3 Steps to Protecting Your Home with Security Lighting

Marietta GA has a reputation for being a safe city in which to live. However, it is worth being prepared for the unexpected. This year alone there have been almost 400 counts of burglary in Marietta, and a good outdoor lighting system goes a long way to deterring would-be criminals. Setting up your home security lighting is an excellent place to start if you want to keep your family safe.

Tips for Effective Security Lighting

There are three key things to keep in mind when deciding how to set up your outdoor lighting to maximize security. Firstly, understand the optimal placement of landscape lighting and ensure that all areas of the home are covered, secondly, have a good maintenance routine in place and thirdly, remember to get a second opinion. Unless you are an expert, it makes sense to get input from an experienced landscape lighting installer who can help you avoid common pitfalls.

1.   Location of Lighting

Positioning of Lights

It is important that there are no blind spots on your property, so it is often more effective to have multiple less-bright lights at regular intervals rather than one really bright light. Blind spots and areas with inadequate lighting make it easy for a burglar to slip in undetected.

Security on all Sides

Your doors and main pathways are the most important and biggest areas to cover. But remember that many homes don’t just have one access route, it’s not enough to just focus on the front of your home, the back and sides of the house also need to be covered.

Placement of Lights

Security lighting is usually placed higher off the ground to effectively illuminate a larger area (lights closer to the ground generally do not cover as big a radius). Lights that are higher up create fewer shadows which reduces the number of blind spots on your property.

2.   Maintenance Plan

For your security lighting to be an effective deterrent, it needs to be in good working order. Security and outdoor lighting maintenance should be done by a landscape lighting contractor on a regular basis. It is a good idea to schedule appointments in advance for peace of mind.

Make a note to replace any burnt-out bulbs as soon as possible and have a cleaning schedule in place so that dirt and dust that collects on the lighting does not impact the functioning of the lights.

3.   Get Expert Help for Your Outdoor Security Lighting

When employing a landscape lighting company that specializes in security lighting, keep in mind these important questions:

●     Do they have a low voltage electrical license?

This will give you a good idea of whether or not they have the necessary qualifications to do a good job of the installation.

●     Are they quick to respond to your questions?

You need a landscape lighting installer that will be reliable and systematic, offering an excellent outdoor lighting installation experience.

●     How much experience do they have installing security lighting systems?

This is an important decision, and you need someone who has experience in the industry and will offer a comprehensive solution for your security lighting needs.

Setting up security lighting for your home in Marietta doesn’t have to be a complicated process. A qualified security lighting specialist will be able to tell you where to place the lights to ensure that you and your family are protected.

Effective Outdoor Security Lighting Depends on These 3 Things

Outdoor lighting adds beauty and functionality to your home, but it is also an important part of your home security system. In Acworth GA, there are almost 600 property-related crimes annually. This makes understanding the different security lighting options and controls a vital step in protecting your home and your family.

Installing a security lighting system requires understanding the different lighting fixture options, learning about how they work with lighting controls and the role that an Acworth landscape lighting contractor plays in integrating an effective system.  A thorough grasp of these three areas will help you create a landscape lighting installation that will deter intruders while not compromising the aesthetics of your garden or outside area.

1. Understanding the Different Types of Outdoor Lighting

An outdoor lighting company will make use of a combination of the different outdoor landscape lighting types to make sure that all areas of your outdoor area are adequately covered and that there are no blind spots.

• Roadway Luminaries

Roadway luminaries are a popular choice for outdoor lighting installations and are used for driveways, parking areas and streets to provide general illumination.

• Floodlights (often used with a motion sensor)

These are used for driveways, backyards, entryways, patio or deck lighting and pool areas.

• Mounted Luminaries

Mounted luminaries are an excellent choice for entrances, as well as around the perimeter of a property.

• Landscape Path Lighting

These ground lights are ideal for safety and are used where there aren’t existing structures to install raised lighting including flower beds and trees, as well as frequently used paths and walkways.

• Recessed Lights (often used with a motion sensor)

Recessed lights with a motion sensor are used for pathways, over doorways, and for backyards.

2. Learning About Your Lighting Control Options

Security lighting is controlled by a combination of dimmers, motion detectors, time switches and photocells which allow you to customize your lighting to your preferences.

