It’s difficult to find official statistics on how effective lighting might be in making homes more secure. However, when research took place at the UNC Charlotte Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, which studied more than 400 detained burglars to find out what motivates them and what deters them, the results were very interesting. High on the list of most common deterrents was a lack of places to hide on well-lit properties which tells us one of the most convenient, effective, and multi-purpose security tools is garden lighting.
Taking steps to make your home more secure is extremely important for safety but, of course, nobody wants to spend thousands on a security system that isn’t guaranteed to work. Outdoor lighting, which can double up as security lighting, the number one deterrent, can provide an effective and affordable home security alternative.
Increasing home security with outdoor lighting
Outdoor lighting undoubtedly increases the security of your home and does so in a variety of ways. These are:
- Lighting up all entrance ways of a house and property
- Reducing spots which could be used for cover by taking away dark areas around a property
- Making potential burglars think the residence is occupied
Which fixtures are ideal for making homes more secure?
Flood Lights – The most powerful outdoor lights on the market are flood lights, a great option for those wanting to make their home more secure after dark. Able to illuminate large spaces with a single fixture, these high intensity lights aim to replicate daylight at night, absolutely ideal for what you’re wanting to achieve from your security lighting. They can be placed on the ground but are more commonly mounted to walls where they can provide widespread light across a whole garden or outdoor areas. At Lighting for Gardens, we have both 12v and 240v options available.
Path Lighting – Whilst flood lights are perfect for covering larger areas with one lighting fixture, path, step and deck lights excel in illuminating large areas by creating multiple pools of light. Such lighting fixtures provide 360-degrees of lighting coverage which can be advantageous for various parts of the garden or outdoor environment. Aside from a security point of view, these types of lights offer decorative benefits too, helping to create visual appeal around the home. Lighting for Gardens has an extensive range of path lights, available in a variety of styles to meet any different preferences.
Downlights – We’ve already mentioned how wall-mounted floodlights are effective and downlights mounted on elevated surfaces can provide more subtle, yet similar, security benefits. Often placed around entrance ways, these are the perfect lights when you want a burglar deterrent whilst having fixtures that are a more natural looking security system for the environment, they’re placed in.
