Your home’s security should always be your number one priority, especially at night. Apart from installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) and adding a high fence around your property, optimizing your outdoor lighting can also provide good protection for your property. This way, you can illuminate your home and keep break-ins at bay.
Here are some tips on how to secure your home with outdoor lighting:
1. Choose From Various Types of Light
As you ensure that your home is secure with outdoor lighting, you need to keep in mind that the type of light you’re looking for should match its purpose. Each type of light has different benefits, and you need to check which one suits your setup the best.
Some lights are brighter than others, and they also differ in their life spans. While you can easily consult with a professional like Oregon Outdoor Lighting, it would be best if you could have a general knowledge yourself.
- Fluorescent Light
If you’re looking for lights with a longer life span, you should opt for fluorescent lighting. Even though it’s the most commonly used light, you should be aware that it’s not capable of certain tasks.
One drawback is their inability to perform well at low temperatures. In short, the bulb’s brightness gets softer as the temperature drops.
- Incandescent Light
Another popular type of bulb that you might want to consider is incandescent light. The biggest advantage with this is that you’ll only have a low upfront cost. It’s a great option if you’re low on budget but would like to have great outdoor lighting. However, it has a shorter lifespan, which requires more frequent bulb replacement.
- Mercury Vapor
Mercury vapor bulbs are exclusive outdoor lights as they emit an extremely bright white or blue light that can illuminate your property well. Moreover, they also have a long lifespan, requiring less maintenance and bulb replacement.
- Sodium Vapor
Going for a high-or low-pressure sodium vapor light bulb would be your best choice if you’d like to have an outdoor light similar to buildings, public parking garages, and roadways. The only difference between the two is that the low-pressure sodium vapor illuminates a brighter light, but they work just the same.
- Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lights
LED lights are commonly used indoors. But an outdoor-grade LED light is best for modern outdoor spaces. They might have a higher upfront cost, but they last longer. And they don’t burn through your electricity bills as they’re highly efficient.
2. Identify Outdoor Lighting Type
If there are different types of light, there are also various lighting types. And yes, they’re not the same. While the types of light focus on the bulb and the lumens, lighting types focus on the usefulness of outdoor lighting. This will help provide proper security for your home while illuminating what might suddenly lurk inside your property.
- Motion Sensors
Motion Sensors are the most common type of outdoor lighting because they help you save money and keep your home safe. It works by illuminating the surroundings once the sensor detects something is moving.
Indeed, an intruder will be surprised once the lights turn on. Hence, making them visible on your property and therefore driving them away.
- Timed Outdoor Lighting
This type of lighting is an excellent way of mimicking your activity. Even if no one was home, you could program your lights to switch on and off at particular times. These lights may lead passersby to believe that there’s someone in your house. As a result, this lighting protects your home from intruders and keeps them at bay.
- Floodlights
If you want to illuminate a vast part of your lawn, you could also use floodlights. They’re great for outdoor lighting, particularly if portions of your property get quite dark, enabling someone to walk by without being seen.
By using floodlights, you can keep your entire property well-illuminated, which could motivate intruders to stay away from your property as anyone can easily spot them lurking inside your lawn.
- Small Accent Lights
If you need to illuminate some narrow spaces in your property, using small accent lights could help get the job done. You can use them around your windows and doors to further emphasize your home’s architecture.
In addition, you can install them in your garden, pool, and landscape so you can have a clear view of your outdoor space at night.
3. Choose Light Location
Having outdoor lights on your property isn’t enough. You still need to strategically place them one by one to ensure that every bulb can truly serve its purpose. For instance, lights that are too close to each other, but the same area is still lit up even if one of the lights is turned off. Avoid this situation so you can save money and use those extra lights strategically.
In addition, make sure to place your bulbs in areas that need light, especially when it gets dark. You could put them above doorways, driveways, or your backyard. This will ensure that all parts of your property are well lit, and everything can be seen once your lights turn on.
On the other hand, if you’re worried about any busted lights, make it a habit to check their condition every night to see if they’re still illuminating well. If you notice that one bulb is starting to get dimmer, you should immediately replace it with a brand new one.
4. Reduce Shadows
Having shadows on your property would be your number one enemy, as it gives intruders the perfect hiding spot. Further, this allows them to sneak onto your property without being seen. Therefore, reducing shadows on your property can help eliminate these chances.
It’s important to keep an eye on your surroundings and note which areas of your property are casting shadows. This is a simple way to save energy and make your home safer. Moreover, this can discourage thieves and burglars from targeting your home, as it’ll be difficult for them to go undetected on your lawn.
Meanwhile, you can observe your property at night to see the potential areas where intruders could hide. This will help you plan what to do, whether you need to replace the bulbs you’re using or if you should rearrange your lights so that these shadows won’t be present.
On the other hand, if replacing the bulbs or rearranging the lights doesn’t fix the issues, you could always consider adding new fixtures to help reduce these shadows. It’s better to spend more instead of dealing with an intruder who entered your home through the shade on your property.
5. Maintain Your Lights
Always make sure that your lights are well maintained. It defeats the point if your lights are broken, since they may cast a shadow, which can turn into a perfect hiding place for intruders. You should keep in mind that these lights help you secure your property and aren’t for display only.
In addition, when these lights aren’t well maintained, it can weaken the security and safety of your property. It’s critical to remember that lights are only useful if they’re properly maintained. So, make sure to have a schedule of maintenance for them. This avoids the inconvenience of losing their light when you’re sleeping or when no one is home.
Moreover, it would be helpful if you could keep some light bulbs in stock so you can quickly replace them once you notice that they’re busted. This will help you save time instead of driving to a store for a quick purchase.
6. Be Mindful Of Your Neighbors
It’s great when your property is illuminated by all those lights you installed. However, while you can keep intruders away from your property, your brightly illuminated home might be affecting your neighbors. This won’t allow them to sleep well or force themselves to switch to blackout curtains to compensate for your home’s intense brightness.
To be mindful of your neighbors while keeping your property well-lit, you should consider where your lights’ directions are. Ideally, everything should be facing your home. In addition, switching to a cooler tone would help avoid distractions for your neighbors. It can also improve your home’s appearance by giving it a soft and classy look.
7. Think Like A Trespasser
One of the best ways you can secure your home from intruders is to think like one. This will give you an idea of which areas of your house need maximum protection, so you can limit them from breaking in.
You can begin by checking their possible point of entry, which can either be your front door or backyard. With that, you need to illuminate those areas well. Because your property is well lit, adding a CCTV camera could also help you record while having a clear view of their face.
Apart from the intruders’ point of entry, you should also check which areas they’re most likely going to hide in. With that, you should add some spotlights or accent lights to these areas to keep your property safe and secure.
Takeaway
Securing your home with outdoor lighting isn’t an easy task. You need to ensure that you properly illuminate your home to keep burglars away while also being considerate of your neighbor’s comfort. With the right planning, you can keep your home safe, putting you at ease every time you sleep.
