Brighter isn't always better. Glaring lights can annoy neighbors, blind visitors, and waste electricity if they're left on all night. Along walkways and in landscaping, 40 to 60 watts (the equivalent of a bright full moon) is sufficient to discourage a burglar. Reserve higher-wattage fixtures for entries and lights you won't burn all night.

At all entry doors, use dual-bulb fixtures or a pair of single-bulb fixtures. A second bulb helps spread the light and ensures that the door won't be in the dark when one bulb burns out.

Above the garage door, install a double fixture—perhaps one that's activated by a motion sensor.

Along walkways that run from the street or a detached garage, install low-voltage "mushroom" downlights. If a walkway is very short, a single post light may be all you need. Both work well with photoelectric sensors that turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.

Under eaves, use double-fixture floodlights at corners to wash the sides of your house with light. Mount them high enough to be unreachable by someone standing on the ground, and point them straight down so there's no unlit gap directly next to the house. These also are good candidates for a photoelectric sensor or a motion sensor.

Under windows, use ground-mounted low-voltage fixtures to uplight shrubs, trees, and the sides of your house. Under first-floor windows, use lower-wattage bulbs to avoid any glare that could obstruct your view out.

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