A shed is the least secure building on your property and it holds some of the most portable, most resellable things you own. Mowers, tools, bikes, generators. Making it hard to get into is not expensive, but almost nobody does it, which is exactly why it works.
The lock is the easy part, the hasp is the hard part
People buy a good padlock and bolt it to a hasp held on with three quarter inch wood screws. A pry bar takes that off in four seconds and the lock is still locked. Use a heavy hasp, mount it with carriage bolts that pass all the way through the door and frame with washers and nuts on the inside, and use a shrouded or disc padlock so bolt cutters cannot get a bite on the shackle.
On double doors, add a cane bolt or slide bolt into the floor and header on the inactive leaf so the pair cannot be spread.
Hinges
Exterior hinges with removable pins are a gift to a thief. Either use non-removable pin hinges, tack-weld or peen the pins, or install security studs so the door cannot be lifted off even with the pins out.
Placement beats hardware
The best security decision is made before delivery: put the building where it can be seen. A shed tucked in the back corner behind a privacy fence and a row of trees gives somebody unlimited unobserved time. A shed visible from your kitchen window, from the street, or from a neighbor’s driveway is a much worse target. Trim the screening vegetation around it.
Light
A motion floodlight on the approach is cheap and it works, mostly because it removes the one thing a thief wants, which is not being noticed. If you are running our finish-out package with electrical, add an exterior circuit while the building is being built.
Anchoring, which is a different kind of security
West Kentucky gets serious wind. An empty or lightly loaded building on a gravel pad can move in a straight-line event. Ground anchors with cable or strap tie-downs at the corners are inexpensive insurance and take an afternoon. This is also worth asking your county about, since some jurisdictions have anchoring requirements for accessory structures.
If weather does damage the building, our 10 year guarantee covers acts of nature such as storm damage and settling as well as our craftsmanship, and we repair or replace what is covered.
Insurance and documentation
Call your homeowner’s agent and ask two questions: is a detached building on my property covered, and up to what limit for contents. Then photograph what is in the building and write down serial numbers for anything with one. It takes twenty minutes and it is the difference between a claim that pays and a claim that stalls.
What we build
Sizes 6×8 to 16×60, starting at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8, with LP SmartSide siding under a 50 year warranty and AdvanTech flooring under a lifetime warranty, claims handled by us. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee.
Get Started on Your Hopkinsville Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Hopkinsville.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
