How to Choose the Best Security Lighting for Your Home

Outdoor lighting can play an integral part in home security. By illuminating the areas outside your home, you can make it more difficult for would-be intruders to hide. But how do you know which will be the best outdoor security lights for your property?

Choosing the Right Outdoor Security Lights for Your Home

Assess the needs of your property

Every home is different. Even if you live on an estate of identical houses, there will be variations unique to your home. Whether it’s the placement of your shed, the height of your trees and shrubs, where you put your washing line, or your location within the street – are you in the middle of a terrace or a solitary end house. This means that different houses will have different security lighting needs. So, before you start, try to identify any vulnerable areas outside your property. This might be a dark sideway, or a window that’s hidden from street view. Focus on entry points, including doors, windows, pathways, and garages, as well as dark corners.

Look at the different types of lighting

Security lights come in a number of different forms. They each serve a different purpose, so it’s important to choose the right one for your needs.

Outdoor sensor lights – Motion sensor security lights, like the Batton, automatically turn on when motion is detected. They are excellent for deterring intruders, as they create the impression that someone is watching.
Floodlights – High-intensity floodlights are typically used to illuminate large areas. They provide a strong deterrent to criminals because they deliver so much illumination. However, in built-up areas, they can make you very unpopular with your neighbours.
Pathway lighting – Post lights, like the Louvre, provide low-level illumination along walkways, driveways, and garden paths. Most people choose them for practical and aesthetic purposes. But they can also be a useful visual deterrent for intruders.
Smart lights – Smart security lights can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app. This enables you to turn them on or off, or set lighting schedules, to give the impression you’re at home even when you’re not.

Consider light placement

Where you place your security lights can not only impact their efficacy. It can impact the level of annoyance they cause! This might sound a little strange, because outdoor lighting can really enhance a home. But if you place outdoor sensor lights, for example, at the wrong height or in the wrong place, they could dazzle you every time you come home in the dark. Or, worst still, shine into the bedroom window of your opposite neighbour. So, think about the areas that need to be illuminated – above doors and windows, by your garage, along driveways and paths, and in any dark corners where someone could hide. But also think about the height, angle, and direction of your lights.

Select the right brightness and wattage

The wattage of your outdoor lights is important to their effectiveness. The last thing you want to do is light up your cottage garden like a football stadium every time a fox passes through. But equally, a low wattage outdoor security lamp won’t be much of a deterrent to criminals. As a rough guide, people with an average-sized garden choose security lights of between 100 to 300 watts. If you have a larger garden, you may need brighter lights.

Think about safety and durability

If you’re going to install security lights, you must ensure that they are outdoor rated. This is indicated by the Ingress Protection (IP) number. Outdoor lights should always have an IP rating of 44 or above for porches and patios. If you intend to place your lights in more exposed areas, an IP rating of 65 or above is a good idea. Lights with an IP rating of below 44 are not safe for outdoor use. They will fail quickly, and could cause electric shocks.

Choose your style

Although security lights are very much a practical consideration, some of them can carry aesthetic value too. The Astral, for example, is beautifully decorative, but it provides enough light to be a backdoor deterrent. While the Eldon carries both aesthetic appeal and an integrated PIR motion sensor. While style may seem like a minor matter, it’s important to remember that you have to live with your outdoor lights. So, you may as well like them!

Security lighting can make your home safer. Not just protecting you against intruders, but providing practical illumination to navigate your outdoor areas at night. And if you choose well, it can also provide an aesthetic enhancement to your home.

Find out more about outdoor security lights from Lighting R Us.