The little ghouls are on the way! They show up with bags, buckets, and body bags (I mean pillow cases) to collect as many goodies as they can carry. Yes, Halloween is almost here – and, of course, I’m talking about outdoor lighting to make sure these little monsters make their rounds without tripping and getting themselves injured. We don’t want any unintentional spilled blood, now do we?
We all know that if we expect these little princesses, super-heroes, aliens and goblins we should leave our front door light on, right? While this is a great way to let them know they are welcome, does it also do a good job of lighting the approach to and from your door? Are any steps along the way to your haunted mansion illuminated well? If you have a flagstone walkway with grass between the stones, is it well lit to help avoid an accidental fall? Do you have a lot of trees in your front yard that block a lot of ambient light that is in the area, making the walkway feel darker? I understand that you want to create a super spooky atmosphere for the holiday, but safety can be a serious concern – and a trip to the hospital or the ensuing lawsuit is no way to celebrate Halloween!
If you or your minions will not be out closely supervising the travelling hordes on your property, then the best way to make sure everyone can move around safely is to use some well -positioned quality down lighting from trees which allows for a very wide and even light. Path or spread lighting fixtures are also a good idea if you don’t have large trees near your walkway. A good path fixture will cast a ring of light that is approximately 10’ around and shines the light down onto the walkway without shining into the eyes of the person walking along the way. It’s also smart to stagger the fixtures from side to side, or place them all on one side of the walkway to avoid the “runway” look that we see far too often.
Please don’t use flood lights which can shine into the eyes causing temporary blindness. It’s very hard to see where you’re going when you have a bright light shining right in your eyes.
Remember that these little ones frequently have something over their face which can interfere with their vision, so anything you can do to make it safer for them to receive their treat would make Mom and Dad Monster especially grateful. Happy Halloween – and may the lighting force be with you!
If you think you may need a little more safety lighting around your home, let us know. We’ll be very happy to take care of that for you. Contact us here.
