Home Security Lighting Does Not Have To Be Ugly Flood Lights
Ask just about any law enforcement officer and they’ll tell you that good home security lighting will help to deter crime. Of course those bad elements out there don’t want to be easily seen, so they hide in the darkness. That’s pretty easy to figure out, right?
So, does that mean you need to put a bunch of super-bright “security lights” around your home and shine them out in every direction?
Actually, no. As a matter of fact, that’s probably the last thing you want to do. Good home security lighting should be low level lighting that your eyes can easily adjust to. Getting blasted by bright lights will blind you and make it hard to detect something that can be right out in the open.
Take a look at the photos here. First, see the hot spots in both pictures A and C– your eyes are immediately and painfully drawn directly to the light, not to the path, steps or sidewalk where you might be walking and should be looking.
And how hard is it to see the people? Yes – the nearly invisible people on the properties with the security lights. Black holes are created when using typical security lighting. And a black hole is a great hiding space.
Notice the ‘before and after’ photo where the photographer blocks the light with his fingers (picture B), how the person is now easily seen? He was really there in the left picture, too.
Then notice the guy standing just outside the light of a doorway or fence gate in photo C. What might happen if someone in your family tries to take out the trash? Are they going to see this guy right away?
Bright lights in the darkness are not only a bad idea for home security lighting, they are also quite ugly and unflattering for any home, as you can see in those photos. Lighting for safety doesn’t have to be ugly. A much better idea is to blanket the property in soft, even light. That light can be reflected off of the side of your home when accenting the architecture. It can come from the walkway that is being illuminated by path or down lighting. It can also come from fixtures mounted in the trees of the yard.
What must be done in each of these cases, however, is control the glare, like the guy did with his fingers in photo B. Lower light with controlled glare allows your eyes to focus faster and easier, allowing you to see much more clearly what is around you.
A good Texas outdoor lighting design takes all of these issues into consideration. Yes, landscape lighting looks fantastic, but it also deters a criminal element from finding your property attractive by eliminating black holes, and providing that low light level that is needed to see objects or unwelcome predators easier at night.
If you are concerned about safety on your property at night, contact us here to see how we can help you add beautiful security lighting to your home.
