How to protect your property and garden with security lights
Burglars thrive in the darkness. They’re more likely to be able to commit crimes and get away with them under the cover of night. Burglars can move about your property and grounds undetected without security lighting and take what they want. The solution is to add security lighting to your outdoor areas to deter intruders with bright lights. In this guide, we’ll explain how to protect your property with security lighting, which lights are best for various locations on your property and the perfect lighting level to scare away intruders.
Table of contents
- Types of garden security lights
- Where to position your security lighting
- What wattage do I need for an outdoor security light?
Types of garden security lights
You can get various garden security lights to illuminate your perimeter, each with advantages and disadvantages. We’ve outlined each to help you choose the best ones for you.
Motion sensor PIR security lights
Motion sensor lights will illuminate when they sense movement. These can be an effective deterrent as they provide a shock factor. Washing an area with a bright light beam will startle any unwanted intruders, forcing them to retreat. These lights use PIR or Passive Infrared technology, which measures infrared light emitted by objects when they pass the sensor. The detection triggers the light to switch on.
One of the primary advantages of PIR sensor security lights is they aren’t on all day and night. Only coming on when they detect movement will save you electricity. Some also have Bluetooth, which you can connect to an app to control when you want them to start detecting intruders and turn on.
You can also control their sensitivity to movement so they won’t turn on for nocturnal animals.
Solar security lights
Solar security lights are another viable option for protecting your property. They also feature PIR motion sensor technology but don’t need hard wiring into your mains electric system and are easy to install without any electrical knowledge. They will also keep working if you ever have a power cut.
As a result, they are a good security solution if you want a quick fix or don’t want to have a lot of electrical work on your property. Equally, as they use the sun to charge their batteries, they are more eco-friendly and won’t add to your electricity bill.
However, in the UK, we only get a certain number of sunny days per year, which will affect the effectiveness of your solar security lights. During bad weather or the winter months, your solar security lights will get less sunlight and may not work at capacity. So, this is a disadvantage if you want to deter intruders with bright light.
Floodlights
Security floodlights are also a fantastic way to protect your property or commercial building from unwanted intruders. They produce a brighter, wider light beam and are perfect for illuminating large spaces like driveways, car parks and courtyards. Floodlights also have PIR motion sensor technology.
Where to position your security lighting
Once you know what type of security lighting is best for your property, you must plan where it will go. Positioning is crucial to protect valuable areas of your property or dark corners people could use to hide. Here are some of the primary places you should look to illuminate.
Garages – People tend to keep valuable items in their garages, like power tools or vehicles. So protect any garage entrances with security lights.
Walkways – Illuminate any walkways or pathways intruders could use to move about your property, including dark, hidden ones.
Entrances – You need to light any entranceways that burglars could use as access points, like front and back doors and downstairs windows.
Open areas – Most PIR lights are ideal for illuminating doors and entrances but you will need more for open spaces. Use a PIR floodlight to ensure there are no shadows to hide in.
You can use many security lights in conjunction with security cameras. Point them in the same direction so the camera can pick up an illuminated image.
Always aim to place your security lights slightly higher than your regular outdoor lights, above reach height, to deter tampering. However, be aware of your neighbours. You’re not allowed to shine bright lights into your neighbour’s gardens. Also, stay within the light level regulation to avoid disturbing night-time wildlife.
Always employ a professional electrician if you’re installing any mains-powered security lighting.
What wattage do I need for an outdoor security light?
Traditionally, when choosing lights, you would look at the wattage to determine how bright a bulb would be. Watts indicate how much energy a bulb uses; the higher the watt, the more electricity it transfers into light.
However, with the advances of LED lights in security lighting, the wattage is no longer the best brightness indicator. You can get LED lights with a high lumen count and lower wattage, saving energy and money on your energy bill.
So, look at the lumen count, not the watts for security lighting. Choose a high lumen count for lights to illuminate commercial spaces like car parks and pedestrian areas. Use medium lumen level to illuminate paths and entrances. These will provide bright light without blinding passers-by, perfect for security lighting. You can use low-lumen level lights to illuminate a specific area like a door, but it’s better to opt for brighter lights for security lights to ensure they’re effective.
Security lighting at Moonlight Design
You now have the knowledge to choose and position the best security lights to illuminate and protect your home or commercial property. Deter intruders with a sudden flood of bright light to ensure valuable entrance points are bathed in light and prevent burglars from entering. Why not browse our extensive collection of security lights and floodlights here at Moonlight Design to find the perfect lights for your property?
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