It’s no secret that a home that’s well-lit at night is less attractive to burglars, vandals, pranksters, and anyone else who doesn’t have any business being on your property.
Many people sensibly install home security systems to deter criminals and protect their homes, but these systems sometimes have blind spots, or, if lighting is insufficient, cameras may not capture good images of trespassers and intruders.
Good exterior lighting is the way to bolster a home security system. It’s also a good solution for those who prefer not to install an alarm and cameras but want some additional security for their homes.
Contrary to what you might think, effective lighting for security doesn’t mean you have to make your home look like noon at midnight and keep all the neighbors awake. Let’s look at smart ways to increase home security through exterior lighting.
Illuminate Entryways
The ground-floor entryways to your home are where intruders are going to try to access it. Lighting them acts as a deterrent because, of course, the criminal is more likely to be seen and/or caught on camera. This doesn’t mean you have to use harsh, glaring lights. Downward-facing lighting effectively illuminates entryways and also provides a soft, calming effect.
Lighting entryways, including walkways leading to them, also keeps you safer because you’re less likely to trip over something in the dark.
Light Your Driveway
Lighting a driveway illuminates the easiest pathway to those entryways. It also makes it safer for a driver to pull into the driveway at night, especially during bad weather, and it makes it safer to enter and exit a car if there isn’t a garage.
Eliminate Blind Spots
If you have security cameras, check your monitors or ask the security company to check theirs for blind spots that the cameras aren’t catching or aren’t recording sufficiently. Adding lighting to such spots can address that problem. While doing so, make sure lighting is adjusted correctly so it’s not creating a washout effect and thereby negating the purpose of the cameras.
Detect Motion
For other access points such as your yard, or if you want to strike a balance between security and dark nighttime skies, you can install motion-sensitive lighting. A trespasser trying to cross your dark yard will find this to be a deterrent when a sensor detects movement and then lights suddenly come on. The lights will then stay on for a period that you can set before they go back out again. You can mount this kind of lighting in your grass, on trees, atop fences, etc.
Increase Property Visibility
Perimeter lighting can illuminate other parts of the property, highlighting attractive features and producing additional security at the same time. You don’t need foodlights; tasteful and even elegant options are available.
LandArt Can Be Your Lighting Solution
LandArt Solutions is a full-service, fully accredited landscaping company serving the Fayetteville, NC region. For your exterior lighting needs, we can help you evaluate your property for areas of concern, create a lighting design plan, and then install the lighting fixtures for you. No property is too large or small, and we see every property as unique and requiring a unique approach.
How can we help you with your lighting for home security?
