Why are garden gates so crucial for home security?

The garden gate acts as an entry point to the house. It’s the first impression, so it may be surprising that it is usually overlooked when it involves home security. Alongside security lights, alarms and CCTV cameras, we glance at the different sorts of garden security which will help keep your house safe and burglars deterred.

Whether you would like a front, back or side gate, it’s vital that you think twice about your needs. If you reside within the countryside with not many of us, you’ll value aesthetics over security, however, if you live tucked away in a busy metropolitan area, and have had a fair few crime issues in the past, you’ll want the securest gate possible.

Here are a few quick tips:

Your rear garden gates should be an equivalent height as your fence which is usually 1.8m here in the UK. It can incorporate some trellis topping too. This enhances security and privacy. If you’ve got access to your rear garden from the front of your home, we recommend that you simply continue your rear garden fencing (at 1.8m) along the edges of your property, again, this just ensures there are no vulnerable areas in-between. You should ideally install gates in line with the front elevation of your home. Many people install a gate when one fence meets another, usually due to the change in appearance or height, so the gate allows for a more seamless transition, in terms of access and presentation. 

Along with gates and fences, low shrubs can come in handy. Where this is often impossible, we recommend that you use a transitional or curved panel. Closed boarded wooden gates offer greater privacy but allow an excellent concealment to a criminal in your back garden.

Open boarded gates afford less privacy but decrease the possibility for a burglar to hide themselves. Make sure that the gap between boards is little enough to stop someone getting an honest hand or foothold.

If choosing an iron gate, pick a design that thwarts someone getting a good hand or foothold (such as a straight vertical bar design) to minimise the gap between the hinge and therefore the gate. You can do this with metal or wooden gates; it’s all about choosing the right shape and size. 

To improve the robust security of your gate and control access to your garden, you ought to make sure you have secure bolt locking too. Padlocking the bolts for your garden gate also adds extra peace of mind, especially if you’re away for giant chunks of your time. Many households now have an external security spotlight which comes on when it detects motion. If you’ve got this at your property, you would possibly want to direct it towards your gate, as it will potentially be the main access point for opportunistic burglars.