Low-voltage Security Lighting Options
Lighting in your front and backyard is a good idea for home security reasons. A burglar is not going to want to ply his trade at the well-lit house on the block, when he can skulk in the shadows of a darker yard across the street. And, of course, lighting makes it safer for you when you're walking up to the front door at night (nobody can hide in the shadows to mug you if there aren't any good shadows!).
Security lighting can also double as landscape lighting, but whatever your reason for adding lights, you probably don't want your energy bill to increase a lot. Fortunately, there are lots of low-voltage lights out there that won't cost you a fortune.
Here are some popular choices:
Mushroom Lights -- these have large shades to direct light downward, so they're perfect for lighting walkways, steps, or highlighting plants.
Floodlights -- perhaps the most common type of security lighting, floodlights provide dramatic silhouettes and offer excellent security. You can mount them on walls and trees, or for a cool landscaping effect, install floodlights in the ground and point them skyward.
Deck lights -- if you've got a deck, you should have some lighting out there for safety at night. Try installing lights along the railings to increase security by broadening the illuminated area around the house.
Well lights -- these are most popular for landscaping, as they allow you to achieve dramatic up-lighting effects on trees, architectural features, statuary, and shrubbery. But any lighting you add to the yard will also improve the security of your home at night.
Remember to look for low-voltage options to help save money. All these types of lights are available in energy efficient versions.
It's a good idea to have lights that go on automatically at night even when you're out of town. This way burglars are more likely to believe someone is at home even when you're not. But if your lights go on at the same time everyday, such as 7 p.m. on the dot, a burglar who is paying attention might figure out that nobody is home.
f you've ever heard someone or something rummaging around in your backyard or frontyard at night, you've doubtlessly wanted to see what it is, but maybe you're not keen on walking through the house in order to get to the kitchen, front door, or wherever the light switch is for your outdoor lights. The Insteon Outdoor Safety system lets you operate your yard and porch lights from any room in the house with a tabletop controller. If anyone is out there snooping around, turning on the lights will likely scare them away. With this system, you can do that without even getting out of bed. 