How Outdoor Lighting Can Increase Your Home’s Security

No one likes to think that their home could be the target of any type of crime. But a burglary takes place, on average, every 23 seconds in the US. If you want to keep your home safe, you need to layer multiple types of security measures. Good outdoor lighting is one way to keep burglars away from your property.

Lighting Keeps Burglars Away

Keeping your home safe if kind of like outrunning a hungry bear. You don’t have to run faster than the bear. You just have to run faster than the slowest person being chased. That sort of thinking works well for burglars, too. Your home doesn’t have to be a fortress to keep burglars away. It just has to be less appealing than other homes in your area. After all, if a burglar is in the neighborhood, they will look for the least secure home where they have the best chance of success. If your home looks like a challenge, they’ll stay away.

Unlike the popular image of a criminal crawling through a window, a surprising number of burglars enter a home through an unsecured door. Often, burglars will look for a back door or a door into a garage. These are usually much more appealing than a front entrance for two reasons. First, they are less likely to be locked. Second, they are less likely to be well-lit.

The last thing a burglar wants to do is walk across a large, well-lit area. Burglars lurk in shadows and use the cover of darkness to approach your home. If you can eliminate dark, shadowy areas around your home, you’ll make it very difficult or a burglar to reach your home.

What Kind of Lighting is Best for Security

When it comes to security lighting, you have a few options.

The first option is a bright light that shines over your entire front or back yard. Of course, that’s not so appealing from an aesthetic standpoint. That’s where motion detectors can come in very handy. It’s a good idea to set up a bright floodlight that is triggered by a motion sensor. Imagine the surprise on a would-be criminal’s face when they take a few steps onto your darkened property only to be greeted by a sudden burst of light!

Another area that could use some security lighting is the area around any entrance to your home. Back doors, garage entrances, and any other entryway should be lit with at least a porch-style light.

Criminals like to hide in the shadows, and if you have lots of trees and bushes on your property, you have plenty of shadows. But you can combine feature lighting and security lighting to eliminate many of those shadows. Take a look around your property for interesting features. They could be trees that you like, garden structures, or water features like ponds and fountains. Focus lights on those areas to highlight your garden’s beauty. It will have the added benefit of scattering light around your property and making it harder for anyone to move around without being noticed.

The Best Security Lighting in Atlanta

Outdoor lighting and security lighting go hand in hand. The outdoor lighting on your home should make your home more attractive at night and less appealing to criminals. To get the best in outdoor and security lighting in Atlanta and throughout the Metro Area, turn to a TrustDALE certified outdoor lighting specialist. You’ll be glad you did!