Provide Peace of Mind for Your Family with Security Lighting
Security lighting is important: your home should be the place where you and your family feel safe from the world; it’s the place you go to at the end of a hard day, and it’s the place your children come to when the rigours of life just get too much.
Security lighting has been hailed by police forces across the country and home security experts as the number one way of increasing your home security. However, the security you gain is only as good as:
the security lighting you choose,
the way you install it
Products Available
To be honest, any type of garden lighting can be used as part of a security lighting package, however, the main product to consider are:
Wall lights
Porch lights
Bulkhead lights
Bollard lights
Floodlights/Spotlights
PIR sensors
Wall Lights, Porch Lights, Bulkhead Lights
All of these lights really serve the same function in security lighting terms, that is, they can be used to illuminate the entryways to your home. The idea is to provide a gentle light that doesn’t create dark shadows; so many folk seem to think that the brighter the light the better!
Bright lights not only create dark shadows but the glare can also create dazzle and momentary blindness at a time when you need to see very clearly.
This light should be left on all night forget what the environmentalists say, your personal security and that of your family is more important.
If you are concerned about the environment, use low energy light cells or LED lights. Fix either a timer or a PIR sensor so that the light is not accidentally left on during the hours of daylight.
Bollard Lights
The low-level, gentle light of garden bollard lights is ideal for illuminating pathways through the garden as well as driveways to your property.
Bollards with ready fitted internal PIR sensors are readily available, so they will detect any movement within their range, either illuminating the path for welcome visitors or warning off potential intruders.
It is a sad indictment of our time that these lights are available with vandal resistant opal acrylic glass.
Floodlights and Spotlights
Tungsten halogen floodlights are the most popular security lighting option in the UK; they are also the cause of many thousands of complaints.
Floodlights must be situated to illuminate only the area you are trying to keep secure; they should not shed light on neighbouring properties or into oncoming traffic.
To ensure you increase your own security but don’t cause a nuisance, follow these guidelines:
Aim the light at an angle of less than 70 degrees from the vertical
If you fit a PIR sensor, adjust it so that it is aimed within your own grounds. If you don’t aim the sensor properly, the light will go on every time a car, a person, or an animal moves down your street
If you fit a timer, adjust it for summer and winter daylight hours to prevent using unnecessary energy
Don’t use a bulb of more than 150 watts if you do you will simply create dark shadows where intruders might hide
It is a sorry but necessary fact that any article on security lighting must raise fears of something that might never happen to you; however, this type of article also raises awareness, which is vital.
It is a sad fact that, in today’s world, security lighting isn’t optional, it is essential.
Tags: Security Garden Lights, security light, security lighting, security wall lights
