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Darkness is a burglar’s best ally. It helps them sneak in undetected, move around easily, and steal expensive items without getting caught.
When choosing homes to break into, burglars specifically look for easy targets and lock in houses that are shrouded in darkness. Lack of proper illumination gives them the required cover to sneak in without getting noticed by anyone.
The best and simplest thing that you can do to deter burglars from targeting your home is to install outdoor security lighting.
Read on to find out all about outdoor security lights, their benefits, the different types to choose from, their installation, typical costs, and more:
Outdoor security lights are, as the name suggests, lights installed outdoors for security purposes. Their main purpose is to keep your home’s outdoor area well-illuminated and scare off potential burglars and intruders.
Outdoor security lights can be both practical as well as stylish, with special features such as motion sensors allowing you to be always aware of any possible intrusions. They not only make you feel secure but also make your house look great.
The benefits of outdoor security lights are pretty obvious when it comes to keeping homes safe from intruders. They also increase property value, add to the home’s aesthetics, and reduce insurance premiums:
By installing outdoor security lights, specifically in high-risk areas around your house, you can deter potential burglars and improve the overall security of your property. Keeping the exterior of your home well-illuminated doesn’t allow burglars to sneak in easily and gives them the idea that your home is well protected.
The bright lights deter them since there are fewer shadows to hide in. Also, they are visible to everyone including the neighbours and passers-by.
Keeping your home well-illuminated attracts the right kind of attention while deterring the unwanted kind. Your home is likely to become more noticeable to potential buyers and have a higher perceived value.
The lighting enhances the aesthetics of the house and puts focus on the best features of your property including the garden and pathway. This is a huge plus point when you’re trying to sell your property as you can charge more for it.
Installing outdoor security lights enhances security and makes it less susceptible to burglaries and intrusions. Not only does this help you stay safe but also significantly reduces your insurance premiums.
Since properties with security systems and lighting are less prone to being targeted, most insurance companies offer discounts on premiums which, of course, can save you a lot of money.
There are several types of outdoor security lights that you can install on your property to make it more secure as well as aesthetic. Here are some of the most common options:
LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights use solid-state lighting (SSL) technology where light is produced when a current passes through a solid piece of matter, such as a semiconductor.
Hailed as the future of home lighting, LED lights are superior to other types of lights in terms of energy efficiency, eco-friendliness, longer life span, lower heat output, and instant illumination.
Although they may be a bit costlier to buy, they offer great cost and energy savings in the long run. Compared to the lifespan of an average bulb, which is hardly 2,000 hours, LED lights can last up to 30,000 hours.
This means that they need fewer replacements, which not only saves money but also offers the convenience of not having to change the lights in hard-to-reach places outside your home.
Motion sensor lights are lights that have a built-in Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor that picks up the slightest movement and instantly turns on the light.
A PIR sensor detects motion by receiving infrared radiation from objects in its field of view. If the sensor detects any movement, the lights are automatically turned on. This way, you don’t have to leave the lights on for the entire night and a potential intruder is literally put under a spotlight.
While you can use any light for this purpose as long as it is suitable for outdoor use, LED lights are considered the best option due to the variety of advantages they have over other types of lights.
The most useful feature of LED lights is their ability to operate at full brightness the moment they are switched on. This is particularly beneficial when paired with motion sensors where the lights need to be turned on the second any motion is detected.
Solar PIR lights work just like motion PIR lights except that instead of relying on electricity from the grid to work, they rely on the sun to provide them with power.
Solar lights are typically LED lights that can charge using the sun’s rays and can last around 4 to 6 hours at a stretch. This gives you enough power to illuminate your outdoor space.
If you want them to last longer, you can use a solar panels battery storage system which converts solar power into electricity and saves it for later use. This allows you to easily use solar lights even when the sun is down. The bigger the battery is, the more electricity it can hold to power the solar PIR lights.
Traditional lights work by flipping a switch on or off, and in some cases, they are fitted with PIR sensors that automatically turn them on when any movement is detected.
Smart lights, on the other hand, offer much more in terms of control and functionality. They are special light bulbs that have built-in software and can connect to and be controlled from a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or voice assistant.
These lights are connected to your home’s mains power (or they can be solar-powered) and allow you to control them wirelessly with your smart devices from anywhere in the world.
Not only can you control them remotely but can also schedule the timing for the lights to go on or off using home lighting automation solutions. You can use this great feature to throw off burglars casing your home by timing the lights to automatically turn on even when no one is home.
They can also be equipped with motion detectors and send notifications and alerts to your phone every time the lights turn on because of some unusual activity.
Installing outdoor security lights is best accomplished by a professional company that has the necessary skill, expertise, and experience to assess the requirement and provide a solution tailored to your needs.
Professional installation includes not just wiring in the lights but also choosing the best outdoor security lights and strategically placing them in all the right locations for the best results.
Here is a breakdown of what is involved in the process of installing outdoor security lighting:
Choosing the right location for installing outdoor security lights is just as important as installing them in the first place. The location is dependent on the purpose of the lights, such as security, aesthetics, or both.
