I have a freezer and a lot of tools etc. in my shed so I need regular
access to it. At present the door is secured by a barrel bolt which can
be padlocked. As it is a bit fiddly to unlock the padlock, slide back
the bolt, find somewhere to put the padlock, use the shed then go back
through the locking process again, I usually leave it unlocked.

The trouble is that the contents of my shed wont be insured unless the
shed is locked, so I'm looking for recommendations for a suitable lock
that is easy to use, ideally with one hand.

Any suggestions?

TIA

Steve

On 3 Mar, 13:59, Steve wrote:

Any suggestions?

Big bolt, convenient places to hang the padlock, easy padlock to
handle (i.e. long shackle, not a short shackle or disk).

For most shed doors, it's really difficult to securely attach any sort
of lock, even a rimlock. You can find yourself stuck with a bolt, just
because it's mechanically the strongest attachment.

I've got one door with a home-made bolt that works pretty well. Inch
round bar on the inside slides back and forth in conduit guides. A
welded-on stick handle pokes through the door to the outside. It's
locked by a hasp and staple outside which flaps over the handle slot
and locks it in place. When "in use", remove the lock, fold the hasp
down, hang the padlock off that and you just work it as a sliding bolt
from either side.

Steve wrote:
I have a freezer and a lot of tools etc. in my shed so I need regular
access to it. At present the door is secured by a barrel bolt which
can be padlocked. As it is a bit fiddly to unlock the padlock, slide
back the bolt, find somewhere to put the padlock, use the shed then
go back through the locking process again, I usually leave it
unlocked.
The trouble is that the contents of my shed wont be insured unless the
shed is locked, so I'm looking for recommendations for a suitable lock
that is easy to use, ideally with one hand.

Fit a Brenton bolt http://www.wickes.co.uk/Brenton-Bolt/invt/159633 which
has plenty of places to hang the padlock.

Buy a 4 wheel combination padlock, no need to carry a key, one hand
operation.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Steve wrote:

Any suggestions?

I used a garage door T-handle, turning a big steel strip inside.

(Actually three strips, top, middle and bottom, linked together. The
door and frame is also reinforced, so altogether it's pretty strong
against mindless kicking. Less so against someone with a brain breaking
the handle off and turning the shaft inside it.)

Pete

On 03/03/2010 21:01, The Medway Handyman wrote:
Steve wrote:
I have a freezer and a lot of tools etc. in my shed so I need regular
access to it. At present the door is secured by a barrel bolt which
can be padlocked. As it is a bit fiddly to unlock the padlock, slide
back the bolt, find somewhere to put the padlock, use the shed then
go back through the locking process again, I usually leave it
unlocked.
The trouble is that the contents of my shed wont be insured unless the
shed is locked, so I'm looking for recommendations for a suitable lock
that is easy to use, ideally with one hand.

Fit a Brenton bolt http://www.wickes.co.uk/Brenton-Bolt/invt/159633 which
has plenty of places to hang the padlock.

Buy a 4 wheel combination padlock, no need to carry a key, one hand
operation.


No indication of shed construction. Will a rim lock do the job. In my
experience insurance companies only require a lock on outbuildings.
Don't specify anything substantial. Our garage has a lock in the middle
of the handle like some old hotel rooms.

Steve was thinking very hard :
The trouble is that the contents of my shed wont be insured unless the shed
is locked, so I'm looking for recommendations for a suitable lock that is
easy to use, ideally with one hand.

We don't keep much regularly needed or anything of real value in the
hut, but I'll explain what I fixed up. It has an ordinary and very
cheap not very effective mortise lock. Slightly concerned about its
security, I added an alarm circuit to it (plus garage/workshop) and
drilled holes through the side of the hut frame through into the edge
of the door. Into the holes I inserted bolts. The bolt heads look as if
they are part of the structure, but they just push in and pull out to
release the door. The holes were drilled such that the door has to be
pushed in with just the right amount of pressure, before the bolts can
be pulled out enough to release the door. Often as not that is all we
use to lock the door.

At the hinge side of the door, I drilled the frame and door to match,
so that headless 8" nails could be fitted sticking out from the frame
about 1.5". As the door closes, the sticky out bits (pins) go into
matching recesses in the door. That prevents anyone using a crowbar on
the hinges to get in - take the hinges completely off, and the door
still will not open due to the interlocked pins.

We also have a bit of old lace curtain hung across the hut window, so
no one can see what might be inside it and the window is wired with 4mm
steel wire on the inside, such that breaking the glass does not allow
entry. It has been like that for 20 years, untouched except by us.

For my garage I use an electronic keypad entry, on its 'people' door.
You just tap the correct sequence of six digits and the door opens. I
fitted this after becoming fed up of others not returning the door's
key back to where it belongs.



--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Pete Verdon explained on 03/03/2010 :
I used a garage door T-handle, turning a big steel strip inside.

(Actually three strips, top, middle and bottom, linked together. The door and
frame is also reinforced, so altogether it's pretty strong against mindless
kicking. Less so against someone with a brain breaking the handle off and
turning the shaft inside it.)

Really the most secure ways are the hidden methods, where you need to
know the secret of entry, rather than an obvious lock. All you can do
is delay them and have them make lots of noise to get in.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

In message , Harry
Bloomfield writes

For my garage I use an electronic keypad entry, on its 'people' door.
You just tap the correct sequence of six digits and the door opens. I
fitted this after becoming fed up of others not returning the door's
key back to where it belongs.

What happens if you have a power failure?

regards

--
Tim Lamb

Tim Lamb explained on 04/03/2010 :
In message , Harry
Bloomfield writes

For my garage I use an electronic keypad entry, on its 'people' door. You
just tap the correct sequence of six digits and the door opens. I fitted
this after becoming fed up of others not returning the door's key back to
where it belongs.

What happens if you have a power failure?

We then fall back on a normal key to get in. The key pad lock just
releases the latch part, the actual lock is a standard one which can be
operated by a yale key.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk