What You Should Know About Security Lighting

If you’re looking for a practical way to reduce the risk of theft and prioritise safety for your property, it’s time to consider security lighting. As one of the oldest security methods, it is largely used both within industries such as the military and has become increasingly popular in residential settings too. When configured for your property, it has the potential to make everyone in the property feel safer and provide a sense of security for your belongings. Here at MJH Electricals, we provide a wide range of electrical services to our customers, including the supply and installation of security lighting. Read our guide to learn everything you need to know.

What Is Security Lighting?

Installed on the exterior of a property, security lighting is intended to deter intrusions and other criminal activity. The most popular type illuminates when movement is detected in the close vicinity. These flood lights emit a strong and wide light beam that allows the desired area to be viewed with more ease. Security lighting is commonly paired with CCTV recordings, making it easier to review the footage once it has been captured.

This type of lighting indicates a presence near your property. For example, when motion-sensor lighting turns on, the homeowner knows that there has been movement near the outside of their property. It increases the chance of criminals being caught before they break into property.

How Does It Help To Prevent Theft?

The majority of burglars aren’t experts at their game. A significant proportion is opportunist thieves – targeting houses because they look like an easy game. They want to be able to get in and out without being detected, using their anonymity to get away with the crime. Therefore, one of the best ways to protect your belongings and family is to make sure that your home looks the least appealing by making its presence known to everyone around.

Security lights work based on avoiding confrontation. With burglaries happening every 40 seconds in the UK, it pays to do whatever you can to prevent this from happening to you. Research and experts have shown that security lighting on its own is unlikely to entirely prevent theft. But they work well alongside other deterrents, such as CCTV and industrial-grade locks to help protect both the belongings and people inside.

Commercial Or Residential?

The beauty of security lights is their versatility – they can be used in both commercial and residential environments. Warehouses and industrial estates are notoriously ill-lit at night time. There are walkways, corners and nooks that can become completely bedded in darkness when the sunsets. And, it is these areas that provide the perfect hiding spaces for thieves. This is particularly true if a commercial property has visual CCTV signs. With proper monitoring, the potential burglar could find out what areas of the site aren’t covered by cameras or are so poorly lit.

For residential applications, security lighting provides a low-cost and effective way of monitoring the grounds around your home. Because they only switch on when motion is detected, they aren’t a drain on your electricity bills. And, because most homes in the UK are smaller, most can be covered entirely by a single light to reduce costs even more. If your home is the only one on the street that has security lighting, you instantly become less appealing to opportunistic thieves.

What Are Your Options?

There are several different security lighting systems to choose from.

Motion Activated Lights
Timed Security Lighting
Floodlights
HID security lights

Motion-activated lights, as the name suggests, switch on when they detect movement. This is considerably more suitable for residential properties where consistent light throughout the night could disrupt sleep. Continuous light can also be an annoyance to neighbours and cost you your electricity bills. Because of the type of sensors fitted, these lights only work after dark and can be adjusted to ignore the movement of animals or wind.

Timed security lights are ideal for properties that aren’t always manned. They can be programmed to switch off and on at different times of the day. Some also can be adjusted in intensity during the night. And, they can be programmed separately during the summer and winter to suit the length of sunlight.

Floodlights are perfect for larger outdoor spaces. They are incredibly strong and, when using LED lights, use less electricity than you might expect. Equally HID security lights are designed as a suitable option for very large landmasses, such as those in industrial settings.

Why Employ A Professional?

Modern technology has made accessibility to security lighting considerably easier than it was a decade ago. Many on the market can be brought and installed yourself in seconds. However, it’s important to take into account the unique features of your property. If you’re looking for security lighting to cover your family home, fitting one yourself will likely be suitable. If you’re looking to minimise theft risk on a larger-scale manufacturing plant or agricultural setting, employing a professional electrician is vital.

As with the team here at MJH Electricals, professionals will take into account the unique layout of your property. They will factor in fluctuations in light throughout the year and consider your electricity bills in the process. Once they have helped you decide on the right security lighting for your property, professional electricians will be able to ensure installation is discreet. With lighting integrated into your property, it reduces the risk of these deterrents being detected by burglars.

If you have any questions about security lighting or want to find out how our team of experienced electricians can help you find the right solutions, get in contact with us here today.