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By: Marshall Honeywell on Wed Jun 11, 2008

Summer is theft season, and without home security lighting, your home could be the next in line to be ransacked by the foul and pernicious burglars and hoodlums that make their living by loot and plunder. If you think that a great alarm system is your first and only line of defense, you’re wrong! Home security lighting can stop a thief in his tracks before he gets a chance to break a window and find out you have an alarm system installed. Sophisticated criminals actively target and seek out houses with poor lighting, and home security lighting is a bang-up way to protect your valuables, your home, and most importantly, your family from the emotional and financial turmoil left in the wake of theft and home invasion. Consider the following lighting systems in the context of a comprehensive plan that includes a burglar alarm, home security windows, and other basics of home security.

Dusk to Dawn Lighting
This is the time-tested technique for ensuring a reasonable standard of home security. A brightly lit home discourages burglars because it illuminates anything they might be doing. Think of the clichéd silhouette of the burglar with his bag of loot creeping in front of a picture window, painfully oblivious to just how visible he is. With dusk to dawn lighting, you’ll be looking at using either photocell controls for existing lights, or else lights that have built-in photocells, such as wallpacks and yard-lights, many of which are available at most home security retailers, and some home suppliers.

Unfortunately, the downside to this particular style of lighting (Dusk to Dawn Lighting) is that you’re going to be using a significant amount of energy, and both your electrical bill and the cost of replacing the bulbs will be very high. If this method of security seems prohibitively expensive, don’t fret, the following might be an option for you.

Motion Activated Lighting
Motion activated lighting is extremely popular, so popular as to be ubiquitous in the alleys and drive-ways of American suburbia, primarily because it’s a convenient and inexpensive theft deterrent. Because motion detecting lights are only in use when they are activated, the bulbs will last longer, and energy costs will be much lower. Motion activated lighting rangers from post-lanter sensors to box-mount sensors, and small swivel sensors that are able to be manipulated depending on in what direction you’d like the light to shine.

[b]High & Low Motion Activated Lighting[/]b
High & Low Motion Activated Lighting combines the best aspects of Dusk to Dawn Lighting with traditional Motion Activated Lighting – the affordability, and the full coverage. Using Hi/Lo Sensors, the system will turn outdoor lights on to 20% of their wattage, but brighten when they detect movement, resulting in a charming glow that isn’t over-bearing, as well as security and safety.

Finally, Some Tips…
And finally, it’s always a good idea to check out the seasonal crime rates, by making a trip to your local police station or community policing center. They’ll be able to provide you with accurate and up-to-date statistics about the crime-rate in your area, as well as provide you with some specifics about crime prevention and home security you might have overlooked. After all, they’re there to help!