Outdoor
LightingRemember the three things the bad guys don't like? Visibility, Noise and LIGHT! Once you have implemented a plan to have some type of indoor lighting on at all times, it's time to turn to the even-more-important outside lighting. If you make your house extremely visible, no one will attempt a break-in because they can be so easily seen. So once again, let's take a look at my home.
Lanterns and Door Lights
One of the best things I ever did was to have the lantern on my front lawn repaired. It's activated by a sensor that turns it on at dark and off again in the daylight. I have a plain old 100-watt light bulb in there, but it's like a beacon - and is especially important because there's a very large hedge to the side of it that some nasty person easily could hide behind. I don't ordinarily turn on the front porch light because of the lantern, but if the bulb burns out and I don't feel like replacing it at 2 a.m., the porch light works just fine. On our block, virtually every home has a porch light on at night. Most electric utility companies offer deals to install lanterns for you. One thing to remember is that none of the lights described here cost much to run at all. I'll sum up what I have and then give you my average electric bill!
Mercury Vapor / Sodium Vapor Lights
Look at the street light on your utility pole down the street. Chances are it's a sodium vapor light. If it casts a yellowish glow, it is. If it casts a white glow, it's a mercury vapor light. I have a side-by-side house and garage with a fence between the two. Soon after I bought this home, I had a mercury vapor light installed over the side door of the garage. That light shines over the entire area between the house and garage, and also out into the front yard just a little bit. Remember that the light housings are facing downward so my mercury vapor light isn't going to bother my neighbor across the street. It costs about $200 to purchase and have one installed by your friendly neighborhood handyman. They now run 175-watt lighting, which covers a pretty wide area. They too are sensor-activated.
To increase the safety of my home, I had another mercury vapor light installed on the center back of my house that covers out into my yard and a little bit onto the neighbor's driveway. It casts a wider beam of light into the backyard since there are no structures hiding it, but the yard is full of trees, and the entire back fenceline is covered with conifers, so that light will never bother the neighbors behind me either. This is something you must plan very carefully when determining where to install lighting outdoors. I prefer the mercury vapor because of its whitish glow - very soft but bright. I also have a door light over the side door, but never turn it on since no one can enter the house that way.
Remember the Garage
One friend has a much smaller mercury vapor light on the front of her garage. It's just enough light to brighten the driveway without bothering any neighbors. But that garage, like most around here, is set back at the back of the yard at the end of the driveway. If you have a garage next to your home, you need an alternate plan, such as the light on the side of the garage. Also it helps to have a garage door opener installed. [The screw kind vs. the chain pulley type is definitely better.] I have a 2.5-car garage and had a door opener installed right after I moved here. Here's another security feature. First, the door is locked when it shuts. Second, as soon as you hit the opener, the door starts to open and the light in the door opener comes on. That light will stay on for five minutes, giving you enough time to exit by the side door and into your house - in the light!
Household lights aplenty, my computer on for a good 14-16 hours/day, two mercury vapor lights, one lawn lantern and electric utilities - and my monthly bill never exceeds $45. Light is your friend!
