Installing outdoor lighting fixtures around your Twin Cities home is an excellent way to enhance security and even improve the ambiance and value of your property. But if you don’t place those lighting fixtures properly, they won’t deliver the results you’re looking for.

To help you plan out your exterior lighting design for enhanced security, the expert electricians at Harrison Electric share valuable outdoor lighting fixture placement tips below.

Flood Lighting: Mount These Fixtures for Maximum Illumination

Installing flood lighting fixtures won’t win you any awards for exterior design. Rather, these fixtures provide a broad swath of illumination that’s excellent for enhancing property security.

Because of how bright floodlights are, it’s generally best to mount them along the roofline of your home or any other buildings on your property. Placing them as high as possible helps maximize their illumination potential while minimizing the risk of tampering.

If you’re opting for motion-detecting flood light fixtures, consider placing them near major entry points like your garage door or patio door. Since these doors are more vulnerable than standard entry doors, it’s never a bad idea to use motion lighting as an extra layer of protection to deter would-be intruders.

Installing Light Fixtures to Spotlight Specific Areas of Your Property

Spotlights are a lot like floodlights in terms of how bright they are, but they differ slightly in the swatch of illumination they provide. Where floodlights essentially flood a broad area with plenty of light, spotlights focus their illumination on more confined areas.

Because spotlights provide such an intense beam of light, they’re excellent for illuminating areas with deep shadows, such as recessed areas, woods, tree lines, and the farthest corners of your property. If you have any high-dollar fixtures around your yard, focusing a spotlight on them is a great way to deter thieves and vandals.

Ambient Lighting: Place It to Enhance Design and Security

Unlike floodlights and spotlights, ambient lighting fixtures are primarily designed to enhance the ambiance of your property. But beyond their aesthetic appeal, these types of lights can also serve as an extra layer of property security.

Given their versatile nature, you can get creative when installing ambient lighting fixtures. Since these lights are primarily designed for landscaping purposes, they can sit near pathways, on walls, hanging from eaves — pretty much wherever you think they’ll look best!

Need to Install Light Fixtures Around Your Twin Cities Property?

Whether you’re looking to enhance the security or ambiance of your Twin Cities property, working with a licensed electrician on your lighting design and installation is essential. At Harrison Electric, we’ve proudly served the electrical needs of Twin Cities residents since 1985, and we’d love to help you tackle your project too.

To get started or learn more about your light fixture installation options, give us a call today at 763-544-3300 or request a quote online. You can also fill out our contact form to reach out with any questions.