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.