How to protect your man cave
Not all that long ago, men who wanted to escape for a bit could disappear to the garden shed – a place to tinker with bits and pieces, perhaps have a cup of tea. The only amenities were a toolbox and a stool. A battered transistor radio was a dangerous extravagance.
Now we have the man cave. Like natural caves, these come in all shapes, sizes and locations. In back gardens you’ll find sheds billed as ‘log cabins’, all the way up to purpose-built £25,000 ‘shepherds huts’ – like the one David Cameron had installed to write his memoirs. Others might be a converted garage or a loft or basement. Some people have even built ‘baserooms’ – an underground extension in the back garden.
Kitting out a man cave
The modern man cave is not a place for hermits, though. They are furnished with all sorts of essential gadgets and indispensable items to distract and entertain its owner. Some are even equipped so well that other members of the family prefer to spend time in them, at which point they often become known as she sheds. There are many varieties, but here are four of the most common:
The speakeasy cave
These man caves are equipped with a bar, stools, and a dedicated beer fridge. Some speakeasy-style caves are decked out with pool tables and dart boards. More technologically minded owners may opt for screen-based entertainment, like gaming systems or sports channels.
The cinematic cave
Watching movies or sport is a serious affair, requiring a large-screen TV or even a projector, plus at least one row of sofas and walls bedecked with rare memorabilia. Good sound systems are essential, too, and the higher quality speakers can cost thousands of pounds. Have extra cash after all those purchases? Try splurging on a night sky ceiling, as seen below:
The fitness cave
Going to the gym is just a waste of time when your man cave has a treadmill, free weights and a bench. Some fitness cave owners even add a rowing machine to help keep them in shape when it’s too rainy for the real thing. You can also treat yourself to a built-in sauna post-workout. Even if you don’t have the cash for all these extras, you can still use your fitness cave as a safe place to store rugby, football and golf gear.
The hobbyist cave
This is arguably one of the most traditional – and popular – man caves out there. The hobbyist cave can host anything from woodworking projects to home brewing. Some hobbyist cave owners dedicate the space to their artwork, model railway layouts, or band rehearsals. These caves tend to be more minimalist – think plain walls, concrete floors, fluorescent lighting. The real focus for the hobbyist cave is the project at hand.
The man cave industry
As you can see from the examples above, pimping out a man cave takes some serious investment. Jukeboxes, classic pinball machines, beer pumps and the latest tech all cost serious amounts of money. While it can be done cheaply – a shrine to Aberdeen FC was named Britain’s Game Room of the Year and just cost £2,000 with a lot of DIY – many people spend upwards of £30,000 to create their ideal environment.
This understandably leads to a serious risk for anyone who decks out his man cave with expensive equipment, but even modest garden sheds can contain expensive items, like bicycles, lawn mowers and sports equipment. And not all of them are very secure. That’s why insurers will typically only pay out for claims from sheds that are securely locked and show signs of forced entry, and most policies have limited cover of between £1,000 and £3,000.
Man cave security
Anyone investing time, energy and money into creating a man cave should make sure to add security arrangements to their budget. Valuable items should be documented and marked where possible so that they can be identified if stolen.
But the most important purpose of man cave security is to deter theft and burglary in the first place. A good security system should be able to detect intruders, provide an alert, and record information that might identify them.
Perimeter detectors use infrared and microwaves to detect movement and are calibrated to distinguish humans from animals. A shock sensor detector fitted to a door or window will trigger an alarm when someone tries to break in.
A photo detector has a powerful flash so that it can take effective pictures in total darkness, while a surveillance camera can record footage when the system is triggered.
As a technology exclusive to Verisure, the ZeroVision alarm can emit a non-toxic fog that will make it impossible for the intruder to see his or her surroundings.
All these devices can link to a Verisure 3G control panel so that the man cave owner is able to monitor and control the alarm system from anywhere, and Verisure’s smartphone app offers similar functionality. But there is more support available – the 24-hour Alarm Receiving Centre can monitor any alerts to establish if they are false alarms or genuine emergencies and even send out a Guard Response or inform the relevant authorities.
Keeping a man cave or she shed secure makes sense, especially considering the investment that goes into creating fun and exciting spaces to relax. Some of the technology behind Verisure’s security systems is as interesting as the man cave gadgets they are protecting. Book a free Home Security Review today to find out how to get the best protection.
