When it comes to exterior lighting around the home, security lighting is essential. The pretty string lights on your patio aren’t going to deter intruders from trying to get into your home, but bright light will.

Crime is directly correlated with nightfall. The darkness provides a layer of protection for criminals. In fact, according to a study, increased levels of lighting led to a 7% overall reduction in crimes.

Outdoor security lighting provides an extra level of illumination that will help identify security threats around your home. So, let’s look at the benefits of security light and what JellyFish Lighting can do for you.

Why should I install security lighting?

To start, if you already have landscape lighting, why should you add security lighting? Well, it should be no surprise that crime levels increase after nightfall. Installing security lighting can decrease the risk of your home being broken into and vandalism along with other benefits.

It increases security

It should be no surprise that security lighting will, in fact, increase security around your home. The bright lighting will deter intruders since there are fewer shadows for them to creep around in. Your neighbors can also keep an eye on your home better with security lighting if you’re out for the night.

Security lighting scares away animals

Nobody likes finding a raccoon wreaking havoc in their trash can. Motion sensor lights can scare off animals that can damage your home. Your garbage can, wires, and other outdoor items will be safe from hungry little mouths.

They help increase property value

An outdoor landscape lighting plan will increase curb appeal, but security lights will increase your property value. You may even get a discount for installing motion sensors and flood lights from your insurance company.

Outdoor security lighting will prevent accidents

While security lighting is meant to scare off burglars and critters, it can prevent accidents, too. If you live in a dark neighborhood, your yard is likely riddled with accidents waiting to happen. Properly placed security lighting can keep you from tripping up dark steps or over a watering can left on the lawn.

They’ll make your outdoor parties better

Another way security lights can benefit you is for outdoor parties. The soft glow of your landscape lighting is great, but sometimes you need bright light for outdoor entertaining. Think of the well-lit barbecues you could have.

Security light methods

There are several methods of security lighting to choose from. Once you choose a style, it’ll help you narrow down what’s best for your home.

Continuous Lighting

Continuous lighting is the most common type of security light you’ll see. Simply put, this security light style is designed to flood an area with continuous light.

Stand-by Lighting

Stand-by lighting is similar to continuous lighting, but is only activated when there is suspicious activity. Think motion sensor lights.

Moveable Lighting

Moveable lighting is manually operated and typically uses flood lights. You won’t usually find this type of security light in a residential setting. It’s mainly used at construction sites.

Types of security lights

When it comes to choosing security lights, you have several options. We’re going to cover the most popular exterior security lighting for safety. You can also read on in our outdoor security lights guide for more information.

Motion Sensor

Motion sensor lighting probably comes to mind when you think of safety lights. Motion sensor lights turn on when something moves in front of them due to a motion detector. This makes them great for detecting intruders and other safety concerns. They’re also excellent for deterring those critters we discussed earlier.

If you’re concerned about motion lights going off too often, sensors have sensitivity settings that ignore small animals or debris and focus on home security.

Flood Lights

Along with motion sensor lights, flood lights are another popular option. As the name would suggest, these security lights will “flood” the chosen area with light and keep it well-lit. Floodlights will illuminate the exterior of your home, so your neighbors can also keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Floodlights will also help visitors safely navigate your property if you have people over at night. You’ll also be able to get work done outside once it’s dark using them. One thing to consider with flood lighting is that they use a lot of energy if they’re left on all night because they use a higher voltage.

Track Lighting

Track lighting is becoming a popular option for night light. This type of lighting system is where the lights are fitted onto tracks, so you can move them around easily. They’re great for illuminating walkways.

Automatic Timer Lights

Timed lighting is another way to keep intruders off your property. You can set them to turn on at dusk and off at dawn. This can be more energy efficient than intense flood lights. Your property will also still be lit throughout the night without you having to manually turn them on and off.

Solar Lights

It’s important to mention that solar lights are fantastic for security lighting. They charge during the day, and are ready when you need them at night. You won’t have to worry about wires getting unplugged or chewed on by critters.

Soffit Lighting

Recessed lighting is another way to improve security lighting around the house. Soffit lighting can be an addition that doubles as landscape lighting on the roof and porch.

What type of bulb should my security lights have?

As for bulbs, it depends on your preferences when it comes to energy efficiency and type of DIY outdoor lighting. Knowing the difference between different bulbs is important to find what’s right. You should also consider the number of lumens. Security lights should be much brighter than regular outdoor lighting.

Incandescent bulbs

If you’re on a budget, incandescent bulbs may look tempting. The initial cost will be cheaper than other lightbulb options, but their lifespan isn’t very long. Incandescent bulbs are not ideal if you intend to have your security lights on all night.

Fluorescent Bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs are a bright light source that can be good for security lights. They offer white light that can be good for flood lights. Remember that they may have a shorter lifespan than more energy-efficient options such as LED bulbs.

LED Lights

LED lights are an energy-efficient solution for security light bulbs. You can use them in most types of outdoor security lighting, and they will have the longest lifespan out of bulb options for your needs.

Security lighting techniques

It’s essential to plan out security lighting placement. Creating a plan for your DIY outdoor lighting will set you up for success. Once you have a plan in place, you can choose lighting that will work perfectly.

Focus on dark areas

Assess your property at night time to see what areas are darkest. Security lights should be placed in dark areas with a lot of shadows.

Use lights in walkways

Another area that should have security lights are walkways. Not only will this keep intruders away, but will keep you from tripping and falling in the dark.

Don’t rely on motion sensor lights

One of the things to keep in mind with security lighting is not to rely on motion sensors only. Not every intruder will be scared off by a motion sensor light, so it’s important to have other outdoor security lights in place.

Think about your neighbors

Another thing to consider is your neighbors. While you want to have plenty of outdoor security lights for safety, you don’t want to be blinding them. The last thing you want is to be on the neighborhood watch page. You want the lights to be bright, but not too much that it distracts the rest of the neighborhood.

JellyFish Lighting for your outdoor security lighting needs

Ready to start your security light journey? JellyFish Lighting is here to help. Our track system features LED bulbs with a wide variety of colors for security lights, holiday lights, and other occasions to fit your needs. Our light fixtures are discreet and customizable, with millions of colors and brightness options. Our LED lighting professionals are prepared to answer any questions you may have. Contact JellyFish Lighting today.