Making a home safe is always the top priority for any homeowner. Criminals always look for easy targets, and a home in the dark is like a magnet for intruders. One way to achieve home safety is by investing in outdoor lighting. While outdoor lighting alone may not deter a determined intruder, combining it with other tactics will improve the safety of your home. Having some outdoor lighting ideas up your sleeve makes your home well-lit and less likely to be targeted by criminals.
That’s why we have compiled these few outdoor lighting ideas to help you improve your home’s security.
Understanding Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting is crucial for any home or business. It can include everything from floodlights to spotlights to motion sensor lights. Outdoor lighting is generally used for security, safety, and aesthetic purposes.
Statistics show that there are over one million burglaries in the U.S. annually. While people believe burglaries happen at night, research shows otherwise. Most home invasions happen during the day when homeowners are away running errands. Out of the burglaries reported in 2020, 247,238 occurred during the day, while 194,324 cases were recorded at night.
Even though the burglary rate at night is lower, there are specific measures one should take to decrease night burglary. A study has shown outdoor lighting reduces crime by 39%. So outdoor lighting is part of a home’s security system, and doing it right is what counts.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas for a Safer Home
There are different ways to make your home safer, and one of them is by choosing the right outdoor lighting fixture. Proper lighting around your home can deter criminals and make it easier to see if someone is lurking around. It also reduces safety hazards such as trips and falls and improves your home’s value. Here are five outdoor lighting ideas to help keep your home safe:
Ensure Your Entryways Are Well Lit
Your front door is the main entry point in your house, so it’s essential to have good lighting. Research shows 34% of burglars use the front door. However, with good lighting, an intruder may fear being seen even by the neighbors. Also, ensure all the other entry points, including back and side doors and windows, are well-lit. Floodlights are an excellent option to place on entrances.
You can also use outdoor wall sconces, chandeliers, or lanterns to provide a warm welcome and make your home feel more inviting. However, for security purposes, bright floodlights are the best. They can deter would-be criminals looking for an easy target since they are bright.
Light Your Driveway and Pathway
Well-lit driveway and pathways leading to your front door will keep unwanted guests away from your home. Ensure to do an excellent job by avoiding overlighting or under lighting. You should have a clear view of the driveway and pathway leading to your doorstep to see everything happening.
Driveway and pathway lighting are also crucial, as they provide safety for you, your family, and your guests. Illuminated driveways and pathways will help prevent accidents. If you have stairs on your front door, ensure to light them well to avoid falls.
Light Any Blind Spots in Your Home
You’ll want your outdoor security camera surveillance to take clear, crisp images and videos. This makes adding some lightning to areas where the security camera is crucial.
Further, security cameras have blind spots where they can not record what is happening because of their limited range. These are the areas where criminals are most likely to hide. Light these areas to eliminate being vulnerable to intruders.
Use Landscape Lighting
You can use landscape lighting to illuminate specific areas of a property. Besides acting as a security feature by eliminating dark spots in your compound, you can use it to highlight the beauty in your compound.
You can achieve this by highlighting landscape features, such as:
- Gardens
- Patios
- Pool area
- Ponds
- Flower edges
- Focal points
Doing so makes your property more aesthetically pleasing. Landscape lighting is available in various styles and designs, so choosing the right type of lighting that also meets your security needs is essential.
Ensure Other Buildings in the Compound Are Well-Lit
When adding outdoor lighting, ensure other structures in your compound are also illuminated. This includes the garage, patio, gazebo, and outdoor kitchen. If these areas are left in the dark, burglars can use them as hiding places.
If you have a detached garage where you store valuable items, burglars may target it. So besides adding a security camera there, ensure you have excellent lighting.
Use Motion-Sensor Lights
These lights will automatically turn on when someone approaches your home, making it harder for burglars to sneak up on your property. And, if you’re worried about light pollution, motion sensor lights are designed to be minimally intrusive; by going on only when necessary.
Have a Glowing Border
Remember to illuminate your fence, especially if no street lines are close to your home. Ensure your entire property line has lights, including your gate, because a thief can enter your home compound from any side, either back or front.
Fence illumination can effectively dissuade intruders. The aim is to eliminate any dark area on the fence the intruder can use for hiding. That’s because they may fear being spotted by neighbors or passersby while monitoring your home or climbing the fence. In addition, fence lighting increases your home’s curb appeal and creates a welcoming gesture.
Avoid Dusk-to-Dawn Lighting
There was a time when most people thought dusk-to-dawn lighting could help reduce crime. On the contrary, it will help the intruder study your home’s layout. It will also provide them with the light to move around your compound. Instead of leaving the lights on the whole night, you can invest in motion-detecting lights to go on when they sense movement.
Turn Your Home into a Smart Home
A smart home can help you control your home from anywhere in the world. If you own a smart home, you can switch on and off your lights from a hub or mobile app.
Switching on the lights abruptly can scare the intruder. You will catch them by surprise. You can also use a two-way audio feature in your cameras to let the intruder know you can see them. This can also give you time to call the police for help.
Use LED lights
Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are energy efficient and can last long. They also emit a bright light, which can help keep your home well-lit at night.
Furthermore, these lights do not heat up, so you can place them near walls or plants. The main downside of LED lights is that they are more expensive than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Install Solar-Powered Lights
Solar lights are charged during the day; use this energy to illuminate your home at night. These lights are a great option to save on energy costs. While solar lights are cost-effective, they don’t shine bright as LED lights, which may require you to use more in your yard.
Best Outdoor Lighting Options
When choosing outdoor lights for your home, ensure the lighting is bright enough, and the fixtures can withstand the elements. Here are the most common types of security lights.
Flood Lights
Floodlights are the most common type of security light. They’re a great option if you’re looking to light up a large area, like a backyard or field. In addition, you can choose between LED floodlights and solar floodlights. Flood lights are bright, and some have a dimmable feature.
Spotlights
Spotlights are another option for outdoor lighting. They’re ideal for lighting up specific areas, like walkways or patios. And like floodlights, they can also be very bright. You can place floodlights on pathways, garage doors, blind spots, and home entrances.
Solar Lights
Solar lights are also a good option for outdoor lighting as they don’t use any energy. They are also more environmentally friendly and easy to install since they need no wiring.
Motion-Sensor Lights
These lights will turn on automatically when they sense body heat or movement, making it much harder for burglars to sneak around undetected. Since the lights are only on when someone triggers them, you’ll save money on your energy bill.
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lights
If you’re looking for brighter lights than floodlights, HID lights are the best choice. These lights are very bright and can light up a large area, making them the best for industrial and commercial settings. You can use them in your home if you have a large field. HID lights are also more energy-efficient than traditional lights. However, they can also be quite expensive.
Light Your Outdoors with ONIT Home
One of the best tactics to improve the safety and security of your home is to add some light. Outdoor lighting can deter criminals, illuminate dark areas, and add aesthetics to your home. Hopefully, our outdoor lighting ideas will help you light up your home to improve safety and security.
At ONIT Home, we can help you light up your outdoors and ensure it meets your security needs. Besides outdoor lighting, we also help you boost your home’s security with equipment such as motion detectors, smart locks, and security and doorbell cameras. We can also help you turn your home into a smart home and design a security system that matches your home’s security needs.
Need security in your home? We’re ONIT! Call us at 1-833-433-0331 now to speak to our experts.