to scope out what might be inside and might be less deterred knowing that they are unlikely to encounter someone on the inside.

The garden room may look attractive and the building itself is usually a strong and stable structure. The problem is that the locks on these garden rooms are very often not as robust as the locks on a main house. The suppliers of these garden rooms normally buy them in from overseas in a flat pack style format and the locks are already fitted to the door assembly. This makes installation easy. But the manufacturers focus on the design of the building itself and then use cheap fixtures, including cheap locks.

In terms of Garden Room Lock Security, these cheap locks are very easily defeated or bypassed.

See this video from Lock Guy about an example of a lock found on a garden room.

What to Look Out For

The entrance points are the weakest points that are most vulnerable to break-ins. That means windows and doors. Aluminium frames are better than wood or uPVC on these types of buildings.

But, regardless of the material, the doors and windows should have some sort of multi-point locking mechanism. That means that along the edge of the doors and windows, there should be several locking components that either shoot out or slide along. If it just has one locking point, it is not as secure and it may in fact not be covered by your home insurance.

The Lock

The lock (the bit that the key actually goes in) is the device that controls the multi point locking mechanism. You may have the best locking mechanism in the world – but it is useless if the lock is no good.

Firstly, identify the type of lock you have. Usually they have euro cylinder locks. Use this guide to help you identify the type of lock.

If is it a euro cylinder, consider getting an upgrade to a British Standard one-star or three-star rated lock:

https://lockguy.co.uk/high-security-euro-cylinders/

https://lockguy.co.uk/anti-snap-locks/

Make sure that when fitted, it does not protrude too far away from the handle: https://lockguy.co.uk/protruding-euro-cylinder-locks/

Other Tips

Even with the best lock, the glass is still a weak point and if someone is determined – they could just smash through the glass. Make sure the glass in your garden room is reinforced. Check the manufacturer stamp of the glazed unit – it should make reference to a BS standard or even have the word “toughened” or “tempered” on it.
Consider an alarm system of some kind and/or a CCTV camera. These are often not too expensive to install and are a great deterrent.
Try to ensure that the garden room is clearly visible from the house with good lighting (e.g. motion sensor lighting in the dark).
Always check with your home insurance provider. Many UK providers consider garden rooms as outbuildings, not part of the main house. You may find lower cover limits for valuables kept in there and you may need to declare certain items that would probably affect your premiums

Garden rooms are a great solution to create additional flexible space at home. They are affordable, useful and look good. It can still be a significant investment and you should not assume that because you have an expensive, modern garden room that it is secure.

If in doubt, contact your local reputable locksmith to carry out a security audit on your garden room. Upgrading the locks is not that expensive and can give you the reassurance that you are making it much more difficult for would-be burglars.

For further information on Garden Room Lock Security, or any lock related requirements in Witham, Maldon or across Essex, contact Lock Guy.

Got a question about a lock issue you may have? Why not have a look at the FAQ page or one of the helpful advice videos on the Media page.