As for motion lights indoors, I tried them in my hallway—ended up with way too many accidental triggers from the cat.
That’s classic. I had the same issue, except it was my dog setting off the lights at 2am and waking up half the house. Eventually, I swapped out the standard sensors for ones with adjustable sensitivity and set them higher up on the wall—seemed to cut down on pet triggers a lot. For doors and windows, I’m with you on the screw-in magnetic sensors. Once they’re in, you can basically forget about them... unlike those stick-ons that peel off in a humid summer.
Once they’re in, you can basically forget about them... unlike those stick-ons that peel off in a humid summer.
Couldn’t agree more. I learned the hard way that stick-ons are a joke if you’ve got any humidity—woke up to find half my sensors on the floor after a storm. I went with hardwired where I could, and for motion sensors, honestly, I just avoid them inside now. Outdoor motion lights are a different story, though—fewer false alarms, and you get the bonus of scaring off raccoons.
I learned the hard way that stick-ons are a joke if you’ve got any humidity—woke up to find half my sensors on the floor after a storm.
Funny thing, I’ve actually had better luck with stick-ons than I expected, but only after switching to those 3M outdoor strips. They’re not perfect, but they’ve survived two summers so far. Hardwired is definitely more reliable, no argument there, but if you’re renting or just not up for fishing wires through old plaster, beefed-up adhesives can get you by. For indoor motion sensors, I still use them in hallways—just gotta be picky about placement and avoid vents or windows. Sometimes it’s all about trial and error...
For indoor motion sensors, I still use them in hallways—just gotta be picky about placement and avoid vents or windows.
Yeah, vents are sneaky—had one sensor that kept falling off until I realized the AC was blasting right at it. I’ve also used painter’s tape as a “test run” before committing to the heavy-duty strips. Not pretty, but it helps figure out the sweet spot before you stick it for good. Hardwired is tempting, but I’m not about to tear up 1950s walls unless I have to.
I’ve also used painter’s tape as a “test run” before committing to the heavy-duty strips.
That’s a trick I picked up after patching too many holes in plaster. In my last place, the hallway sensor kept tripping when the sun hit the floor just right—never thought light could be such a troublemaker. I ended up tucking it behind a beam, out of direct line with the window, and it finally behaved. Sometimes it’s less about tech and more about reading the quirks of an old house.