Having outdoor security lighting for your Phoenix home can help deter intruders. It can also make it safer for you to walk outside at night, by lighting your path. You may have noticed your neighbor\’s motion sensor flood light when you walk by their home. While this does light up their driveway, criminals have learned how to work around them.
Where should you put outdoor security lighting? Our electricians know the right areas to install lights for them to be effective. Keep the following factors in mind when you install one of these systems at your home.
Avoid Creating Blind Spots
When you have one very bright light shining on your property, the areas outside it can become blind spots. This lighting setup creates darker areas where intruders can hide. Instead of having one bright light, such as a flood light, set up multiple lights that aren’t as bright.
When you have several lights set up at certain angles, you will reduce or eliminate blind spots. Your outdoor security lighting system will illuminate all areas of your property, which creates a more difficult area for intruders to invade.
Remember the Back and Side Yards
It’s common to light up the front yard, especially around doors. However, your backyard is at an even bigger risk for intruders. It provides more cover, away from the street. It’s important to make sure you have a properly positioned outdoor security lighting system to deter intruders. Your lights should illuminate all sides of your property.
Choose the Right Height
How high should your outdoor security lighting be placed? Lights that are close to the ground won’t provide the lighting you need. Instead, you\’ll have faint lighting and lots of blind spots. Lights that are too high need to be much brighter to provide lighting that reaches the ground.
Your outdoor lighting system needs to be at just the right height to provide plenty of illumination without creating blind spots. Your lights should point downward to shine on anyone in your yard. Keep in mind that placing your lights higher up helps protect them from tampering. An electrician understands the reasons behind an outdoor security lighting system and will work with you to help protect your home.
Avoid Obstacles
If you want to install a motion sensor lighting system, be aware of obstacles. Tree branches, for example, might blow in front of these sensors when it’s windy. This causes the sensors to go off when they don’t need to and may make you worry without reason. Remove obstacles or put motion sensor lighting in areas where tree branches and other potential obstacles won’t be a problem.
Avoid Glare
Glare from very bright lights can make it difficult for your outdoor security lighting system to work effectively. It causes the surrounding area to have more shadows and hiding places. Additionally, these bright lights can be obnoxious to look at. Since your neighbors get used to looking away from your bright lights, they may be less likely to notice someone sneaky into your yard.
A professional electrician will be able to help you avoid glare by ensuring your outdoor security lights have the right shielding. They can also help make sure that your lights are positioned properly and not pointed toward each other. Angling your security lights toward the ground can help cut down on glare.
Contact the Professionals
If you’re thinking of installing outdoor security lighting for your Phoenix home or your business, contact Turn It On Electric. Our electricians can safely and properly install this type of lighting to help keep your home or office secure.
