Choosing Outdoor Flood Lights

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If you have dark areas around your home, you may want to consider installing flood lights. Using flood lights, you can bring light to your home which provides both convenience and security. The light beams provided by these lights are powerful and wide angled, meaning that a couple lights go a long way. Instead of installing standard incandescent bulbs which have little coverage, save money and time by purchasing a couple flood light mounts. These systems come in a variety of types, some of which we will discuss in this guide. After you pick out your light, installation will be required. With solar powered lights being the exception, you will need to run wires through your walls. An alternative is to run them on the outside disguised by paint. Placement is important; you want to achieve proper coverage with the limited amount of lights you have available.

Single Bulb Floodlight
Single bulb floodlights have a variety of purposes around the home. They are commonly used to accent garden designs and trees. They are easy to set up in most cases and are usually placed on the ground. For garden accenting, you need to run some wires under the ground. They can be run atop the ground, just make sure they do not become a tripping hazard. Floodlights are designed to light up a large area, so you don't need a whole lot to achieve a powerful effect. Bulbs come in different power levels as determined by their watt rating. You can view the power of these bulbs at your home improvement store. Angled mounts allow you to reposition the light angle if necessary. Your design needs may change over time, which is why an adjustable mount can prove useful. Wall-mounted floodlights serve a different purpose. These units can be activated by a switch to light up a large area of your backyard. Besides providing light, they can help deter intruders.

Double Bulb Floodlight
Double bulb flood lighting mounts commonly feature adjustable mounting heads. These pack double the power into a single mount, lighting up a larger area than just one bulb alone. You can place different wattage bulbs in each mount for a different effect. On-the-fly adjustment can be done by simple moving the mount with your hand. Adjustment may be necessary for special events like parties. As with any outdoor product, you want to make sure that the materials are up to par. Most of these units are made with metal or plastic. Make sure they are designated as weatherproof materials before purchasing. Aluminum is my personal favorite because it is lightweight, stylish and rust resistant. To protect against rain and short-circuiting, every floodlight mount should have a protective hood over the bulb or a rubber gasket around the base of the bulb.

Solar Powered
To avoid messy installation procedures, you may consider using solar powered mounts. These devices can be placed anywhere that gets direct sunlight during the day, such as a yard, garden or wall. The photovoltaic plate absorbs sunlight and converts it into electric energy which is stored inside a rechargeable battery pack. When night approaches, the floodlight mount will automatically turn on. While not as powerful as non-solar units, they can be an easy and quick way to light up or accent your home. LED light bulbs are used in almost every solar powered product because they last an exceptionally long time and are power efficient. Solar units are ready to use out of the box and even include the rechargeable batteries. For people looking for an affordable and quick lighting solution, solar power is the way to go.