Would you recommend security lighting?

dbrookf

We are currently seeing a spate of burglaries in our village and my husband and I disagree on whether to install security lights - he says that we should get them but I’m not sure as to the pros and cons...

Any advice/insight would be appreciated!

d0nkeyk0ng

Ignore the argument that they're a deterrent. I found it useful to see what's happening outside if the wife hears a noise that I don't (a common occurrence despite me usually being awake and the wife asleep at the time).

The only downside is that the lights are triggered by neighbours' cats and by foxes that roam around at night.

Debbie_Savard

Alarm mines are the smart option - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bisley-Security-Burglars-Intruders-Galvanized/dp/B0049ACMC6

Lorian

Review your door locks too.

If you have any "euro" style locks like found in a lot of uPVC/Patio doors they are particularly suscpetible to a break in.

As many on here will know, most of these can be snapped in about 5 seconds, with no skill and little noise too if they protrude or the handles are poor quality.

WobblyDog

I think small motion-activated exterior LED down-lighters are a good idea, both for convenience and security. Some of them have a sensitivity adjustment screw, so they can be tuned to ignore smaller animals. I'm glad the days of ugly 500W halogen lights are coming to an end.

glasgowdan

Please don't let light cast onto neighbour's properties if you fit them... they should point DOWN... unlike the one's my neighbour at the back has fitted and refuses to adjust!

googler

If your budget will run to it, get an Arlo wireless camera system.

Motion-activated video capture, cloud storage, long battery life .... standard kits of 1,2,3,4 cameras with base unit.

We bought third-party black mounting brackets and black skins to make them less obvious (cameras are white).

dbrookf

Thanks for interesting input! Any others?

anto164

I agree, one of our neighbours have security lights, but they light up the road. Constantly on and off, and lighting up our curtains at night in our bedroom.

If you're having them, i echo the previous post, get them angled down so they cast shadow over other persons gardens / properties.

Wassa123

Led lights + cctv.

Just make yours look more riskier to burgle than your neighbours.

glasgowdan

anto164 wrote: »

I agree, one of our neighbours have security lights, but they light up the road. Constantly on and off, and lighting up our curtains at night in our bedroom.

If you're having them, i echo the previous post, get them angled down so they cast shadow over other persons gardens / properties.

It's total ignorance isn't it? I'd be mortified if I found out our lights were shining on a neighbour's windows. But some just genuinely don't care. It IS possible to get environmental health involved, though as always it's a balance between deciding what would be gained and lost by doing so.

I'm considering growing a 6m line of leylandii to 3m high to block our neighbour's. This will reduce light to our strawberry beds but would make any of their lights actions irrelevant to us. And they've just planted a new beech hedge along their side of the wee wall so I'm sure they'd not be too pleased to see a leylandii dwarf it.