Cover the ground, not the sky
The job of a floodlight is to light the surface people walk on. A light aimed too high throws most of its output over the fence and into the sky, leaves the path in shadow, and puts glare straight into the eyes of anyone approaching — including you.
Aimed down and slightly out from the eave, the same fitting lights the driveway properly and stops at the boundary.
- Light the surface, not the horizon.
- Mount high enough to spread, low enough to control.
- Overlap coverage at the corners rather than lighting each side in isolation.
- Check the result at night, from the street and from the neighbour's side.
Where sensors actually belong
A sensor triggers on movement across its field, not towards it. Aimed straight down a path, someone walking directly at it can get close before it fires; aimed across the approach, it catches them early.
The other common fault is triggering on things you do not care about — the street, a busy footpath, a washing line, a palm that moves in the wind. That is what turns a security light into a light everyone ignores.
Sensor range and sensitivity are adjustable on most fittings. Setting them properly at installation is the difference between a light that works and one that gets switched off at the board.
Security lighting versus flooding the yard
Bright is not the same as secure. Uniform, controlled light that removes dark corners does more than one very bright fitting that creates deep shadow everywhere it does not reach.
Where lighting is part of a wider security setup, it is worth thinking about it alongside cameras — a camera pointed into glare sees less than one lit evenly.
Outdoor means outdoor-rated
Fittings outside need to be rated for it, and the rating has to match the position — under a covered patio is a different exposure from an open wall that takes driving rain and Brisbane sun.
Garden lighting, step lighting and pool-area lighting each have their own requirements. Pool areas in particular are not a place to improvise.
Outside, sorted
Light the property, not the street.
Outdoor, sensor and security lighting across Greater Brisbane, aimed and set properly at installation.
