Beautiful outdoor lighting can do a lot more than merely highlight the features you love about your home and landscaping – a thoughtfully designed outdoor lighting plan can also be a simple and surprisingly effective way to increase the security of your home. But how do you determine what kind of security lighting will be most beneficial?
Many homeowners looking into security lighting for the first time want to know which light works best, but the answer is not – and honestly, should not – be that simple. Here are a couple of basic approaches to help you determine not which lights work best, but which lights will work best for you.
Customizing Your Security Lights to Suit Your Landscape
When it comes to security lighting, one size doesn’t fit all. While certain types of lighting seem to be more effective in the prevention of criminal activity, like motion activated lights, there are several other options and additional factors that should be taken into account which relate specifically to your home and surroundings.
● Where do you need light? Walk around your house at dusk and look for dark areas around your house or yard that you feel need illuminating.
● Would motion activated lights or consistent lighting that remains on from dusk until dawn be more appropriate or useful? Would a combination of both be better?
● How well lit is the street you live on? Do you have neighbors nearby or is your house in a secluded area? How large is the area you would like to light up?
Customizing Your Security Lights to Suit Your Lifestyle
Another way to help determine your security lighting needs is to consider your lifestyle and schedule. For example, the options that might be better for someone who lives alone or travels frequently could be very different from the lights that would be most effective for a small family who are usually home at night.
● Are you generally at home after dark or would you benefit from using a timed lighting system to create the appearance of being home?
● How involved do you want to be with the control of your security lighting? Do you prefer to adjust the settings of your security lighting system yourself or would you prefer an easily automated system?
● Do you have concerns about the safety or cost of leaving security lights on throughout the night? You may want to consider using cost and energy efficient LED lights rather than incandescent bulbs.
The variety of security lighting options available now makes it easier than ever to find a combination that will provide you with the measure of added comfort and safeguarding that you need to help you protect your home.
Feeling overwhelmed? If you are interested in incorporating security elements to improve your existing landscape lighting, or if you are looking to install a new lighting system and would like to know more about the home security benefits of good landscape lighting, contact us today. Creative Nightscapes is dedicated to helping you determine the most attractive and effective security based lighting design for your home and are proud to offer a free consultation and quote.
