Outdoor lighting can add beauty and value to your home’s exterior and introduce a level of security at the same time. From artfully positioned flood lights and strategic footpath lighting, to spotlights and mood-enhancing lightscaping, your options for exterior illumination have never been so vast. With the correct placement, your exterior lighting can add a degree of protection for your home and family and be aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Your home needn’t look like a prison yard at midnight in order to provide light that ensures your safety.
In and around the Tampa area, security lighting that are also decorative have become exceedingly popular. With the advances made in home security lighting, homeowners are finding security lighting not only more affordable, but state of the art when it comes to protecting that which you value most.
Of course, placement of your lights counts a great deal. For example, motion-activated security spotlights need to be placed away from windows, lest they be triggered by indoor activities or reflections of sunlight on window panes. Ideally, a motion detecting spotlight or flood light, should be placed to detect activity in your driveway, or remote locations of your yard. Placement of your other exterior lights is just as crucial and needs to be given plenty of thought ahead of time.
Placement for Optimum Security
We have some lighting tips for you depending on the style of lighting you are choosing to install in your home.
- Flood Lighting – Flood lights provide a swath of light to a wide area. While you may be thinking a bright, intense light above your patio door would provide enhanced security—that’s not necessarily true. Having such blinding light so close to a point of entry can actually work to a criminal’s advantage, as it casts such an intense amount of light, creating deeper shadows throughout the yard concealing possible activity. The bright light also points the way for a criminal to gain access to your home. Instead, consider mounting your flood lights up along the roof line, where they will shine on the better part of the yard and are less likely to be tampered with. Also, look for the two or three light fixtures and mount on an upper corner to illuminate a broader area. Install motion detecting lights in the area above your doors. This is likely to be more of a deterrent.
- Ambient Lighting – Though primarily for exterior lightscaping and to add character to your yard, light posts and surface lighting can increase security around your property’s perimeter. Position your light posts low-around 5-6 feet, and near pathways. Position surface lighting nearby to decrease the shadows. By doing this, you’ll eliminate the ability for criminals to fall into the shadows around your home. Also, make sure your ambient lighting isn’t harsh or glaring. Soft light provides enough illumination and is even more of a deterrent than constant bright lights.
- Spot Lighting – Spot lights are another go-to for homeowners, however, placement is key. Consider utilizing spot lights to illuminate wooded areas or to shine on landscaping. Not unlike the ambient light of light posts or surface lighting, recessed spots and landscape spot lights take away the opportunity for potential criminals to hide in the shadows. They are also quite pleasant.
- Footpath Lighting – Lighting around pathways, along your driveway, and around landscaping is aesthetically pleasing. This type of illumination also offers a large degree of safety by providing light in areas ideal for intruders to hide. Footpath lighting also helps prevent tripping and slip-and-fall injuries to your guests, should you be entertaining al fresco one evening.
Choose Hoffman Electrical & A/C for Security Lighting in Hillsborough & Pinellas Counties
Discourage intruders and opportunistic criminals from accessing your home, automobiles, and the like with strategic, yet aesthetically pleasing outdoor security lighting. Minimize the shadows where potential intruders can hide, and shine a light on places that can be breached when you add security lighting to your home’s exterior, yard, and out buildings.
Let us help you find your peace of mind. If you’re interested in installing security lighting in the Tampa or St. Petersburg areas, contact us today!
