3 Ways to Improve Home Security for Your Outdoor Living Spaces

Make the most of your outdoor living and entertaining spaces by extending your home security beyond the four walls of your home. Having a reliable home security system specifically designed for your outdoor living room, patio, and deck can provide you with peace of mind and improve the overall safety of your property. From surveillance cameras to motion sensors, there are many reasons you may want to consider installing advanced smart home technology — and if, for nothing else, you might finally get a closeup with that woodchuck that loves eating your vegetables. Let's explore the benefits and features of implementing a home security system tailored for outdoor living spaces.

"When designing an outdoor living space, it is important for homeowners to consider their overall home security and maximize protection of their property," shares Jim Nye, Chief Product Officer, Vivint Smart Home. "Today, many smart home solutions are designed to secure outdoor spaces, while also adding aesthetic value." He elaborates with the following tips:

1. Install Smart Lighting

"Smart lighting is a convenient and effective addition to any outdoor space," shares Nye. "For example, Vivint’s Smart Porch Outdoor Lighting is fully customizable, so it can automatically turn on your porch lights at a certain time, or in response to a pre-set trigger. Plus, landscape lighting allows homeowners to retain an ambient experience while also helping deter intruders.

Home security is enhanced with lighting.<p>Deckorators</p>
Home security is enhanced with lighting.

Deckorators

2. Place Outdoor Security Cameras Strategically

Outfitting your yard, patio, and pool with motion detectors has many benefits. "When designing your home security system, avoid creating 'dead zones,' or areas that cannot be seen by cameras," reminds Nye. "Additionally, for greater outdoor coverage, consider outdoor cameras with advanced deterrent features like motion detection and night vision. For example, Vivint’s Spotlight Pro is a true smart device. It utilizes our Smart Deter technology and state-of-the-art computer vision chip to identify, illuminate, and follow intruders with a spotlight and audible alert tone so they are aware they’ve been spotted and deterred from remaining on the property. It can also be used to illuminate pathways or other areas for residents and guests when not in deter mode, and provide two-way audio through the monitoring center"

3. Integrate With Your Existing Indoor System

"Make sure your outdoor solutions can be seamlessly connected to other smart security solutions used throughout your home, for an additional layer of convenience," notes Nye. "This way, you can optimize remote monitoring and control and monitor your outdoor space from anywhere – whether that’s inside your house or on-the-go, via the video feed on a central mobile device app."

Related: How Does Your Landscaping Influence Home Security?