• Dimmers

A light dimmer works by adjusting the level of brightness. This helps with energy conservation and can be used with flush mounts, pendants, and lamps.

• Motion Detectors

These are important for outdoor lighting as they are energy efficient (ensuring that the lights only come on when there is movement) as well as introducing the ability to surprise an intruder. They are compatible with most outdoor lights including floodlights, landscape path lights, and surface-mounted lights.

• Time Switches

Time switches control when light fixtures turn on and off (regardless of whether they are needed or not). They can be used with floodlights, landscape path lights, roadway lights, surface-mounted lights, and post-mounted lights.

• Photocells

Photocells measure the level of light, automatically turning on lighting when it is dark. They work in combinations with a time switch to turn the lights on at dusk, and off in the morning. Light fixtures that integrate with photocells include floodlights, landscape path lights, roadway lights, and surface-mounted lights.

3. Consulting with a Security Lighting Professional

There are a number of checks that you should do when your lighting system is installed, but it is often more effective (and more affordable in the long run) to have a landscape lighting installer in Acworth GA, such as Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, do the work for you. They have the necessary skills and expertise to ensure that your landscape lighting design works as it should and won’t easily break down.

A professional will help you:

• Locate places where light fixtures cannot easily be tampered with


• Install wire covers to protect fixtures that might be at risk of being vandalized


• Adjust the lights so that there are no blind spots, and that they all point down on your property (and not the neighbors)


• Test the light fixtures" sensitivity to motion and adjust accordingly

By following the three points of light fixture choice, light control options and consulting with Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, the best landscape lighting contractor in Acworth, you will be able to rest easy at night knowing that your home and family are safe from intruders.

Creative Landscape Lighting Ideas for Your Home in Alpharetta

Alpharetta has a long-standing, well-deserved reputation as a vibrant Southern city offering a high quality of life for its residents. Part of its charm lies in the strong sense of community and welcoming locals who are quick to invite you into their homes, and the temperate climate that offers perfect weather for entertaining almost all year round.

Neighbors and friends frequently visit one another for barbeques, and this suburban area has a collection of the most beautiful gardens. If you’re living in Alpharetta and looking for some inspiration for your outside area - creative landscape lighting will breathe new life into your garden, patio, pool area or deck. Four trends on the horizon include LED string lights, fiber optic lights, colored lights and unconventional uses of spotlights and floodlights.

LED String Lights

LED string lights can be wound around trees in your yard to make a feature of them, or around a garden gazebo or trellises. It may take a bit of experimentation to find a look that works for your garden. LED lighting is an excellent option as it is energy saving and the strings add a modern feel to your landscape lighting installation. They also work well to frame an area such as outlining a window frame, doorway or patio.

Fiber Optic Lights

These are also a relatively recent addition to landscape lighting design, being incorporated into artistic outdoor installations that come in many styles and patterns such as birds and butterflies. Fiber optic lighting is set to become very popular as the demand for it increases, and there will soon be more exciting options that can be included in your landscape lighting installation.

Adding Color to Outdoor Lighting

Standardized harsh white lighting is a thing of the past. Creative landscape lighting installations make use of different colors to add texture and interest to a patio, pool area or garden. There are a number of ways to customize lights with color including fitting existing lights with light filters or color gels and newer lights such as LED landscape lights can be bought in different colors. It is also possible to make your own light colors using acetate filters.

Colored outdoor lighting does require some experimentation as not all colors look good and using too many different colors can look amateur.

Unconventional Uses of Conventional Lights

Spotlights:

Spotlights are usually installed higher up, pointing down. But another way to use them would be to place them at ground level, pointing up or sideways, and have them highlight a tree or feature in your garden, around the perimeter of your patio or crisscrossed at regular intervals along a garden pathway.

Floodlights

These can be installed at the base of a tree or in a flower bed shining from the ground up (and they can be installed with different colors).

These exciting trends will liven up your next barbeque in Alpharetta. The easiest way to make sure that you get the look you want (and impress your friends and neighbors) is to use the best landscape lighting company in Alpharetta GA to bring your creative outdoor lighting ideas to life!