Security lights can help brighten up dark areas around your home’s exterior and protect your home from theft. Security lights are often motion-sensing to deter potential thieves, and to make walkways more visible when entering and exiting your home at night.

You should choose security lights based on your needs and the kind of fixtures that your home already has. You can look for a blend of style and functionality or choose what features are most important to you.

In this article we'll cover security light designs and installation in part two. Read below for the step-by-step instructions on how to choose and install security lights!

Choosing the Right Security Lights

Step 1: Determine the location of the security light first to find a light that fits. Where will you be installing the security light? Is it visible and does it need to match your home’s overall style?

A security light near your front door will likely look different than one at the end of your driveway. Determining the location of your lights will help you decide what design and style is right for you.

Step 2: Decide what type of light would be most effective.

Motion-sensor lights

work well as security lights because they only come on when movement is detected. These types of lights are great for deterring potential theft or burglary.

Static lights are controlled by a light switch and can be turned on when needed or left on to illuminate your home for longer periods of time. The type of light you need depends on its primary use and the area of your home where it will be positioned.

Installing Security Lights

Step 1: Remove existing lights if necessary. If you are installing a new security light in a location with an existing light, you will need to remove the old one first. Turn off the power to the light via your circuit breaker box before attempting to remove the light.

Next, unscrew any bulbs inside the light to prevent them from breaking during the removal process.

After that, disconnect the wires from the previous light. You can use a circuit tester to ensure that the power to the light is off.

Step 2: Assemble the new security light before installation. Follow the instructions that came with your light to complete assembly.

Step 3: Connect the wires for the new security light. The wiring sometimes sounds intimidating, but it is actually straightforward. You will connect the white wire from the security light to the white wire from your home. Next connect the black wires, and lastly connect the grounding wires. You can secure each wire pair with a wire nut. After each pair is secured, you should push the wires back into the light box.

Step 4: Attach and secure the new security light. Once the wires are taken care of, you are ready to finish the installation process. Attach the new security light to your house following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 5: Adjust the light as needed. Your new security light might come with features detailing the motion-sensor settings, duration of the light once activated, and range of motion detected. You can adjust these settings based on the specific instructions for that light. You can also adjust the angle of the light to illuminate the appropriate area.

Step 6: Turn on the power to the light using the circuit breaker box. Once the installation is complete, you can turn the power back on by flipping the appropriate switch in the circuit breaker box. Your new security light is now ready to use!

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with different brands before deciding on security lights for your home. You can look for consumer reviews via home improvement store websites or online retailers like Amazon. Reviews often detail information like ease of installation and complexity of settings, which can be great if you don’t have any past experience with installing lights yourself.

It's important to protect your home from theft and lights and

cameras

can help with that.. But there's no fool-proof way to make sure you won't get robbed, so make sure you have

a home insurance policy

that will cover your belongings if you are burgled.

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