JAMES DULLEY: Keep costs down; plan outdoor lighting

Q: I want to improve my outdoor lighting for better security and when entertaining guests. I want to do it efficiently and do some of the work myself to lower the cost. What are some outdoor lighting tips?

A: It is important to plan your outdoor lighting scheme or it may increase your electric bills significantly. Keep in mind that the best lighting plan for security is not always the best for entertaining. It would be wise to make two lighting layouts on different switches.

To calculate how much it costs to operate outdoor lights per day, first total the wattages of all the bulbs. Multiply this total by eight hours and then multiply by your electric rate ($ per kilowatt-hour). Divide this by 10 to get the number of cents per day. You might be surprised at the total.

People often think that brighter lights provide better security.

Actually, lower lighting levels are more effective. This is because it is difficult for the human eye to quickly adjust from a very bright area to a darker area. If the lighting is less bright, it is often easier to see and pick up movement in the darker areas where someone might be hiding.

The best security lighting plan is ineffective if your house is not reasonably secure. If someone can break into your house in a few seconds, he or she probably won't be concerned about the possibility of being seen.

Make sure all your windows have latches and lock them when the windows are closed, even when you are at home. Install good-quality, bump-resistant deadbolt locks on all the doors. These are more difficult to pick. Plant thorny shrubs under windows and install an alarm system.

Walk around your house and look for spots where someone might hide that may need some security lighting. Do this at night because street lights or neighbors' lights might already provide adequate brightness. Try to minimize light pollution by using only as much brightness as is necessary.

CFL (compact fluorescent lights) and LED (light-emitting diodes) produce much more light output per watt than standard incandescent bulbs. For example, an L22 array LED fixture uses less than 25 watts to produce the same light output as a 100-watt incandescent bulb. LEDs are not affected by cold temperatures. CFLs are and take a little time to reach full brightness.

Motion-sensing lights are the most efficient and effective for security.

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JAMES DULLEY: Keep costs down; plan outdoor lighting