Serving Tampa & Surrounding Areas Residential outdoor lighting for your Tampa home is important for many reasons including value, aesthetics, and personal safety. But having a strong lighting design for your home exterior is also key for home security. A well-lit home is less likely to be chosen by potential thieves, especially in a poorly-lit neighborhood. While crime statistics reveal that 65% of break-ins occur during the day, when homeowners are away; night burglaries remain a huge problem in U.S. cities. If you are considering installing exterior lighting for security purposes, there are a few points to keep in mind if you want to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. We’ve compiled some tips from security experts focusing on the ideal fixture options and placement to keep your home safe.
Key Areas
When considering safety lighting for your home, you’ll want to make sure that the main points of entry are the first focus. The front and back doors, garage door, and any side entries should be illuminated by a fixture (or fixtures) installed high off the ground. Many homeowners will focus on the front door, but that is the least likely place a burglar will attempt to break into. Key areas include driveways, parking areas, corners, decks/patios, and entryways.
Placement
Most security lighting fixtures should be mounted higher than the door frames of the house. This allows for a larger pool of light – and keeps the light fixture free from vandalism. Higher light will be softer once it hits the ground, this means that there are fewer shadows cast – and fewer blind spots. Of course, landscape luminaries, which are smaller lights used to accent areas (as well as offer safety lighting) are installed lower to the ground.
Fixtures
There are a variety of lighting fixtures that are available for security/landscape lighting needs. After you have assessed the key areas you’d like to focus on, the fixture selection becomes easier. Here is a list of the key types of security fixtures – and their ideal location:
Motion Sensor Floodlights: (Great for homes in any neighborhood. Placement should be directed toward the ground to avoid light pollution.)
- Driveway
- Backyard
- Entryways
- Deck/Patio
Mounted Luminaries: (These can take the place of, or work with, your basic home exterior lights. They cover more area than a simple porch or patio light.)
- Front/Back Doors
- Entryways
- Key Perimeter Points
Landscape Luminaries: (These are smaller lights used to accent specific areas more for aesthetic/safety reasons. But they are also essential for security as they add more light to a yard, especially to areas that are generally left dark at night.)
- Ground
- Trees/Plants
- Flower Beds
- Paths/Trails
- Walkways
Motion Sensor Recessed Lights (These fixture designs are virtually invisible and are a great crime deterrent for homeowners who are on vacation – or away from the house after dark.)
- Enclosed Patios/Porches
- Doors
- Entryways
Roadway Luminaries: (Tall light fixtures that are ideal for homes in rural areas that have no surrounding street lights.)
- Driveways
- Alleyways
- Parking Areas
- Road
Solar Powered Security Fixtures: (Modern solar lights are much more efficient than they were even a few years ago. Each of the fixture options listed above has models/designs available in solar.)
Additional Types of Security Lighting
Are you thinking about installing outdoor security lighting? The experts at Home Service Heroes can help you with all your lighting needs. Whether it’s the installation of a single motion sensor light or a group of security lighting fixtures, we can assist both quickly and efficiently. Call us at (813) 544-4061 to schedule an appointment today!
