Most would accept that outdoor patio lighting can make a huge difference to the look and feel of a garden, but home security? Are burglars less likely to invade your home if they experience a little Zen like calm, courtesy of some well placed patio string lights? Perhaps while rifling through a bedside cabinet the glow of outdoor patio lights might remind them it was a career in home design, and not home burglary, that really interested them as a youth. Do they prefer to rob those who appear to spend more on the appearance of their home? Surely the opposite is true. No, I am basing this bold claim on the accounts of several professional burglars, who explained the logic of improving home security with outdoor patio lighting via that much loved medium – the reality TV show.
There are so many reality shows on the television these days it seems as if anybody’s mother’s uncle can grab their fifteen minutes of fame with relative ease. There have now been so many variations –along with the inevitable, and increasingly dire, spin offs – of all these shows that personally I could use a little less reality for my entertainment. One that did prove entertaining however, if a little bit frightening, was a show about burglars. The basic premise is that people volunteer their homes and an ex-burglar attempts to break in, and then tells them where they need to improve their home security.
The scary part is the ease and speed with which these guys can gain access to a seemingly secure residence, although much of the time it is something simple like an open window or a ladder left out that makes the robbery an easy one. The show finishes with the hapless volunteers returning home to find their home ransacked, and the burglar-turned-home-security-adviser sat there on the living room furniture to chastise them for all the things that made them an easy target. What sets this show apart from many is the genuine insider knowledge and insights gleaned from the ex-burglar, and understanding how these guys think can make the job of home security that much easier.
Watching how the ex-burglars choose their potential targets is very telling. The truth is that the majority of burglars are opportunists and predators, in that they are looking for an easy target, or weak target, and will take that over a lucrative one. True, some will target rich victims in large houses with adequate security, feeling the risk justifies the reward given their skill set, but these are professional thieves and a tiny minority of the overall problem. Reducing the likely hood of being a target is achieved by increasing the potential risk of the burglar getting caught, and this can be done in several ways, including the use of outdoor patio lighting.
Obviously a good, and clearly visible, alarm system will deter most would be burglars, but these can be quite expensive and beyond the budget of many. You don’t need to check out what second mortgage rates you can expect just yet though, as there are several simple things you can do which are a whole lot cheaper. Simply by always checking your windows, back door, yard gate and garage are all locked securely before you leave the house will improve your home security, as an alarming percentage of these crimes are committed due to these basic oversights. Also not leaving helpful climbing aids like patio furniture where a burglar could make use of them will help. One of the most effective yet simple deterrents however is to increase the risk of a burglar being seen – and therefore the risk of them being caught – by ensuring your property is well lit, and outdoor patio lighting can perfect for the job.
The trouble with standard security lights, effective as they undoubtedly are, is that they can create the atmosphere of living in a military complex or prison, rather than a home. While the softer patio lighting, intended for enhancing and adding magic to a garden, does not give the same level of visibility, it can nevertheless do a pretty effective job, and is generally a lot cheaper. It is also probably less irritating for your neighbors, who might prefer not to be flood lit every time a cat passes your security sensors.
Patio lighting offers a pleasant and effective compromise on security lighting that doesn’t break the bank. It is quite possible to have a very well lit garden that also feels homely as you can pick and choose where to place each patio light. If you have dark spaces behind trees at the back of your garden then using up-lighting will not only illuminate these spaces, but also create a truly magical effect with the trees too. If you have a large lawn then solar patio lights can be an economical way to keep it visible at night, but are far subtler than security lights. The solar patio light obviously requires no ongoing running costs so this is an added bonus.
For the areas around patio doors and windows patio party lights can create abundant illumination, and for decking there are patio lighting options that can be embedded in the floor or as step lights. Step lights in particular can be invaluable in helping to prevent accidents, particularly the kinds of accidents that can occur when your guests may have had one drink too many. The point is that you can be flexible enough with patio lighting to cover all your bases – from both a visual and security point of view.
While there is of course the danger that your outdoor patio lights arrangement will be too attractive, and bring scores of would be burglars in to your garden to admire it, it is far more likely that they will move on to a house where can commit their crimes under cover of darkness. Patio lighting is well known for its calming effects, and knowing that – for a very reasonable price – you have at the same time added some beauty and security to your home, can bring even greater peace of mind.
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