Winter brings a special kind of beauty with wholesome time with the family over cups of hot chocolate. However, it also brings a lot of darkness that can make your home feel somewhat exposed. Your yard stays shrouded in shadows for more than twelve hours a day because the sun sets so early. It provides great opportunities for trespassers to hide. You want your house to look lived-in and welcoming to friends while sending a clear message to intruders that they will be discovered and removed from the property quickly after a call to the cops. Smart lighting solutions provide an easy means for enhancing the security of your home once the sun sets.
The Importance of Motion Sensors
Installing motion-activated floodlights is one of the best ways that you can startle a trespasser who thinks they can get away with sneaking around on your property. These lights will stay dark until they detect movement. They provide a sudden burst of brightness when someone approaches your garage or side gate. If someone with bad intentions enters your driveway and is suddenly bathed in white light, they will almost always turn around and leave. They know they are highly visible to you or your neighbors and are at high risk of getting caught. You should set the sensitivity high enough to catch a person but low enough that a stray neighborhood cat does not trigger it every five minutes.
Smart Timers and Automation and the Convenience They Bring
A porch light that stays on for three days straight is a surefire clue that your house is empty. If you use smart bulbs or plug-in timers, you can create a schedule that makes your home look occupied even when you are away. You can set the living room lamps to turn on at 5:00 PM and shut off at 11:00 PM. This mimics a normal evening routine. Many modern systems today even allow you to control your lights via an app on your smartphone. So, you can even flip random lights on manually from wherever you are to really give the illusion that someone is in the house.
Lighting Up the Hidden Paths
Shadowy corners near bushes or under large trees are where trespassers can hide if they should want to cause harm. So, it is imperative that you use low-voltage path lights to fill in all those dark spots. Many homeowners have come to love solar-powered stakes. However, these lighting fixtures often struggle during the winter because there is not enough strong sunlight to charge the batteries fully. It is a better idea to use a wired system that plugs into an outdoor outlet.
To set up an optimal winter lighting scheme, partner with a licensed electrician. They can work with you to choose the best options that will enable you to save money and remain safe. Call Integrity Home Solutions for quality lighting installations that enhance the security of your Tampa Bay, FL home.