How do I secure my patio furniture?

Last Updated on June 24, 2019 by

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.

Thieves are lurking but they’re not interested in getting inside your home; all they want is your patio furniture. We’ve seen this story happen across many different cities countless times. (I’ll leave a list of incidences below just so 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, whether from a home or business establishment is a crime. You can be charged for felony larceny if convicted. In some cases, thieves act while homeowners are gone away 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:

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’

8. 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 quite as much. This is how many commercial businesses secure their patio furniture.

You can buy a 100 ft galvanized wire rope like this one from Home Depot for $36. Others are cheaper under $10 for shorter ropes.

Run the steel cable through the frames of your patio furniture, connecting a few pieces together at a time. This will deter thieves from attempted 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

In many cases, security cameras can 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 just to make sure that everything is in order. Even hiring a neighbors teenager will give them something to do and keep your belongings. Better yet, bring your outdoor furniture inside if you know you’re going to be out of town for a while. We know that patio furniture can be heavy and a huge hassle to move around, which is why we recommend cast aluminum patio furniture. It’s durable, 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.

Not sure which is scarier! (CC)

6. Light up the Sky

One of the main areas that thieves target is dark areas. They like the cover of 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 often times 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 and it can also create an extra obstacle in their grand scheme. Not only will it help keep out intruders, but you’ll also have a little more privacy than before.

8. Carpet Tacks

Now this one isn’t advisable if you have children living in your home and it’s a bit more proactive, to say the least. 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!

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.

Don’t wake up to find your deck bare. Patio furniture can cost several thousands of dollars. Protect it to secure your investment in your home!

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

Be Social; Let Your Friends Know!

Help protect your neighborhood by sharing this post with friends who have outdoor furniture. Give them a heads up about what’s going on so that we can all keep a lookout 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!

It’s your job to get on the horn and let your neighbors know!

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

1. 7 Ways to Keep Patio Furniture from Blowing Away
2. How to Protect Patio Furniture from Freeze Damage

About the Author
Cheryl Khan is able to lend her insight on this topic after spending years in the design field. She has learned that all outdoor furniture is not the same. She is a contributing author to the Patio Productions Blog where she shares outdoor living tips to transform your backyard!