Home Security Camera Placement is Key to Success
November 28, 2022
Home security cameras have enjoyed huge popularity with smart home DIYers. Besides the cost savings and ease of installation, they also afford 24/7 access to video and the automations afforded through AI. We’ve all seen the clips on YouTube and social media of funny activities or porch pirates being caught in the act.
The best part is once installed and configured, you can pretty much set them and forget them until you really need them. As home Wifi has improved, security cameras have become more accessible. It’s now possible to set up a wired or wireless security camera system that fits the needs of your home and your budget. With a few well-placed cameras, you can keep a good, remote eye on all of the important areas of your home.
I’ve had the opportunity to help family and friends install wireless security cameras around their homes
The recent speed and range improvements of home wireless have helped accelerate the deployment of home security cameras. Wired solutions are a little more complicated but equally effective.
For Debbie and I and our new home build, we’ll install a wired solution as it’ll be easy to get the wire in the walls during construction. Plus I’ll take advantage of Power Over Ethernet (POE) so I don’t have to install electrical outlets or periodically recharge batteries. It’s not impossible to wire existing homes but a little more involved. I covered the wiring process in a previous post ‘What Do I Need to Install My Own Ethernet Cabling?’
Besides the connectivity, it’s important to set up your home camera security system the right way. The last thing that you want to do is place a camera in a spot that doesn’t effectively cover an area and find out too late that its footage is useless. And you don’t want camera overkill as it’ll be a lot to maintain and drive up costs. So where do you place your home security cameras?
You might be tempted to point cameras at the spots around your home that are difficult to see. There is an intuitive reason for this. If you can’t see a location from your windows or doors, it probably feels vulnerable. You might think these hidden areas are a burglar’s preferred place to break and enter.
But the fact is, most burglars enter a home through the most obvious paths.
According to data collected by security company ADT, 34% of burglars enter through the front door and 22% use a first-floor window. You might imagine that these are spaces where your eyes or your neighbors can spot any malicious activity, but they are also the most used-routes for break-ins. Pointing a camera at these spaces can deter a potential break-in and can help identify anyone who attempts to get in. Judging by the statistics, placing a security camera in an alley or the back of your home might seem like a logical place, but it’s more likely to miss the action that you intend to catch on camera.
Also, camera obstructions aren’t always very obvious. Outdoors, this might mean allowing space for tree branches to swing in the wind. Be careful of quick-growing plants that will require you to move your camera every year or two.
Consider your camera’s range of view inside, too. Will your camera see everything you want it to when interior doors are opened and closed? You’ll also want to avoid placing the camera in a spot where a pet might interact with it. If you place it on a shelf, will your cat knock it off or adjust its angle? Find a spot that has good views of the space you want to watch and is also unlikely to be bumped by you, a guest or your pets.
While you want your security camera to protect your home, the last thing that you want it to do is infringe upon the safety of others. For that reason, it’s important to consider privacy concerns surrounding your camera’s placement. The urge to keep a watchful eye on kids or elderly folks in your household is understandable. However, some areas have a warranted expectation of privacy. Plus, if you use a monitoring service, you run the risk of a hacker tapping into a camera that has access to your private spaces. It goes without saying to not place a security camera in a bathroom or bedroom. No matter what your intentions are with a camera, it runs the risk of putting anyone caught on camera in an uncomfortable position and could put you in legal trouble for doing so.
Likewise, you’ll want to consider where your camera is pointed outside. Specific laws regarding cameras and privacy vary from state to state, so it’s wise to check local laws (and with your homeowners association if that applies) to make sure you won’t have to undo your installation. In general, homeowners are allowed to have outdoor security cameras that cover a broad area, and it’s usually OK to capture your neighbor’s public-facing property in the background of your footage. Legally, problems arise if your camera captures areas where your neighbors have an expectation of privacy — like into their homes — or if you use the footage for non-security purposes. Keep in mind that these rules apply to video surveillance only. Audio recording without knowledge and consent is illegal in most circumstances as well, however.
As a general rule, make sure that your security cameras are pointed at the areas of your home that matter most to you — but I’d also recommend keeping those ADT statistics above in mind. You want to keep an eye on who is approaching your home and be aware if anyone tries to enter it. The camera is there to provide a sense of security and serve as a tool to keep you and your home safe. Make sure that your cameras aren’t located in places that will render them ineffective, or worse, actually undermine your security.
