The Worst Business Security Camera Placement Mistakes

If you’ve invested in a business security camera system, you’ll want to get the best out of it. That starts by making sure to place your security cameras properly. With that in mind, here are five security camera installation mistakes you need to avoid.

Placing your security camera at the wrong height

For security camera placement to be effective, you need to think about coverage first and convenience second. Your CCTV cameras need to be high enough off the ground for them to capture the sort of details you want. That’s generally their vehicles and/or their upper body, especially their face, rather than their feet.

At the same time, you want to avoid placing your security cameras too high. They may still be able to cover the area you want. The problem will be that they might not be able to capture enough detail to be effective.

What’s more, placing security cameras too low or too high will also expose them to a much greater risk of damage. If security cameras are placed too low, they can easily be kicked or knocked. If they are installed too high, they are more likely to be damaged by the weather.

When you’re installing security cameras, you need to assess the placement height according to the type of camera you’re using. In short, bullet cameras have a relatively narrow view-angle but a long-range. Dome cameras have a relatively wide view-angle but a short-range. If you switch out one for the other, you may need to change the mounting height.

Placing your security camera so that its coverage is restricted

When you plan your surveillance camera installation, you need to think about the full range of different conditions your security cameras will face. This is particularly important with wired security systems because reinstalling them can take significant effort. There are two main reasons why your surveillance system might have restricted coverage. These are light and physical items.

Light

If you’ve ever seen a “behind-the-scenes” at a TV studio, you’ll have seen that they have lights everywhere. You don’t have to go quite that far. You do need to ensure that your security cameras get plenty of light regardless of the time of day or the weather.

The easiest and most reliable way to do this is to install motion-sensitive lights in the areas you need to be covered. This means that you’re not reliant on lights controlled by other people, such as street lights. At the same time, it’s a lot more cost-effective than running lights continually overnight and in bad weather.

Physical items

You need to take two steps to make sure that physical items do not block your security cameras. Firstly, you need to look at permanent features, especially trees. If you install your security cameras when the branches are bare, you might get a nasty shock come spring. Also, remember that high winds can blow branches (and leaves) across your lenses.

Secondly, you need to keep on top of temporary obstructions and deal with them promptly. In short, you’re aiming to reduce the level of cover available to threats. By doing so, you increase the chances that your security cameras will pick them up.

You might also want to consider having some wireless security cameras available to deal with any temporary obstructions you can’t control. For example, if your neighbor hires a dumpster, the extra cover it provides could have an impact on your security. Realistically, there isn’t much you can do about this other than have a backup plan.

Placing your security cameras directly facing one another

There are times when you’ll need two security cameras to cover opposite sides of an area. When that happens, make sure that the cameras are slightly to the side of each other. If you face them looking directly into each other, then the infrared beam will “bounce” in between the two cameras. This will distort the images, possibly making the cameras totally useless.

Placing a single PTZ camera where you need multiple cameras

PTZ cameras are essentially advanced versions of regular dome cameras. They can pan, tilt and zoom so their coverage can be updated without them needing to be reinstalled. In principle, this means that they can be used to track threats. In practice, it means that they can be used to deter threats by making it harder to predict the PTZ camera’s coverage.

PTZ cameras have become popular because they help reduce the number of security cameras you need to cover a large area. The key word here is “reduce”. You need to be realistic about the fact that a single PTZ camera is not going to give you the same level of coverage as two or three regular security cameras.

You also have to be very clear that reducing the number of security cameras you use also leaves you more exposed if there is an issue with one of them. It’s therefore essential to do your calculations effectively so you spend the minimum while still getting the coverage you need.

Placing a low-grade security camera where you need a commercial-grade security camera

Basically, you need to choose your security camera(s) to fit your situation. There are some instances where a low-grade security camera will be absolutely fine. For example, in an indoor environment where people have already passed a lot of security checks, it might be perfectly reasonable to use more budget-friendly security cameras.

On the other hand, there are many environments, even indoors, where you will really need the extra power of commercial-grade security cameras. For example, if you need infrared, motion detection, and/or 4K-zoom capabilities, then you need commercial-grade security cameras.