Safely Lighting your Outdoor Halloween Home

Guest Blogger #745, Entry #1745, October 22, 2012

Whether you are still trying to determine how to decorate your outdoor home for Halloween are you are concerned that trick or treaters may not safely get to your front door, lighting pathways on Halloween night. Today I asked Paul R Gosselin from Nightscenes Landscape to join me and talk about getting your holiday home safely lit.

Safely Lighting your Outdoor Halloween Home

Is your outdoor home illuminated enough for Halloween?

Making your pathways safe

The little ghouls are on the way!  They show up with bags, buckets, and body bags (I mean pillow cases) to collect as many goodies as they can carry.  Yes, Halloween is almost here – and what else would I be talking about but outdoor lighting to make sure these little monsters make their rounds without tripping and getting themselves injured.  We don’t want any unintentional spilled blood, now do we?

We all know that if we expect these little princesses, super-heroes, aliens and goblins we should leave our front door light on, right?  While this is a great way to let them know they are welcome, does it also do a good job of lighting the approach to and from your door?  Are any steps along the way to your haunted mansion illuminated well?  If you have a flagstone walkway with grass between the stones, is it well lit to avoid an accidental fall?

Choosing the right Halloween lighting

The best way to make sure everyone can move around safely is to use some well positioned quality path or spread lighting fixtures.  A good fixture will cast a ring of light that is approximately 10’ around and shines the light down onto the walkway without shining into the eyes of the person walking along the way.  It’s also a good idea to stagger the fixtures from side to side or place them all on one side of the walkway to avoid the “runway” look that we see far too often.

Create a welcoming path to your front door

Remember that these little ones frequently have something over their face which can interfere with their vision, so anything you can do to make it safer for them to receive their treat would make Mom and Dad Monster especially grateful.  Happy Halloween – and may the lighting force be with you!

Paul Gosselin from NightScenes Landscape Lighting Professionals explains how walkway lighting is important for children safety at Halloween. This topic is so important for parents, and home owners trying to ensure the holiday is safe for all!

Thanks Paul, and listen for a highlight on the Radio Show – Your Weekly Home on Stagetecture on Oct. 24th! If you’re interested in being a guest blogger featured on my radio show, contact me.

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.