A camera at your main entrance keeps tabs on everybody going in and out of your home, from family members and babysitters to maintenance people, delivery people and more. Video doorbells are great picks for the front door. You can use them as the primary camera or in conjunction with another outdoor camera aimed at the yard or garage. Check out my post ‘What’s the Best Video Doorbell for Your Smart Home?’ for some great options for your front door.
Doors that are out-of-sight allow visitors to enter undetected, whether they’re invited or not. To ensure full knowledge of everyone who enters and exits, add cameras to your secondary doors, especially if one of them is used as often or more often than your front door, or if one (like a basement door) seems particularly enticing or accessible to a potential intruder.
Garages are a common target of burglars because they’re one of the weakest entry points. A camera pointed at your garage and/or driveway keeps a watchful eye on bikes, tools, grills, sports equipment, cars and everyone that handles them. If your garage is detached, the camera helps you stay connected. If the garage is attached, the extra layer of security monitors another possible entryway into your home. If there’s a gate at the end of your driveway, you may want a camera there to spot anyone attempting to get in.
Monitoring your yard will help you keep tabs on anyone scoping out your house from the outside. It’s also handy for capturing the activities of kids, animals and trespassers.
Placing cameras in gathering points like the kitchen or living room is a great way to see if the kids are doing what they’re supposed to do, if the babysitter is attentive, what the pets are getting into, or to check on household help like cleaners and repairmen. Consider prioritizing any rooms that have large ground-floor windows — that way you can see if anyone tampers with them or uses one as a break-in point.
Place a camera in the main thoroughfares inside your home to make it difficult for someone to move about undetected. If someone breaks in through a bathroom, bedroom or another unmonitored area, they’ll still be captured on camera if they move around your house.
Once you decide the locations for your cameras, there are some last boxes to check for proper placement. Here are some tips regarding outdoor cameras:
- Install cameras 8 to 10 feet from the ground. This height is low enough to capture fine details but high enough to be out of easy reach of thieves and vandals.
- Don’t point cameras directly at the sun. Bright light causes glare and high contrast in your footage, which makes it hard to tell what’s going on. Consider the movement of the sun and angle your cameras for indirect light.
- Decide whether you want the camera to be visible or hidden. Visible security cameras are effective burglary deterrents, but they are also targets for theft and vandalism.
- Protect the camera from the elements. Top outdoor security cameras generally have ample weatherproofing, but they are not all equal. Choose a camera that’s appropriately rated for your climate, and place it under eaves or in another semi-protected area if you can.
And some tips regarding indoor cameras:
- Corners are your friends. Hanging an indoor camera in the corner of a room usually gives you the largest possible vantage point.
- Windows can cause reflection issues. Pointing a camera out the window might degrade its image quality. Many security cameras have infrared light technology, which aids in motion detection and enables the cameras to function in low light. IR light can reflect off of windows and other glass objects and obscure your footage, especially in the dark. If your footage looks washed out or whited out, there is likely a reflection problem going on. It can be helpful if your camera has wide dynamic range technology.
- Angle for indirect light. Again, direct light will wash out your footage. With indoor cameras, be mindful of lamps, light fixtures and bright windows. Avoid facing your camera directly toward any light sources.
It might seem like a lot of details to take into account on placing your security cameras. But at the end of the day it’s up to you to decide on locations and what you want to cover. And I’d suggest staying flexible on placement. What you think is good location may not turn out that way right off the bat or over time. And camera technology will continue to improve.
I’m curious how are you leveraging security cameras around your home. Do you have real concerns or just interested in seeing what’s going on when you’re not around. I have a friend who posts clips to social media of a tree in a side yard that’s regularly used at night to get over a fence by cats, foxes, opossums and raccoons — pretty interesting stuff? Others I know are using indoor cameras to care for an elderly father and even speak with him through the camera when they’re not home. Do you have any other clever, out-of-the-box applications for cameras? How are you currently using them? Are you thinking of adding some or moving some after reading this?
Let Debbie and I know in the comments, DMs and emails about your thoughts around home security cameras. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’ Until next week …
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