Jackson Fencing presents tips to protect a place from burglary

We believe in integrated security solutions, so while a solid gate could prevent sight lines from the house, combining it with other measures such as alarms, motion sensing lighting, and CCTV will allow a good level of surveillance to keep you and your valuables safe.

Burglary prevention tips

Very few burglars are opportunists; instead, they may be regularly scanning and looking for weaknesses to capitalise on. It is therefore crucial never to give a burglar an opportunity to strike.

Of course, the level of security required depends on the house and the area. We've outlined some burglary prevention tips to consider when securing your home.

Keep radio and lights on 

It’s an age-old trick but start by leaving the radio and lights on when you leave the house, to make the property appear occupied. If you have more than one car, park one on your driveway or ask a neighbour if they’d be happy to park their car there for the evening.

Check back doors and gates around the perimeter of the home are locked and working effectively. Ideally, hinges and locks should be galvanised to provide added protection against rust. Choose a gate where the hinge and gate sit closely together to deter people from using the hinge as a foothold. Often our gates have the top hinge reversed so they can't be lifted off.

Automated gates, motion-activated security lights

Move ladders or large bins away from fences and walls, as these can be used as climbing aids

Automated gates are a great way to help reduce access to the property, or grounds. As these gates block sightlines from the house, we would recommend also investing in motion-activated security lights, which will automatically illuminate an area if movement is detected. Lighting should be fitted to the front, side, and rear of the home.

Move ladders or large bins away from fences and walls, as these can be used as climbing aids. Lock any tools inside your house, as these could be used to cut through security systems.

Anti-burglar boundary

Keep garden sheds securely locked, especially if there are high-value items in the shed such as bikes or lawnmowers. You should also padlock these to heavy, static objects so they can’t be easily shifted, should someone break in.

Let nature lend a helping hand in creating an effective anti-burglar boundary on your side of any fencing, especially around any side access points. Stocking up on ‘defensive’ plants such as Berberis, Hawthorn or roses can help create an impenetrable barrier that the majority of burglars won’t want to entertain.

Gravel paths and drives, trellis panel

Install gravel paths and drives to make it difficult for anyone to approach the house without being heard

Install gravel paths and drives to make it difficult for anyone to approach the house without being heard. Similarly, lay some gravel near any windows or doors. If you choose to add a trellis panel on top of a fence or gate which takes the overall height to over 2m, you will require planning permission.

However, growing a thorny plant along the top of a 2m fence provided it does not feature any support structures does not require planning permission unless there are local restrictions in place. Check with your local planning authority first.

Robust, secure perimeter fence and gate 

Check that the property is protected by a robust, secure perimeter fence and gate which is sufficiently sturdy to frustrate any attempts to push it over, remove any panels or parts, kick it through or climb over it.

Timber fencing is easily compromised if the posts securing the panels are rotten so always seek out a fence that offers a long lifetime guarantee against rot or boring insects.

Security solution

We also highly recommend that you do your research before settling on a security solution. It is an extensive market of different products, and too many fall into the trap of prioritising aesthetics, without considering quality and effectiveness.

One of the main culprits of poor security design is generic steel palisade fencing, commonly used for houses that back onto public areas.

Beware of repeated access 

While it may look intimidating it does a poor job of resisting penetration. Despite its popularity and the widely held misconception that it offers an adequate perimeter security solution, it has inherent weaknesses that belie its capability.

Its wide pales can hamper surveillance, while the bolted construction is a security risk. Simply removing or breaking the lower fixing on one or two pales would allow them to swing aside to give repeated access to the site without leaving any visible sign that the perimeter had been breached.