Protecting Your Home & Garden by Installing Security Lights
Protecting a home from unwanted visitors is a high priority for all homeowners and it’s something that needs to be taken very seriously with more break-ins happening throughout the UK than ever before. Naturally fitting the right locks and burglar alarms goes a long way in deterring thieves but if there’s a dark corner they can hide in, the chances are they might just attempt a break-in anyway. This is why fitting security lights, strategically placed around your home can help keep burglars at bay and your belongings safely where they should be.
A well-lit property keeps burglars at bay
Protecting Your Home & Your Garden
A lot of people fit security lights above doorways and around the house but often forget that a garden too needs protecting. If you have bushes or large shrubs around your property, it offers thieves the ideal place to hide so they can “check over” a property. Not only this, but should there be any statues, garden furniture around and gardening equipment stored in a shed, thieves are likely to help themselves to the items if they can. Children often leave expensive bikes and toys in the garden which can be easy pickings for thieves too.
Fitting security lights around the garden and especially in the darker corners of it, means adding that little extra and essential security to your property. If thieves know there’s a good likelihood they will be spotted when the lights come on, there’s less chance of them risking stealing anything out of your garden.
Lighting darker corners of a garden is a good deterrent to put thieves off
Types of Security Lights Available
You have a choice when it comes to security lights with each differing in cost and effectiveness. If you are unsure which type to have fitted around your home and garden, you should speak to an expert who will be able to advise which would be the most suitable to have installed around your property. The three main security lights are listed below.
Passive infrared security lights (PIR)
Passive infrared lights are triggered by body heat which means the light comes on as soon as anyone or anything walks into the field of the units’ sensor. You can adjust the sensor so that it covers a required area which is useful if you share a drive with neighbours or if many people walk by your property. The fact you can adjust the sensor also means it’s possible to prevent the light annoying any neighbours.
Although PIR security lights are a great deterrent and are useful when you want to illuminate areas near front and back doors, they can be a little annoying if they keep accidentally coming on. With this said PIR lights are an affordable option and are always worth considering if it adds a security feature to your home.
Dusk-to-Dawn Security Lights
Dusk-to-Dawn security lights do exactly as their name suggests. They come on as the sun goes down and turn off at sunrise. Although not as bright due to the fact they use low pressure sodium bulbs, they do however, put burglars off from attempting a break-in. They can also help reduce the risk of thieves lurking in any darker corners of a garden.
You’d be forgiven for thinking these lights will run up your electricity bill but the modern take on Dusk-to-Dawn lights boast high intensity discharge lamps which are more energy efficient. The downside is they can be disturbing when left on all night and because they do stay on all night, you don’t know if anyone is lurking about outside as you would with lights that are activated by sensors. When it comes to cost, this varies from a few pounds to hundreds.
Solar Powered Security Lights
Although pretty new to the market, solar security lights are proving to be a popular alternative. The lights charge up during the day and then at night they come on and are motion activated. The design is popular because they are easy to install due to the fact they don’t need power from the mains to run them and once installed, they don’t cost anything to run.
The downside is, of course, that due to the fact they are solar powered, these lights can often be unreliable. They also need to be fitted to south facing walls to be really effective.
Conclusion
Installing security lights around a home and garden is an essential part of protecting your property from unwanted visitors. When it comes to fitting lights that run off the mains, it’s important that a professional carries out the work so the lights are fitted to UK building regulations. You should also make sure any security lights you have installed cannot be vandalised by having them placed higher up, making sure the lights have wire mesh on them too. Security lights are an essential part of protecting your property from burglar’s giving you that all-important extra peace of mind.
Image credits: HoustonOutdoorLights and OLP of San Antonio
