Exterior Lighting For Home And Business Security

by.Le Tuan Anh

The following article presents the very latest information on exterior lighting for home and business security. If you have a particular interest in exterior lighting for home and business security, then this informative article is required reading.

We all want to keep our homes and businesses safe and well protected. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished. One, rather simple, method for assisting in this goal is often overlooked by the multitudes but is one of the most effective measures that can be taken in order to protect not only the property from intruders but also to protect those on the property from unnecessary injury due to an inability to see what is going on in the exterior after hours.

Seriously, poor lighting can make a home or business a much more attractive target than the house next door which has adequate exterior lighting. Home intruders may on occasion not be the sharpest tools in the shed but those who are successful in this line of work are only successful because they do understand the laws of opportunity. A dark shady area that is concealed from the view of others presents a far more attractive target to would be intruders than a well-lit and revealing access point into a home.

When designing the security plan for your home and business you really need to try and think like a criminal. If you were going to break into your home or business where would you try to gain entry? Those are the areas that need to be well lit and offer little in the way of concealment opportunities for those that would attempt to make an uninvited entrance. Do not build storage sheds near windows and doors. Instead, keep them away from these areas. Storage units provide concealment and shadow in areas where this should not be desired.

Not all security is simply from invasion. You should also be concerned about the health and welfare of those who live and work in your home or business. Having the area surrounding your home and business will not only reveal intruders but also obstacles, holes, and etc. that could pose risks of injury in addition to potential intruders. You should also keep in mind that not all intruders have only possessions in mind when they make their grand entrance. Making your home or business uninviting as a 'pit stop' for these criminal elements also makes it safer for your family, friends, coworkers, and employees.

The more authentic information about exterior lighting for home and business security you know, the more likely people are to consider you a exterior lighting for home and business security expert. Read on for even more exterior lighting for home and business security facts that you can share.

You do not need to light up your home or business like a military installation in order to achieve the very security you seek. Motion sensor lights that only light up the area in which motion is detected can prove basic enough protection in many cases without inviting the neighbors to complain about the never-ending daylight you manage to create.

Rope lights provide low level and decorative lights but they also invite passersby to take a look at your property. This in itself makes your property unattractive to intruders if there is any kind of regular traffic in your neighborhood or an active number of neighbors that walk dogs, star gaze, or engage in any other nocturnal activities.

If rope lights aren't appealing, many homes make judicious use of solar powered decorative lights, as part of their landscaping in addition to a hopeful deterrent to would be intruders. Combining two or more of the forms of exterior lighting discussed above could net even greater results. Prevention is always the best course of action when it comes to things such as home or business security as well as the protection of those who live and work in your home or business from potential harm due to inadequate exterior lighting.

These are all things that should be considered when creating a security plan for your home or business. Lighting is important for many reasons. Despite the fact that many people have top of the line security equipment and can't find their way across their lawns after lights are out far too few people bother to take the need for adequate exterior lighting seriously. Hopefully those who read this will have a new attitude when it comes to lighting up the night skies and keeping your home and business safe.

There's no doubt that the topic of exterior lighting for home and business security can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about exterior lighting for home and business security, you may find what you're looking for in the next article.

Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/exterior-lighting-for-home-and-business-security-255740.html

Exterior Light Fixtures

by.Peter Gitundu

Exterior light fixtures allow people from all over the world to transform their gardens and home facades in the most beautiful way. They are able to achieve not only beautiful but intriguing designs. In order for you achieve the best designs, you must combine the colors to achieve a happy and unique arrangement.

You can use low voltage exterior light fixtures because they are widely available and have been used for a long time. The combination or alteration of exterior light fixtures will ensure that the landscaping is a success. You need to find dynamic ways for the decor to be totally unique. It will be pretty helpful for you to go for the low voltage systems. They will provide the best illumination.

Some of the best displays will ensure that people are not able to know where light is coming from. You therefore need to be very careful as you plan for the intricate attraction. You should consider the cost of having the fixtures in your home and the kind of installation to undertake. When you decide to go it alone, you might need to save quite a bit.

The light fixtures for the interior that come with 12 volts, will be much easier to install. Therefore, you will not risk exceeding the National Electrical Code. You will decorate paths, gazebos, doorsteps and others with this soft light puddles. You can also do this for mini lakes and ponds. You can try those special fixtures that will do wonders underwater so that you can enjoy the beauty of water sparkling in the dark.

For special effects, you can use light beams which will create splendor, leaving your outdoors looking extremely gorgeous. The purpose of this fixtures is to create a blend of color encompassing all artistic impressions. Creating and playing with lights can prove an experience like non other. When all this is brought around the home, there is no greater decor.

Features like ponds and bushes can become a great way of displaying wonderful artistic impressions. These elements are very vital while undertaking this kind of lighting. If you have not tried this, it is time you did so.

Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/tools-and-equipment-articles/exterior-light-fixtures-534530.html

Exterior Lighting Protects House - Light Up Your Home For D

Home security and that of the business premises is foremost in every responsible owner's mind, be it a family guy or a single person; but the simplest solution to the effective way to protect both places is one not many instantly think of – which is, exterior lighting.

Yes, exterior lighting is the simplest and most effective method of building a security shield around the premises, be they residential or commercial as it gives the impression of someone being present on them.

