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Does Outdoor Security Lighting Work?

front of house at night with lights on
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Outdoor lighting is important for your home’s security and the safety of guests and residents. It allows you to see any rustle that happens in the night and for illumination of any potential hazards within your yard. A simple way to elevate your home’s security is to install an outdoor light that fits your security needs. 

Benefits of Outdoor Security Lighting 

Peace of Mind

If you want to leave for the night or have a longer vacation, installing lights gives the illusion of being home without actually being home. This allows you to stress less about the security of your home and enjoy your time away. 

Added Visibility 

Regardless of the season, having lights outside when there is poor visibility or at night gives your visitors and residents a clear path to your home. This can reduce the chances of someone having an avoidable accident at your home. 

Prevent Unwanted Visitors 

Having lights on outside indicates that someone is home, even if this might not be the case, which discourages burglars and trespassers. If you choose to install a motion-sensor light, any movement, regardless of human or animal, will trigger the light to turn on and discourage any further movement onto your property.

What Kinds of Lights to Install

There are multiple kinds of security lights that can be installed outside your home, depending on your home’s security needs. 

Flood Lights

The standard motion sensor and security light is a floodlight. They provide light to a large area of the property and are very bright. Additionally, they are very versatile and can have one to three movable luminary heads depending on how large your yard or area needing illumination is. 

Surface-Mounted Lights

These lights help bring visibility to your home’s address number and act as an accent or decorative lighting. Because they can be attached to any outdoor surface, the placement possibilities for these lights are endless. 

Path Lights 

These are the smaller lights that trail pathways leading to a garage or front door for well-lit and safe walkways.

Post Lights

These provide lighting in larger areas than path lights and add an ambiance to set a welcoming mood to any guest visiting your home. 

Where to Place the Lights

Each property is different in regard to where it has valuable assets placed. But, there are a few places on your property to place outdoor lighting that are the same regardless of how large your property is. The most common areas to place your lights are above the address number, near the front door and above your garage. 

You should assess your property for potential security risks and the spots that are valuable to you. These can be your garden, near any vehicles, statues and other yard ornaments. 

How Do Motion Sensor Lights Work?

Motion-activated lights are also known as “active elements” and they turn on when any movement comes within their field of “vision”. Once activated, they become blindingly bright and bring attention to whatever or whoever has decided to trespass on your property. 

For more information on how to make your home even more secure in the evenings, contact Benchmark Electrical to brighten up your nights. 

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