It is generally recommended to place outdoor security lights at a height so that they can cover a larger area and are less prone to tampering and vandalism. Just make sure that when you do, the lights don’t intrude on your neighbour’s privacy or become a source of nuisance.
It is always a good idea to consult your local electrical and security experts to install outdoor security lights. Calder Electrical Services is always there to help and can offer a complete security solution that will not only keep intruders away from your home but also make it look beautiful.
Here are some of the most common places to install outdoor security lights:
The entrance to your house needs to be well-protected as that is what anyone, including intruders, uses to gain access to your property. You may be surprised to learn that the majority of burglars gain unauthorised access into homes through the main doors, which is why it is that much important to keep them protected against such activities.
Installing security lights on all the entrances including the doors, windows, back doors, and gates will keep the property illuminated, and anyone trying to sneak in through the front door will think twice before doing so.
If you have a garage in your home, you must keep it as protected as the rest of the house as it may house not only your car but other valuable items as well.
Some garages are connected to the main house and can provide an easy way in, especially for intruders looking to sneak in.
You can install regular lights that stay on and keep your garage illuminated at all times. They can provide light for you if you have a habit of working in your garage at night in addition to being a great deterrent against intrusions.
Alternatively, you can install motion sensor lights that turn on anytime someone walks past your garage.
Illuminating walkways and paths that lead to your main door can be useful if you use them frequently, especially during the dark.
You can use fancy lights and install them along the path for beautiful aesthetics and also illuminate the way so that you can easily see when someone’s walking up to the door.
The garden and other open areas in your home can be the perfect hiding spot for intruders, especially if they are covered in the dark. Potential burglars can hide in the shadows while casing your property and strike when they see an opportunity.
Installing security lights in the garden not only allows you to highlight the best features such as the pretty trees, plants, flowers, sculptures, and furniture but also eliminates any hiding spots that might be used for nefarious purposes.
When placing lights around the garden, make sure to position them in a way that they illuminate most of the garden and there are no shadows or dark areas for criminals to hide in.
The cost of installing outdoor security lights is dependent on several factors such as the type of lights used and the time and level of skill required to install them.
The average cost for installing outdoor security lights ranges between £80 and £180. The cost for motion sensor lights is a bit higher ranging from £90 to £500. You can also opt for spotlights and landscape lights, both of which are more aesthetically pleasing and help further elevate the look of your property.
The total cost is influenced by the lighting design, the number of switches, and the ease of installation. The labour cost for installing outdoor security lights is typically £150 to £200 per day, but you can expect to pay more if the task is particularly challenging and time-consuming.
ADDITIONAL SECURITY COSTS
There may be additional costs that you would need to consider such as integrating the security lights with other security systems such as security alarms and CCTV cameras.
Security alarms can be installed as a standalone system or part of a more comprehensive home security system that connects to the outdoor security lights as well.
You can install a simple bells-only system that triggers a loud siren, often accompanied by flashing lights, every time someone tries to gain unauthorised access to your property. It is a no-frills system that is much more economical than the other options.
You can even opt for dialler alarms that call you or one of your emergency contacts in the event of a potential breach.
For maximum security, you can go with monitored alarm systems that are connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre manned by individuals trained to respond to every alarm trigger on your property. They may contact you or the authorities depending on the type of situation and level of emergency.
Installing CCTV cameras is another way you can keep track of a potential intrusion, and combined with outdoor security lights, they pack quite a punch.
There are several different types of CCTV cameras that you can install outside your property. They allow you to keep a watchful eye over your home and capture and record every moment.
CCTV cameras are one of the most effective deterrents and their mere sight can scare away burglars. Just be mindful of the CCTV legal requirements regarding installing CCTV cameras outside your property so that they don’t infringe on anyone’s privacy, such as your neighbours.
CONTACT CALDER ELECTRICAL SERVICES
We, at Calder Electrical, provide a comprehensive solution for lighting all kinds of properties including residential, commercial, as well as industrial properties.
We understand the unique needs of outdoor security lighting and are here to provide you with the best ways to not only properly illuminate your property but also make it incredibly energy-efficient.
Our LED lighting services include:
We can survey your property and create a lighting design to see if we can not only reduce the number of light fittings but also make the area reach a lighting level suitable for use.
We can also incorporate motion detectors so that the lights in certain areas of the property are only switched on when movement is detected near them.
We can give you an energy calculation to show your current lighting costs and the estimated costs by upgrading to LED lighting so that you can see how much you will save, normally aiming for a 40% saving.
If you are undertaking a new installation, we can help you create a lighting design suitable for your property’s layout and intended usage. We provide professional LED installation services guaranteed to meet the current wiring regulations.
In addition to this, we also provide electrical testing and maintenance services undertaken by our NICEIC-certified electricians who make sure all your electrical installations meet the current regulations and that all the notifiable work is signed off by the local authorities.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 to talk to our leading experts right away!
Photo by Sixties Photography on Unsplash
