Even More Security With Outdoor Porch Lighting

 

In this section of Landscaping Info 4U I have been looking at the security aspects of outdoor lighting and in the previous article I took a look at the PIR sensor and PIDs. In the following article I will be taking a look at outdoor porch lighting with an emphasis on home security.

So far in the section I have given a basic introduction to outdoor lighting, safety and security, from the garden gate up to your outdoor stairway and now it is time to take a look at your front porch. The security conscious reader will understand that a front porch light switched on will often deter many opportunistic thieves but few will realize that a brilliantly bright light is not that much more effective than more ambient outdoor porch lighting such as the lantern shown above.

Ambient lighting is often much more aesthetically pleasing than a powerful bright white light but sometimes such a bright light is required, especially at your front porch (you will want to be able to see who is at the door!). There are two easy ways in which to deal with this situation. Firstly you can have two porch lights, one soft and another brighter light which can be switched on as and when you require it. Another option is to have a switchable soft light and a motion activated light so that it comes on when people approach your porch.

When I say you will need a bright light I do not mean that your outdoor porch lighting needs to be industrial strength or floodlit like a sports arena. Rather you can have a smaller bright light which is focused upon the specific area directly in front of your front door. Make sure that you position it sufficiently high enough not to blind your visitor but not to high as to create too much shadow on the face (which can make the friendliest face appear mean and angry!).

So now that I have taken a good look at the security and safety aspects of outdoor lighting I can now begin to take a closer look at the various styles and types of lighting and how best to utilize them in your garden. To read all my previous articles and the next just follow the link directly below.

 

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