Home Security Lighting.

Darkness is Mr. Burglar’s friend. The dark shields and protects the intruder, it allows him to conduct his dirty business unseen.

Put yourself in Mr. Burglar’s shoes for one moment. Which home would you pick? The home that has effective outside security lighting, no dark places in which to hide and work, with the risk of being spotted by neighbors or passers by? Or, the home that is bathed in shadow, with dark corners and recesses that are perfect for concealing your activities?

Like all burglary prevention measures, home security lighting gives the most protection when used as part of an overall home security system and not as a stand-alone measure. Keep in mind that many homes are burglarized during the hours of daylight when security lighting will provide little protection, make sure that you also defend your home using other significant security defenses.

High powered floodlighting, such as Tungsten Halogen, gives a bright light and can illuminate large areas. However, it is a better plan to use several lower wattage lamps rather than one high wattage lamp for several reasons.

Lighting is a fairly low-tech security measure that can do a superb job of denying burglars protective cover.

If you use high wattage lamps, even though they throw a bright light any space that they do not cover will be lost in shadow. With a number of smaller lamps arranged to cover all spaces you will be better able to deny intruders dark hiding places.

Also high-powered lamps even if just slightly aimed off target, can greatly annoy your neighbors, something that you don’t want to do! Badly aimed home security lights have also been known to dazzle passing traffic with deadly consequences.

Outside home security lighting using low wattage bulbs, will enable you to approach your home without being blinded by glare and at the same allows you to see if anyone is lurking where they should not be.

Do you want your outside security lighting permanently on in the hours of darkness, or do you want it to come on when an intruder approaches your home?

Lights that are rigged up using motion detectors light up when movement is identified which can give the burglar a nasty surprise, give him the fear of being seen and hopefully send him on his way. Motion detectors that also sound an alarm as well as illuminate the area are particularly effective in sending an intruder running.

One advantage of motion activated home security lighting is that neighbors are more likely to take notice of your lights suddenly coming on, and therefore spotting the burglar, than take notice of lighting that is always on. Unfortunately pets and wildlife will often trigger motion sensors and neighbors, and others are less likely to pay attention to lights that are frequently coming on.

Heat-sensing lights are a good alternative, these are only triggered when heat at human body temperature is detected and not that of any animals that are likely to be around your home.

Security lighting that is on all the time it is dark may put a housebreaker off even considering your home as a target, with no dark places your property will not make an inviting prospect. If a burglar does risk approaching your home though, with lights permanently on there will be nothing to attract the attention of neighbors unless they happen to be looking at your home at the time and spot the intruder.

There is a third alternative that offers the advantages of both motion detector lighting and permanently lit lamps. Hi/Lo control security lights that are on permanently but set to twenty percent of their lamp wattage - until they sense movement when they brighten to full power.

Should you have your outside security lights controlled by a time switch or a photocell? A time switch will switch on your lights at the same time each evening and switch them off at the same time each morning, a photocell will switch the on the show when it gets dark.

Either option is better than manual control that depends on the homeowner being at home and remembering to switch them on. Lights controlled by a timer or photocell will do their part in protecting your home even when you are away on a trip.

Remember to install your security lights high enough to be out of easy reach of intruders. It is not unknown for intruders to enter your grounds, vandalize your home security lighting, beat a swift retreat and return at another time before you have fixed the lights, and then break into your home. Lamps are available that are protected by wire mesh or high impact polycarbonate.

Where you direct your home security lights is obviously important, you want to direct them to cover all dark areas around the exterior of your home. What you don’t want is to have them shine through your neighbor’s window, this can cause friction, keep your neighbors sweet they are your best home security asset. Be sure also not to dazzle passers by, whether on foot or in vehicles.

Lighting is a fairly low-tech security measure that can do a superb job of denying burglars protective cover. Home security lighting is reasonably simple to install, is reasonably inexpensive and, used with other security measures will give you good protection from intruders.

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