Last updated on June 2nd, 2023
It costs money to adorn your patio with outdoor furniture. Yet criminals can steal anything they can sell to make money. This includes your expensive patio furniture. For this reason, it is essential to know how to secure patio furniture from theft.
To make sure thieves will not have it easy walking away with your patio items, use ground anchors to secure your patio furniture in place or thread multiple pieces of furniture together with a cable lock. You can also install high fences and gates for privacy. Security cameras, alarms, and motion-activated outdoor lights are great options too. Clear signage and letting your dog(s) loose at night can also make criminals rethink the idea of approaching your property.
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Why secure outdoor furniture from theft
You don’t want to be spending thousands of dollars buying a new set of outdoor patio furniture every other time because you are losing them to thieves. Taking precautions can go a long way in ensuring you do not waste money this way.
Keeping your patio furniture safe will also bring you peace of mind knowing that you won’t wake up to an empty patio. Also, it will save you from the inconvenience of losing your favorite outdoor décor or force you with an unplanned budget of buying another set of patio furniture.
A couch, some chairs, a table, a barbeque grill, and a sun umbrella on your patio can make it look pretty inviting. Thieves can take that beauty away from you in a single night – or more interestingly – just a few minutes. That is a significant setback you can prevent by securing your outdoor patio furniture against theft.
You may also want to secure your outdoor patio furniture for the mere reason that they are outside, making them an easy target. For criminals, leaving your outdoor furniture unprotected makes them low-hanging fruits. Such can easily whet the thieves’ appetite. When you put security measures in place, it helps change the situation of the patio furniture stolen from an easy target to a harder one.
Which outdoor furniture is easily stolen?
Any lightweight outdoor patio furniture is easily stolen. The choice pretty much depends on the perpetrator and what they intend to achieve.
The cost of the item is a major determining factor. In this regard, many thieves tend to go for BBQ grills, movable chairs, like rockers, and any valuable item within the patio, including garden art and portable fireplaces.
If a thief can hop over the fence with a piece of patio furniture, it won’t matter whether it is the outdoor sofa. They will carry the entire set. Such seats are pricey and likely to gather a reasonable price in the resale market.
How do I anchor outdoor furniture to the ground?
There is always a constant fear of seeing your patio furniture get blown away by the wind in case of wicker or some other lightweight options. Then there is the prospect of thieves stealing your favorite lawn furniture. Thankfully, you can use ground anchors to keep your patio seats and tables securely in place.
Anchors and specialty stakes are available in hardware or big box stores. You can also place an order for any of these items on Amazon.
To anchor your patio furniture to the ground using these tools, start by drilling a hole into the patio using a hammer drill. Be sure to make the hole slightly deeper than the length of your anchors.
When you are satisfied with the size of the hole, drop the anchor sleeve into it and tap the anchor in place until only the ring is visible. Insert an anchor into the sleeve and twist it in place until only the ring is visible on the ground surface.
Finish off the job by passing a security cable (or chain) through the ring and then the patio furniture that you want to secure, and lock it together.
You can use a combination lock or small padlock for this task. The choice should depend on what you have, or what you prefer.
It is recommended that you wear safety goggles during this 2-minute task to protect your eyes from any flying objects or debris.
If you do not want to drill the patio, you can also bolt the security anchor to your decking or wall. The rest of the procedure is the same.
How to secure patio furniture from theft
If you have never lost patio furniture to thieves, this topic may seem odd to you. However, theft of patio furniture happens all the time in various places. Here are a few measures you may want to take to keep it from happening to you.
Store your patio furniture in the garage or shed
Keeping your valuable patio items inside a shed or garage ensures they are out of the prying sight of criminals. While this option involves moving the furniture in and out of the shelter, the effort will pay off because you can lock the shed or garage, the items in there will enjoy the same layer of security as your indoor furniture.
Things like the barbeque grill and portable fireplaces that we often use infrequently can stay in the shelter whenever they are not in use. Just ensure your shed is in good condition so that whatever you keep in there will be safe and secure.
Install security cameras in your home
It may cost quite a bit of money to install security cameras in your home. But then, it’s a worthy investment because you are spending money to protect your home from criminals. The thought of video evidence in security cameras can deter crooks from entering your home.
According to Homeadvisor.com, the average cost of purchasing and installing security cameras is $1,370. A quality cushioned chair, on the other hand, will cost between $800 and $2,000. You can expect to spend anything from $1,800 to $3,000 on a good patio furniture.
