We all want and need to feel secure, but how do we accomplish that with all the reports of crime and home invasions? We could replace our landscaped gardens with asphalt, put high walls around our home, and have bright lights shining out. Security is important, and we need to protect ourselves. But, we also want to live in a beautiful environment, and walls keep us in as much as they keep others out.
Fortunately, properly designed lighting can both enhance security and add beauty.
Burglars like easy targets. Good security lighting around your home makes it a harder target.
Less is more
It may seem counterintuitive, but less light can be more secure. Take a look at this video. Notice that when the person is walking in range of the security lights, he almost disappears. When he is in front of the gently lit wall, he is highly visible.
When setting up your lights, think lower power, better placed. It’s better for your health, kinder to the environment, cheaper for your budget, and allows us more enjoyment of the beauty of the night sky!
So, think in terms of low-level light gently washing over flat surfaces. Not only will you or neighbors be able to see people walking around your building, but you will have a nice diffuse light to see by when you or friends walk around the property at night. You can even use wildlife friendly lighting for this.
Remember, bright lights left on all the time reduce security, and just give the burglar a light to work by.
But, when you are ready to go in for the night, a high power motion sensing security light is a great back-up plan.
Second that ‘motion
Motion sensor lights are one of the most awesome security gadgets ever invented. Our brains are hardwired to notice motion. It’s what kept us from being eaten by large predators, back in the day. Now, that trait is a major moneymaker for advertising companies because they know that humans see motion. We can use this to our advantage in security lighting. Our eyes perceive a light turning on and off as motion.
So, if you want your neighbors to really notice anyone skulking about, leave your low-level lights on, plus install high-powered motion sensing lights. You’ll want them high, and pointed straight at doorways, windows, or other points of entry.
Don’t attach them to the structure pointing out. That will just blind anyone trying to help you, and cause harsh shadows for the burglar to hide in. Instead, have them in trees, on poles, or on a fence, placed high enough they cannot be reached. Test the positioning, and make sure the light is unobstructed and illuminates what you’ll need to see.
A bright light flashing on suddenly has a better chance of startling and briefly blinding a would-be intruder than does the same light remaining on all night long. You’ve already probably heard the term, “Deer in the headlights!” With this set-up, you may get to see it in action!
Find a position
It’s better to have several smaller targeted motion sensing lights all around your property than one big floodlight. Not only will you have security coverage over more of your area, but if the person goes around your property, the lights will “follow” as the burglar moves about the property, showing you, neighbors, and the police exactly where the intruder is.
Kids are great at helping lay out your lights! Have a nighttime hide and seek game. Have them show you all the best hiding places, and set up motion detectors and lights to illuminate those.
Highs and lows
Get the security lighting up off of the ground, going for that “eye in the sky” effect. The higher the light, the wider the light pool on the ground, so you can see who is there better.
You’ll have a softer light with fewer shadowy blind spots, and it’s also easier to overlap the lighting to get full coverage. Keep that light pointing down to reduce light pollution! Try different positions and heights (use clamps and extension cords) until you find a set-up that works for your property. Then wire it in permanently.
Another advantage of placing the lights up high – they are harder to vandalize.
You have the power!
Anybody who wants to rip you off will not worry about damaging your property. If they can find your power cables, they will cut your power cables. Run the wires in such a way they cannot be tampered with, and remember security lighting for your power box. Solar lighting is another option.
Do the maintenance
Especially here in Hawaiʻi, outdoor lighting takes a lot of maintenance.
Replace any burned out bulbs as quickly as you can. Cleaning and testing your system once a month is a good idea. Bulbs burn out. Lenses get dirty. Water can get into the works. Your security lights can’t protect you if you don’t protect them.