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Feeding Security Lighting to Your Fencing

11 February 2015

The primary approach taken when equipping fencing with lighting is to increase property security, to guard your investment by banishing darkness and eye-defeating shade. Of course, if you’ve ever seen a home outfitted with high-end lighting, you can’t help but appreciate the secondary effect, that of dramatically adding flare and charm to the boundaries of your property. It creates a demarcation line, washing away the vague twilight shadows of early evening and the void of inky blackness formed by late night. Therefore, light fixtures are a welcome addition when planning a passive security system for the home, but they also breathe life into the fencing of your property, showing off gardens and decorative features with style and grace.

A one-dimensional approach to a security dilemma excludes the typical concerns that relate to matters of aesthetics, opting instead to drop several powerful halogen lights with motion-controlled sensors on the border of the fence. You know the ones, the annoying lights that blind you while you walk your dog past that dazzling light. You suspect the fenced land is occupied by a neo-mercenary operative or a paranoid neighbour living in fear of alien abduction, but the individual in question just lacks consideration for others. Every street has one such occupant, unfortunately, but security doesn’t have to submit to this form of intimidation. Instead, choose subtly and dramatic lighting effects, pillaring a series of evenly spaced light fixtures that function as both an invisible boundary and a welcoming beacon for locals on their street wanderings.

Incorporate technology into this scenario, evaluating the potential for motion sensors and light-sensing circuitry. A smart approach is required here to angle the sensor to follow the descent of the sun, and an even more obvious strategy of adjusting the sensitivity of the motion sensor is needed to avoid the embarrassment of overly paranoid lighting. Who needs the harassment of a neighbours official letter of complaint, one that’s caused by blazing lights every time an energetic squirrel or nervous cat strays onto your property? Add real-life planning to this common sense approach by planning the cost of installation and operation. It costs money to lay a cable across your recently landscaped garden, so it might be a good idea to lay the wiring before the landscaping takes place. Also, stick with an environmental strategy, opting for solar-cell capped light fixtures that store energy during the day and return that power in the evening as a friendly radiance.

Finally, consider the location of the lighting and its purpose. Funnel the illumination by placing shaded fixtures on the mid point of a timber fence, using it to illuminate a deck or swimming pool. Alternatively, use omni-directional light fixtures mounted on fence toppers to blend charm with safety, consulting the professional services of your fence provider and an electrician to meter the light for spotlighting effects and ambiance.

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