The Best Places to Mount an Outdoor Security Camera

In today’s world, home security is more important than ever. Gone are the days of leaving doors unlocked, windows open, and car keys in the car.

Home surveillance has now become essential for every homeowner who wants to feel that their home and family are safe and protected from intrusion. Installing outdoor home security cameras help to ensure that your family is safe and protected.

The mere presence of a camera is often enough to deter the average intruder from trying to enter your home. The cost of installing an outdoor security camera system is money well spent as it provides exceptional security to your home.

Establishing the Best Places to Mount and Outdoor Security Camera

Establishing what you would like to observe with your outdoor security camera is the first step in determining where the best place to mount the camera is. Unfortunately, it is difficult to cover the entire exterior of your home with just a few cameras, so strategic placement is vital.

A single camera cannot do and see everything at once. If you want to a clear picture of an intruder outside your home, you will need access to several camera angles to get full coverage of the intruder.

Common Security Camera Needs

• Monitor suspicious activities that may occur outside the home
• Watch garages, barns or sheds
• Determine what kinds of animals are entering your yard
• Monitor vehicles parked in the driveway
• Ability to see who is at your door to determine whether you should open it

Each home will have different needs, so it is important to consider where on your property you feel most vulnerable. Do you have a garage full of valuable tools and equipment? Has there been a string of auto break ins or thefts in your area? Are you having issues with animals eating your plants or getting into your garbage?

Considering and answering these questions will help you determine your outdoor security needs and in turn, where to place them for maximum efficiency.

Considerations

There are several things to consider before installing outdoor security cameras to your property, starting with the fact that you will likely need more than one camera to be able to effectively protect your home and property.

It is a misconception that installing your cameras up as high as possible is the best way to capture an intruder on-camera. Having your cameras up high allows for a wider range, but your image quality will suffer. That being said, you want to aim to keep the cameras out of human reach, but close to the area that you want to narrow in on. 

Always choose outdoor cameras with the widest range possible to give you the best coverage. A camera that has a wide range can see intruders approaching at different angles as opposed to a limited range camera where the intruder would need to virtually walk right in front of it in order to get a clear picture of him or her.

Where is the Best Place to Mount an Outdoor Security Camera?

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. As we outlined above, camera placement is highly individual and depend on you and your home’s specific security needs.

For maximum security, consider the having coverage over the following areas:

Doors

Most intruders start with either the front or back door to try to gain entry into your home. If you're only planning to purchase a single camera to secure your door, you should absolutely start by protecting this area. Making sure that you have security cameras covering your main entrances to your home is vital for your home’s security.

Driveway or Parking area

Having a camera installed with a clear view of your driveway or area where your vehicles are parked will help to protect them from vandals. Unsecured garages are also high-value targets for burglars. If you need visibility over a wide area and don't want to invest in several cameras to cover all possible angles, consider a pan-tilt-zoon (PTZ) camera for the added versatility. Thanks to its ability to rotate to point the lens just about anywhere with ease, you don't need to worry about blind spots.

Windows

Large windows, windows that don’t face the street, and hidden windows are most susceptible to break ins. For this reason, it is wise to install cameras that are directed towards these windows.

Doorbell

Another security camera option is a video doorbell  that allows you see who is at your door regardless of whether you're home or away. Many doorbell cameras even have night vision technology and a wide view that allows you to see your entire entrance.

When it comes to the safety and security of your home and loved ones, it is important that you take every precaution necessary to protect yourself.

Outdoor security cameras, used in conjunction with other home security measures like a monitored alarm system, can help to deter intruders and assist law enforcement in an investigation.