Outdoor Security Lighting Tips to Help Protect Your Business
Sonoma County business buildings that seem unoccupied or appear to pose the least amount of risk are the most likely to be targeted for crime. With proper exterior security lighting, you can deter unlawful intentions, eliminate hazards, and increase the sense of safety for your customers and employees.
You don’t have to light your business building or property up like a carnival ride just to feel safe, either. Things like over-illumination and poor light placement can interrupt other security solutions you have in place or even draw more attention to valuable items inside your business.
Read on to see how a local commercial electrician can help identify potential safety and security risks, select the best lighting equipment, and determine the best placement to increase your business’s safety and security:
1. How to Determine the Best Security Lighting Equipment for Your Business
There are a number of different types of exterior security lighting systems available for business owners. Surveying your building at night can help determine the best lighting equipment for your needs. Consider your business’s location, the level of potential danger, and the areas on your property that are most vulnerable.
Flood Lights – These lights will literally flood areas with light. This makes them ideal for large dark areas around your business building.
Spot Lights – This type of light can be used to illuminate landscape features, art installations, or important building signage. Using spotlights to illuminate your business address can also make it easier for first responders to find your location in the event of an emergency.
Outdoor Wall Light Fixtures – Exterior wall light fixtures can be used to add more light to all entrances or exits around your building.
Outdoor Ceiling Light Fixtures – You can use ceiling lights to illuminate spaces under awnings, parking garages, or any other covered areas.
Step Lights or Landscape Lights – Add lights to outdoor staircases to help illuminate potential miss steps or other tripping hazards.
Standing Lamp Posts – Lamp posts offer good overhead light in areas lacking any other structure a fixture can be attached to. This makes them useful in open parking lots or walkways.
Motion-Activated Lighting – As the name would suggest, motion sensor lights will detect movement and automatically turn on. This allows you to keep your power usage low by not leaving lights on all night.
2. Consider the Placement of Your Security Lights
Consider the areas on your building that are most vulnerable to help determine the most beneficial placement of your security lights. Adding outdoor light fixtures around all entrances and exits of the building is a good first step towards making your building feel much safer.
If your building also has exterior video cameras, proper lighting placement will be especially important. Ensure your security measures work together, so light glare or shadows do not end up obscuring your camera.
Exterior Locations to Add Security Lights:
- Parking lots
- Parking Garages
- Walkways
- Business doorways, entrances, and exits
- Staircases
- Building Signage
- Areas cast in shadow or naturally darker at night
- Statues, outdoor architecture, large bushes, trees, or shrubs
3. Reduce Accidents on Your Business Property with Outdoor Lights
Keep your customers and employees safe from any potential accidents on your business property with proper outdoor lighting. Reduce the risk of any slips, trips, and falls with the addition of exterior lighting around your business building.
Consider adding lights around potential tripping hazards like decorative shrubs, staircases, curbs, or art installations that may be less visible at night.
4. Maintaining the Exterior Security Lighting Around Your Business
Having the best lighting equipment and perfect placement will only be effective as long as everything remains working properly. Before you are left in the dark, establish a regular schedule to replace your lightbulbs. Always have extra bulbs on hand in case one is broken or burns out faster than expected.
Keep the fixtures clean and have the surrounding landscape maintained so as to not block or disrupt your security lighting. Our experts at Schafer Electric can help you determine an effective maintenance schedule for your specific lighting equipment.
Contact the Pros for all Your Commercial Electrical Needs
Schafer Electric Services, Inc is an electrical contractor proudly serving businesses around the Northern Bay Area. When it comes to keeping your business safe, we always make sure we get the job done right, and done well.
Don’t leave your business vulnerable. Take the first step toward making your property more secure. Contact the professionals at Schafer Electric for all your expert safety lighting installation and maintenance needs!
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