Every 15 seconds in the United States, a home is broken into. It’s a scary figure to consider no matter how well protected or gated your neighborhood is. Burglars and thieves seem to always find a way, except when certain precautions are taken. While home security systems are certainly helpful in letting you know someone is trying to break in there are ways to prevent the attempt. Houses that take certain precautions make themselves a house that seems to risky to prowlers, encouraging them to pass on by. Lighting is one major way this can be accomplished. A burglar doing his homework is going to look for the easiest, most vulnerable home. A well lit home is not one a burglar typically wants to tangle with. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five types of outdoor safety lighting that will help prevent a break-in.
1. Motion Sensor Outdoor Lighting
Motion sensor lighting is one of the best break-in deterrents you can get for your money. If anything approaches your home and sets off the sensor, the lights will come on. This is particularly effective due to the startling nature of having lights suddenly turn on. Even if a burglar knows it was motion detection, they are still likely to take off running in fear that the lights have captured someone’s attention who might have seen them. These work best mounted close to the house as you don’t want every car that passes by to set them off. A person will have to come closer to the home where they shouldn’t be to make the lights come on, making this one of the most effective safety lighting break-in deterrents.
2. Flood Lighting
Flood lighting is another type of light that is extremely effective against home break-ins. Flood lights stay on constantly at night making your home very visible in the dark. Thieves prefer the easiest home they can find and they do not want to do their work in a flood light where everyone can see them. There are also great aesthetic benefits to flood lighting. Up lighting is done to accentuate trees and shrubbery by pointing the floodlights up at the tree from the ground, illuminating them to the point that everyone passing by can see them from the road. You may be investing a lot of hard earned money into your landscaping so why only show off a beautiful yard during the day? Down lighting creates a similar effect by mounting the flood lights high and illuminating the landscaping below. By using floodlights in both of these ways you can keep a beautifully manicured yard visible at night as well as deter burglars who would seek to break into your home.
3. Outdoor Hanging Lights
These are great for front porches and doorways. They illuminate the doors making it way less likely that a thief will stand under a light and try to break in the door. It also protects you as you enter and leave the home at night. They can be especially helpful when you are fumbling for the right key and trying to see the keyhole. Not only do they add an element of safety, but they illuminate the architecture of your home adding to the curb appeal and raising property values.
4. Pathway/Driveway Lighting
Breaking into a home can happen in many different ways. People have been known to be grabbed walking up to a dark house or driveway. An easy fix for this is pathway and driveway lighting. Decorative lights can be used to line your driveway and the front walkway all the way up to your house. This makes muggers and thieves a lot less likely to take you by surprise in a well lit walkway. You can exit your car in the driveway with peace of mind knowing that you are well lit. Another safety benefit is that you won’t be caught off guard by anything sitting in the driveway or lying on your front lawn. Have kids? Then you have probably had a bicycle or two left in your driveway or toys on the front lawn. Driveway and pathway lighting keep these areas well lit so that you do not accidentally run over a bike or trip over a toy and hurt yourself. They also look beautiful from the road.
5. Post Lanterns and Torches
This type of decorative outdoor lighting is typically found around backyard decks and pools. They look great, add a romantic feel to the area and illuminate the parts of the yard you want to see. This also has a great safety benefit as burglars have been known to enter houses from the back yard to avoid detection.
Outdoor safety lighting is an investment in your home that beautifies it, adds curb appeal, raises property values and keep you and your family safe. A safe family is something you just can’t put a price on.
Call Ryan Gath Electric today for answers to all your electrical questions!