Security Lights Can Deter Night Intruders
Keeping lights on at night can deter potential burglars, but having a light go on suddenly is even better.
That’s the reasoning behind the Security Light from Tahoe Products Inc., P.O. Box 6855, Reno, Nev. 89513. This outdoor lighting system uses an infrared sensor to detect the presence of people or vehicles 40 to 60 feet away. The light, available in four models designed for do-it-yourself installation, also serves as a courtesy light, lighting the way along dark sidewalks.
After it is activated, the light stays on for five minutes, according to the firm’s sales manager, Roger Green. Retail prices range from about $60 to less than $100, he said, and the lights are available direct from the manufacturer or at True Value hardware stores and other home improvement outlets.
C.P. Willson, president of Imperial Screen Co. Inc., Lawndale, chided me on my Feb. 22 column on home security for not mentioning that much information on home security is available free of charge. He admitted in his letter that he’s never read the column because he “seldom reads the real estate section” and apologizes in advance if I’ve mentioned the availability of this information in past columns. Regular readers know that I have, but I welcome Willson’s suggestion to do so again.
He suggests obtaining information from the National Crime Prevention Institute in Louisville, Ky. and the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police.
His firm has a free booklet, “Taking Control of Your Life With A Home Security System.” It’s available from Imperial Screen Co. Inc., 5336 West 145th St., Lawndale 90260.
Californians can learn about energy conservation from New Yorkers and vice versa. For several years now, Upland-based Inco Homes has been wrapping its new houses with DuPont’s Tyvek, a product I described in this column several years ago.
The product seals off all the nooks and crannies caused by stick-built construction and is ideal for both new construction and remodeling. It is used at The Waterways at Bay Pointe, a 518-unit empty-nester condominium development in Suffolk County, Long Island, about 50 miles east of Manhattan.
The development looks familiar to visiting Californians. For one thing, the development features architecture by a California firm, Treffinger Walz McLeod of San Rafael. The rough-sawn cedar siding gives the development the requisite Northern California look, but the project would look at home almost anywhere in California.
Paul Bregman of Bay Pointe Associates is the developer.
In addition to the Tyvek wrapping, energy-conservation features in the project included nine-inch ceiling insulation for R-30 ratings and six-inch wall insulation with an R-19 factor, according to Bregman. These standards earned the Thermal Crafted Home Award designation by Owens-Corning Fiberglas, suppliers of the insulation.
The buildings have R-9 perimeter insulation--they’re built on concrete slabs, just like California houses--and come with double-glazed windows.