While a security camera is a significant investment, the price is nothing compared to that of replacing stolen quality sofas and cushioned chairs.
Protect your home with an alarm system
For those who do not have enough room in the garage or shed to store patio furniture, a precautionary measure is essential. One such step is to install an alarm system to scare thieves away.
The piercing sound of an alarm that just went off will not only alert you to an ongoing robbery but also send the criminals running for their lives.
The idea is to make it as difficult as possible for thieves to get away with your property. The fear of detection is one of the scariest for a burglar.
Secure your patio furniture in place with ground anchors
You can always buy specialty stakes and ground anchors from Amazon or hardware and big box stores near you. You will also need a security cable to attach your patio furniture to the ground anchor.
Once you have the tools ready, drill a hole into the patio, decking, or wall with a hammer drill. It is recommended that you make the hole slightly deeper than the length of your anchors.
Next, drop the anchor sleeve into the hole you have just drilled, and tap the anchor until only the ring is visible. Insert an anchor into the sleeve and twist it in place until only the ring is visible on the ground (or wall) surface.
Finish off the job by passing a security chain or cable through the ring and then the patio equipment you want to secure, and lock it all together. It is upon you to decide which lock will get the job done for you – between a regular padlock and a combination lock.
For your safety, always wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from any flying objects or debris while doing this task.
Keep your dogs on guard.
If you are a dog owner, you can let them loose at night to provide security. Let them roam the backyard and keep watch while you sleep or when you are away.
It does not matter the size of the dog you have. Even smaller ones can bark loud enough to alert you to any potential intrusion. The sound of the dog(s) will also scare away the intruders and force them to consider looking somewhere other than your home.
Install a high perimeter fence and gate
High gates and fences provide privacy. Thieves usually need to scout the area they intend to steal from. Getting a clear picture of the target commodity is central to their planning and vital to their success. A high fence will block their view and keep them from having a clear sight of your patio furniture from outside.
Even where criminals can still see your patio, it will be difficult for them to hop over a tall fence with your furniture and escape. It can also make it hard for them to gain access to your home in the first place.
If thieves are unable to gain easy access to your patio, it could put them off. Just ensure that any walls or fences surrounding your property are in good condition. Check to see that the gates are secure. If there are any rot signs, you will want to fix the weak parts to make them impossible to kick down.
Use signage to discourage thieves from accessing your home
Let thieves know that your home is protected. Put clear signage in your front yard indicating the presence of security dogs or surveillance equipment.
Make sure the security and surveillance signs are in strategic areas where potential criminals can easily see. It will make them think twice.
Keep the patio area well lit or use motion-detecting lights
Thieves work best in darkness. They use the cover of night to mask their identity. Lights are a deterrent to them in this regard. Keeping security lights on at night may leave the criminal with nowhere to hide.
Criminals also tend to like breaking into homes that appear unoccupied. A well-lit patio area gives the impression of the presence of people in the house. Thieves will be hard-pressed to attempt to steal from such a place.
You could also install motion detector flood lights that come on if someone steps into the patio area. Such lights can serve the same purpose as a security alarm – scaring intruders away. The lights will turn on upon detecting any motion, making the impostor think they just woke the homeowner.
They are low-priced, and most models allow you to program them for sensitivity and range. Such lights will stay off when there is no motion triggering them. This mechanism keeps them from running up your electricity bill.
Measures to take if your outdoor furniture is stolen
If you wake up and find your outdoor furniture is gone, the first thing to do is contact your local police department and file a police report.
The thief will be liable for a felony charge if they have stolen anything worth $500 and above in most jurisdictions. As you may know, law enforcement does not take felony charges lightly in most places.
It is also recommended that you check with your neighbors to see if they have security cameras. Such cameras can capture footage of the criminals leaving your property. You can use the footage to identify the thieves with the help of local law enforcement.
The police will be happy to use anything that could help identify the criminals.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Conclusion
No matter where you live, there could be opportunistic thieves looking for easy-to-access patio furniture to steal. Even if there have never been such theft cases in your area, you would not want to be the first to make the statistic.
It makes sense to keep your outdoor furniture secure, even if this means spending a little more money in the process.
Nothing will put a damper on your summer experience more than waking up to find your patio valuables gone when it was fully furnished just the night before.
We hope that the tips in this guide help you keep your patio furniture safer. If we left out anything that you feel we should add, we would be happy to hear it in the comments section.