How to lock garden furniture
High-quality garden furniture can be a great investment for a homeowner. Imagine the shock when you head out onto your deck or patio, towel, book and drink in hand, only to find that your new sun lounger is nowhere to be found.
Unfortunately, the theft of garden furniture is a reality in our society, more than we would like to realize. Many of these thefts are not reported to the authorities. Instead, the owner buys new furniture and accepts the loss or files a claim with the insurance company.
Patio furniture theft is worst in urban areas, where it’s easy for criminals to see what neighbors have in their backyards. That’s not to say, however, that the suburbs are immune. far from there In many cases, it is much easier to steal lawn furniture from a quiet neighborhood where the lawns are not fenced.
Even a relatively small purchase, like a plastic Adirondack chair, can become a major expense if someone keeps stealing it overnight. At $20 each, a couple of chairs can really add up.
Of course, things could be worse. Someone else can get hold of your barbecue, which can cost over a thousand dollars or more to replace if you bought a top-of-the-line grill.
The easiest way to prevent theft is to secure your patio furniture in place. While this seems like an obvious idea for someone going on extended vacations or wintering in the south like a snowbird, it might not occur to the average homeowner who uses their patio furniture regularly.
But, as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that’s certainly the case when it comes to protecting your possessions from prying eyes and fleeting hands.
Unfortunately, the furniture itself is not really set up for anti-theft measures. Figuring out where and how to lock your patio furniture can be a challenge. You don’t want to pin it in place permanently, but you also don’t want it to be too easy to steal.
While no one can prevent a break-in by a professional thief armed with a bolt cutter, you can deter the casual thief with some basic preventative measures.
The first line of defense is a plastic-coated cable or chain. These can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store. You will also need a good lock. Some people like the convenience of a combination lock, while others like locks with a key. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. With locks that require a key, you may find that you left the keys at home or that your wife has the key because she went to the store. Many people who use combination locks don’t bother to turn all the latches when they lock them. A teenager can quickly figure out the combination simply by moving the last glass one click forward or backward. If you use a combination lock, be sure to mix up all the tumblers or you’ll not only end up looking for your furniture, but the cord and lock as well.
There are also professional alarms you can buy that are made specifically for patio furniture and grills. Many models have a screeching alarm that is not only meant to scare the thief, but also lets them know someone is trying to steal their stuff. They are usually motion activated, so if you have a problem with raccoons roaming your yard at night, the alarm may go off inadvertently.
When you secure your patio furniture, make sure it’s something that can’t be easily cut or lifted. For example, it’s not very difficult for a thief to kick a 2×2″ post into your deck. But a cable wrapped around a 4×4″ post can be labor intensive and deter a thief more easily.
You may also want to lock items individually instead of all together. It takes more effort to cut five wires to get a table and chair set than it does to undo one that had been wrapped around all the chairs and the table together.
Finally, be sure to take pictures of your patio furniture and save receipts from the sale. If your items are stolen and ultimately recovered, you will need to prove that the items recovered were indeed yours. You can also engrave/scratch your name and address on the furniture as an additional identification measure.