Security Lighting Advice for Vacation Peace of Mind

Many people will be going away on vacation for Labor Day weekend. This gives us plenty of time to put some finishing touches on the security of our homes and provide the peace of mind that will allow us to enjoy our trips even more.

Pictured above is motion detector set of exterior lights

Please refer to our past blog post "Security While You're on Vacation--12 Important Tips" for many resources. But we wanted to key on one specific tip today--security lighting.

Cardinal Rule Number One: Don't leave your lights on 24/7 in various parts of the house when you go away, making it appear as if someone's home. Thieves see right through this. Don't feel bad if you have done this either. Many people have (even this author is guilty of having done it before he entered the security field).

Instead, purchase timer modules to plug into your outlets in a few areas of your house to hook up to existing lamps and lights. Set them to turn on and off at times you would typically do so yourself.

This is even superior to having a neighbor come in and turn your lights on and off for you, since a thieve could be "casing" your house and see the neighbor's activity. Lights with timer modules don't provide such an obvious sign that you're away.

Lights that turn on when it gets dark and then turn off when the sun rises are an ok solution for the exterior, but the best bet is motion detector lights. One problem with those that turn off and on with the sunrise/set is that people may not use them when they're home and not vacationing. They'll activate them when they go away, thereby making them feel more secure.

But, if a thief has been casing your property, and he now sees the lights on during the weekend nights, he may assume you're not home.

Motion detector lights are effective because they are set to trigger on motion all the time, whether you're home or away. They save energy because they don't need to be on all the time and they certainly startle a potential crook who is about to set up shop outside your window or door.

For advanced measures, and to take action should a breach were to happen, it is possible to have your lighting tied into your security alarm system. So not only will your alarm sound and alert the central monitoring station, but it will also illuminate the scene.

Please ask One Source Security for details on how to make to this happen, or for other questions about security lighting.

In fact, please click the button below for a free security assessment. We would be happy to discuss your needs with you. Thanks for spending some time with us today.