Motion detectors & related sensors can vastly improve the security of your Nashville home

Driveway motion detectors

Home security driveway motion detectorIf you’d like to be notified of all visitors to your Nashville property before they can even get to your front door, then a driveway motion detector is for you. To ensure the outdoor motion sensor(s) covering your driveway will let you know if anyone is approaching your house, they should be placed at every entry point to your property. A wide array of driveway motion detectors are available today, and if you’re considering installing motion detectors for your driveway, there are a few things to be aware of in order to make the wisest choice for your situation.

Driveway motion detectors on Amazon

Driveway sensor range: If the sensor is too far from its accompanying receiver, it won’t help you at all. Shorter driveways will be fine with a basic model (most have around a 400 ft. range), but if your house is far from the street — or you’re trying to keep an eye on private hiking trails or a warehouse complex — you’ll want to go for a special long-range one, which can beam its signal up to half a mile and even more in Nashville home security - outdoor motion detectorsome cases.

Response type: What type of notification would you like to receive when motion is sensed in your driveway (or at related entry points to your property)? Driveway motion detectors are available with a variety of different features, sounds, and alert methods. Some motion sensors set off a sonic or audible alert inside the house, effectively behaving like a long-range doorbell. As one user humorously stated, “It gives you time to throw some pants on.” Other driveway sensors are more security-focused, allowing you to network multiple sensors into a communication device similar to a walkie-talkie, which then lets you know exactly which section(s) of your property have been compromised.

Motion-activated floodlights

Outdoor motion-triggered lights work very much like a driveway alert; however, rather than alerting you when it senses motion, it turns on a light which will ideally illuminate the entire area completely, allowing anyone nearby to see what is going on in the covered area.

Call Broderick Builders today at 615.385.3210 to discuss Nashville remodeling & home security

Home security night-time driveway motion detectorIf the illuminated figure is a thief or other criminal, he is almost certain to run away when the lights come on. Conveniently, if it happens to be you tooling around in your yard at night, the lights will come on and keep you from stumbling around in the dark and tripping over your wood pile or walking into your fence. With motion-activated lights covering your property, you can confidently go about any desired tasks at night and be assured of having plenty of light to see what you are doing. This type of multi-use outdoor motion-activated lighting is the ultimate in both convenience and security.

Motion-activated flood lights on Amazon

Many different types of motion-activated lighting are available, ranging from the relatively intimidating light that floods the whole yard in bright light, to more subtle lighting – and everything in-between.

Preventing unwanted motion detecting triggers

There are some things you’ll want to keep in mind. Outdoor motion detectors/sensors activating lights are going to be triggered when your dog is out and about, when anyone approaches, and in some cases, even a passing cars or even leaves and other debris blowing in the wind. These are known in the industry as “nuisance trips.”

These nuisance trips can be annoying to you and to nearby neighbors. The idea of these nuisance trips often prevent homeowners from installing motion detector lights to begin with. With smart installation and configuration of outdoor motion detection lighting such as that established by our outdoor lighting professionals, certain unwanted light triggers can be made much less likely via adjustments to the system – such as the distance-range settings, aiming the sensor in such strategic ways as to limit the field of view, and other methods used by professionals in the field.

Some motion-sensing units allow you choose your own type of lighting.

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We strongly recommend choosing a system with a timer or a photoelectric cell or some way of preventing the lights from coming on during the day – which would be a waste of energy and be completely useless to boot.

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Motion detectors with barking guard dog audio

Want all the protection of a much-feared guard dog – without the dog? How about a virtual Doberman Pinscher – or perhaps something that sounds like a fierce, protective German Shepherd?

Home security virtual guard dog bark alarmIf you wish, you can implement a home security system complete with intimidating, angry guard-dog barking audio which activates and sounds when someone approaches your home. Many such models are able to sense movement through doors, windows, or any other desired area. Some of these canine audio motion detectors are high end with many adjustable variables (e.g., the bark volume, the type of dog bark, the bark speed, and so on in order to maximize the effectiveness or adjust it as you see fit.

Barking guard dog alarms on Amazon

Other types of audio sensors can be implemented using an almost limitless variety of sounds; for instance, if you wanted, you could have ringing bells or pleasant birdsong audio when you’re having friends over. You could even set your audio system to play Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries a la the classic war film Apocalypse Now! The only limit to the fun you can have with your custom system is your own imagination!

Outdoor motion detectors on Amazon

Home security alarm systems

Indoor motion sensors are an integral part of just about every major type of home security alarm system. When combined with other sensors, they strengthen a home’s coverage and intruder detection, making it wider and fuller and more inclusive. When an intruder sneaks onto your property or into your home in an unexpected way, that motion will be immediately noticed and you’ll be alerted in the prescribed way.

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Thanks to so many technological advances in the last decade, many types of home security alarm system types are now available. Before you start to address design decisions (black vs white cameras/video) or technical specs (areas of coverage), there are some basic things to consider.

Home security alarm systems on Amazon

Wired vs wireless

Nashville home securityWireless motion detectors are particularly useful because they allow the homeowner to thoroughly test varying sensor placements in order to determine the most effective, widely covered sensor positioning. Basic errors commonly made by non-professional installers can virtually invalidate the entire security system. For example, if sensors are placed too high, then the intruder could waltz by undetected. If motions sensors are placed too low, then your dog or cat will constantly trigger the alarm.

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With a wireless detector, it’s not too difficult to find the “sweet spot” – the area of detection that’s most likely to detect intruders with ill intent and not harmless, everyday scenarios. Please remember, though, that most wireless motion sensors have a maximum range of around 400 feet. If you need to protect a large, several-thousand sq-ft home, wired sensors are going to give you the required coverage and protection.

Wireless home security systems with camera and smart phone access – Amazon

Motion detector considerations for pet owners

When dogs or cats are moving about in your home, it pays to configure the motion sensors in such a way as to ensure prevent their constant detection. Some of the better motion sensors have been created specifically for homes with pets, and will thus avoid unnecessary activation for pets of specific sizes (e.g., up to a certain height).

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Resources – Motion detectors: An integral part of Nashville home security

Professional tips, considerations for motion detectors

Barking motion-detector “guard dog”

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