How to Protect Your Patio Furniture From Theft

Protecting patio furniture from theft is often not the last thing we think about before we doze off to bed each night. Theft of high-end patio furniture is quite common, a surprising fact to many. Recent news has reported the story of a man who stole over $5K in outdoor furniture.

Take pictures to make sure that insurance will reimburse you in the case of theft, but there are no guarantees. You should save receipts for documentation as well. The best solution is to use some of these ideas to keep thieves from stealing your patio furniture and spreading the word to friends and neighbors about this type of activity.

Patio Furniture Theft

Thieves are lurking but are not interested in getting inside your home; they only want your patio furniture. We’ve seen this story happen across many different cities countless times. (I’ll leave a list of incidences below so that you can see.)

So why steal patio furniture? Well, it’s simple. It’s lightweight, expensive, and unguarded. This is a piece of cake for many criminals. All they have to do is hop the fence and toss it over. Then you wake up in the morning wondering where your patio furniture went.

Stealing patio furniture from a home or business establishment is a crime. You can be charged with felony larceny if convicted. In some cases, thieves act while homeowners leave for vacation or even when they’re sound asleep. Often times they get away scot-free with thousands of dollars of merchandise.

Incidents of Patio Furniture Theft Storeis:

1. Patio Furniture Thefts Worry East Dallas Homeowners
2. Man Steals $5K in Outdoor Furniture While Homeowner is Away
3. Thieves Stealing Lawn Furniture Off Homeowners’ Porches in Northwest Houston
4. Police: Several Patio Furniture Thefts Reported in East Dallas
5. OP Police Seek Tips in Patio Furniture Thefts
6. Thieves Who Stole Residential Home Furniture Branded ‘Lowest of the Low’

10 Ways to Protect Your Patio Furniture from Thieves

The best way to protect outdoor furniture from theft is to lock it up at night with a steel cable and a master lock. I haven’t heard much about cushions being stolen but you can purchase a cushion storage box to keep them out of sight of would-be thieves. Aside from that, here are 8 preventative measures you can take.

1. Lock Up Your Patio Furniture

You can purchase a steel cable (wire rope) with a lock from your local hardware store. Here’s some from Home Depot. They look better than unsightly chains so you won’t notice them as much. This is how many commercial businesses secure their patio furniture.

Run the steel cable through the frames of your patio furniture, connecting a few pieces together at a time. This will deter thieves from attempting to steal your patio furniture, as they’ll either have to cut the cord (very hard to do) or haul it away all at once (nearly impossible).

2. Install Security Cameras

Security cameras can often deter thieves from entering and scouting your home. They know that video evidence is very powerful and will be hard to refute. After some quick research, we found that the average price to purchase and install security cameras is $1,370, according to Homeadvisor.com. It’s a significant investment, but it’s easy to put three times that much into patio furniture, so we think it’s worth the sense of security.

3. Find a House Sitter

If you plan on staying away for long periods of time, ask someone to stop by your house from time to time to make sure that everything is in order. Hiring a neighbor’s teenager will give them something to do and keep their belongings. Bring your outdoor furniture inside if you know you’ll be out of town for a while. We know that patio furniture can be heavy and a huge hassle, so we recommend cast aluminum patio furniture. It’s durable, and lightweight, and most options are easily stackable!

4. Let the Dogs Out

Let your dogs out in the backyard at night. Even if they are smaller dogs, they will alert you of any intruders that may be attempted to steal your patio furniture. Later on, you can reward them for holding down the fort.

5. Signage

Warn would-be thieves that your home is protected. You can place home security and surveillance signs in your front yard. Smile 🙂 You’re on Camera! A Beware of Dog sign is also sure to make them think twice.

6. Light up the Sky

One of the main areas that thieves target is dark areas. They like the cover of the night because it masks their identity. You can install motion sensor flood lights that will come on if someone steps into your patio. This alone can oftentimes scare away would-be thieves who will think that the homeowners have just awoken. Here are some exterior lighting ideas that you can use.

7. Install a Taller Fence

Raising the height of your fence can deter criminals from entering your backyard. They’ll have a harder time getting things up and over the fence, which can also create an extra obstacle in their grand scheme. It will help keep out intruders, and you’ll also have a little more privacy than before.

8. Carpet Tacks

This one isn’t advisable if you have children living in your home, and it’s a bit more proactive. You can place carpet tacks along the top of your fence so that when they reach up to jump over, they’ll instantly realize that you’ve thought about this before. Ouch!

9.  Anchor Your Furniture

To help prevent patio furniture theft, anchor the furniture down to a secure surface such as concrete or flagstones. Use heavy-duty bolts and screws to ensure the furniture is firmly attached and cannot be easily removed.

When anchoring your patio furniture, use materials designed for outdoor use that won’t be easily damaged by weather. Choose corrosion-resistant materials such as steel or galvanized metal, which are strong and durable enough to ensure the furniture is securely attached. Ensure the bolts, screws, and anchors are long enough to secure the furniture but not so long that they could damage the surface underneath.

Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the size of the bolt or screw head to ensure a snug fit and help prevent any damage to the surface. Add a padlock or other locking device to your furniture for extra security.

10.  Install An Alarm

An alarm system to safeguard your outdoor patio furniture successfully deters theft. An alarm system can be installed to detect any movement and sound an alarm that will alert you or people nearby of any suspicious activity.

Before setting up an alarm system, certain steps should be taken to ensure correct installation. Start by selecting a motion sensor to detect activity near your outdoor furniture. Make sure the motion detector has adjustable settings so you can customize it to fit your requirements. Afterward, install the motion detector near your patio furniture that intruders can’t easily access.

Once you’re done with these tasks, test the system by setting off the alarm and ensuring it works correctly. Linking a motion detector to a security system or surveillance equipment, like a camera or light sensor, is recommended. An effective security system will ensure your patio furniture is guarded against theft.

What to Do if Someone Steals Your Patio Furniture

If someone steals your patio furniture, you should contact your local police department and file a police report. In most jurisdictions, anything over $500 is considered a felony and is not taken lightly. Check to see if your neighbors have security cameras. Ask them to check their tapes to see if their cameras caught anything that would help you to identify the thief.

In some cases, neighbors have seen people pacing or scouting a home. See if any of your neighbors saw anybody unusual walking around the neighborhood, maybe approaching the fence or windows.

Outdoor Theft is Not Uncommon

Criminals steal everything from patio furniture, BBQ grills, and snow shovels to garden plants (check out this story on Apartment Therapy)! They will take whatever they think they can sell, so make sure you keep your home safe. Thieves will steal things from your backyard or front porch, it doesn’t matter. If there is an opportunity, there is a potential that your belongings may go missing.

Be Social; Let Your Friends Know!

Help protect your neighborhood by sharing this post with friends with outdoor furniture. Give them a heads-up about what’s happening so we can all look for suspicious activity! By taking these steps, we can all protect our patio furniture from thieves and enjoy more summer days lounging in the sun!

If you have a story that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! You can tag me in your tweets @SuperiorInteriors or you can tag @PatioPros. Share your experiences and the steps you’ve taken to prevent it from happening to you!

More Tips for Patio Furniture

• 7 Ways to Keep Patio Furniture from Blowing Away
• How to Protect Patio Furniture from Freeze Damage