Exterior lighting also works to ward off potential intruders from breaking-in to the property that is well-lit in the fear of being sighted as it saves those on the premises from inadvertent work hazards of tripping/knocking over something/getting hurt by a protruding object etc. if working late hours.

Any premises that does not have adequate exterior lighting is more likely to be targeted by burglars and intruders who are looking for an opportunity mostly to break-in to homes and offices that give out the wrong signals: of being less cautious or knowledgeable about deterrents, such as good lighting and alarms. Since most intruders work on the principles (or lack of them, actually speaking) of opportunity arising and therefore moving in for the kill, a dark space spells more potential for them as it is usually concealed well from others present in the vicinity that may be well-lit up. Dark places typically also have the access points hidden well to provide the intruder with a good reason to think he can enter and break-in and even get-away fast enough if he is quick on his feet since it lacks the deterrent spell of a lighted home or office.


Thus, to nab a criminal, they say, you must think like one: so when designing your home, ensure that all access points have strong doors, bolts and windows that are lockable besides getting adequate lighting after evening sets in. Avoid building storage sheds near doors or windows as these prevent you from seeing if someone is hiding outside or conceal movement.

Exterior lighting is not always recommended for improving security conditions in a home or office, but also for your better health and for livening up the place.

Good lighting is essential to the essence of a home and for keeping risks at a minimum, especially with children or old folks in the home or even when entertaining friends; this applies to an office environment as well. So, you can find out more about motion sensor lights that work to light up only that areas where any movement is detected, which is a good way to get off your neighbors' nerves should you have resorted to the alternative of keeping all lights all through the night –annoying and expensive!

If you have access to solar powered decorative lights, you can be sure of enhancing the look of your landscaping besides also scaring off possible intruders, even though the earlier mentioned variety of lights is the better kinds for alerting the homeowner about a stranger's presence – but if only inside the house.

Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/exterior-lighting-protects-house-light-up-your-home-for-d-753880.html

Exterior Entry Lighting

by Eric Strandberg LC

Less is more & Many are better than one - light levels and fixture placement. These seemingly contradictory principles applied to entryway lighting result in, inviting, uniform light levels. Use multiple low light level fixtures instead of one very bright fixture. If you use just one fixture, the area nearest it is too bright and the areas further away are too dim. Using multiple fixtures lets you put the light in the key areas of interest: near signs, by doorways and stairs, thus more evenly distributing the light.

Light levels at the entry. Glare is caused either by direct view of an unshielded light source or by too much contrast if the rest of the exterior is relatively dark. A contrast ratio of less than 5 to 1 is desirable to softly accent an area without creating glare. When someone leaves an excessively lit building, it takes the eye longer to adapt from a bright entry to the darker walkways outside, making it difficult to see.

Where does extra light go? In addition to causing visual difficulties, excessive light adds to other problems as well. All this extra light reflects off the surrounding walls and walkways, bouncing into the sky, creating "light pollution" (even concrete has a reflectance of up to 40%!). Light trespass invades adjacent buildings and light pollution reduces our ability to view the moon and stars, compromising our quality of life.

As our cities and neighborhoods grow, the overall night time lighting levels become brighter. This is due in part, ironically, to the availability of very efficient new light sources. Unfortunately, energy efficient light sources tempt property owners into using higher light levels instead of lower power consumption (see table below). As you can see, the 100 watt HPS is far brighter than the base case 100 watt incandescent. The result is light pollution, sky glow and light trespass. Additionally, extra light does not always mean we can see any better. The eye can adapt to very low light levels (moonlight is less than 1 foot-candle) and very high light levels (a sunny beach can be over 20,000 footcandles), but it only adapts to one light level at a time.A really bright entry makes the walkway approaching it appear dark. Low level lighting on building A, next to bright glary lighting on building B, makes building A appear dark in comparison. This may result in an upward spiral of increased light levels. From the table, a much better choice is the lower wattage metal halide or compact fluorescent (CFL), providing similar light levels to the base case but with reduced wattage.

Base case.

100 watt incandescent =1700 lumens.
Same wattage, much higher light level.
100watt High Pressure Sodium =8500 lumens
Lower wattage, similar light level.
32watt metal halide =1900 lumens.
32watt triple biax Compact Fluorescent (CFL) =1870 lumens.
Design Questions Aesthetics, functionality, and maintenance are major points to consider as you design a lighting system.

Will it work? Is the light delivered to the right places
Are there appropriate light levels for safety? Not just minimum light levels, is there too much light?
How does it look? Do the fixtures and lighting conform to an appropriate design aesthetic?
Is there even light distribution and low glare? Uniformity and low contrast can aid in visibility.
Will there be high long term maintenance costs?

For example, a 300 watt halogen flood light may cost $10 to buy while a 22 watt CFL costs $30, making the halogen appear the better buy. But if the fixtures are on 10hrs/day, they will have an annual operating cost of; $6.92 for the CFL and $63.70 for the halogen! (at $.05/kWh). Plus, the CFL lasts 10,000 hours while the halogen lasts only 2,500 hours. Good exterior entry lighting is based on many decisions, not just on first cost.

Source:www.lightingdesignlab.com