Simply having the brightest lights in the neighbourhood doesn’t necessarily make your home more secure. There are several effective ways to increase your home’s security with lighting while adding value to your property.
Effective security lighting should perform two functions: act as a deterrent to trespassers and allow you to see if anyone has entered your property.
They enhance your outdoor living spaces, highlighting attractive features and illuminating pathways to make moving around more secure and comfortable for family and welcome visitors.
Motion sensors
The main objective when installing security lighting is to deter criminals, and bright lights that switch on automatically when an intruder enters the property can be all that is required to scare away unwanted elements.
However, motion sensor lights will only turn on once the trespasser has already entered your property. If criminals have already decided to enter your property, motion sensor lights are unlikely to scare them away.
Trespassers who are prowling through the neighbourhood late at night are usually looking for the easiest targets, most of which are dark homes with no apparent security measures. A well-lit property is easily a psychological barrier.
Trespassers will usually ignore well-illuminated houses in favour of more vulnerable targets, where there is less risk of being noticed.
Motion sensor lights are most useful as task lighting, illuminating walkways for guests, in addition to highlighting any trespassers who do decide to enter.
Landscape lighting
Landscape lighting allows greater visual control over your property. The soft lighting extends the reach of light to the outer edges of your grounds, effectively eliminating dark pockets.
Indirect shielded lighting that is well-positioned is also neighbour-friendly. Strategically placed downlights work well, and solar garden lights are ideal for this purpose. However, be sure to buy good quality lights that can withstand severe weather.
Weak points
Entrances are usually a home’s weak spots as these are where incidents are most likely to occur. Side and back doors or garage doors are particularly vulnerable, but all entrances around your home should be well-lit to help prevent incidents.
A light shining directly on a door will discourage trespassers from approaching. Downlights or wall-mounted motion sensor lights are particularly effective - and don’t neglect to illuminate sliding glass doors.
General security
It’s important to keep in mind that even the best security lighting does not replace a proper security system. Security lighting should always be an integral part of an effective overall security installation - reinforcing the message that your property is not an easy target for criminals.
