Landscape Lighting Tips From A Pro
During the summer, you enjoy outdoor activities more. You could be relaxing in your backyard alone listening to some soft music, or you could be hosting your friends over for dinner. If your outdoor lighting is inefficient, it will cut the fun you are having with your friends once the sun goes down. Outdoor lighting will not only help you enjoy the night with your friends, but it will also ensure your home looks fantastic and increase the security of your property. There are different landscape lighting designs, and it is not only about just putting up string lights or wall lights. For you to create ambience, you should choose the right landscape lighting fixture.
Here are some of the landscape lighting tips that will help you get the best results:
Here are some of the landscape lighting tips that will help you get the best results:
1. Know The Basics
How you see the light during the day is different from how you see it at night, an essential difference when it comes to lighting outdoor spaces. However, there are certain principles about lighting that are always true. For instance, light has intensity and color. You can tell the color of a particular lightbulb as it is on the packaging. You can go for red, white, bluish-white or any color that you please.
Whether you are choosing to light your indoor or outdoor space, there are three groups of lighting depending on their function.
Overall: It provides lighting for an entire space or room.
Task: This lighting is for a particular purpose, such as illuminating a path.
Accent: Accent lighting will draw attention to an area.
There are many bulbs to choose from for your outdoor fixtures. Incandescent bulbs have a short life span, use more electricity, but they produce pleasing light. Halogen bulbs have a long life span and consume less energy. On the other hand, fluorescents have a range of pleasant colors, last longer, and consume less power. LED bulbs are expensive, but they have an extraordinarily long life and consume less electricity.
You can integrate landscape lights into your home's wiring system. Solar landscape lights are available too.
Whether you are choosing to light your indoor or outdoor space, there are three groups of lighting depending on their function.
Overall: It provides lighting for an entire space or room.
Task: This lighting is for a particular purpose, such as illuminating a path.
Accent: Accent lighting will draw attention to an area.
There are many bulbs to choose from for your outdoor fixtures. Incandescent bulbs have a short life span, use more electricity, but they produce pleasing light. Halogen bulbs have a long life span and consume less energy. On the other hand, fluorescents have a range of pleasant colors, last longer, and consume less power. LED bulbs are expensive, but they have an extraordinarily long life and consume less electricity.
You can integrate landscape lights into your home's wiring system. Solar landscape lights are available too.
Calculate
Ensure you know how much lighting you will need for your landscape before you go shopping. For you to know how much light your space requires, you can multiply the square footage of your space by 1.5 to acquire a rough estimate of the total watts needed; it will help you buy enough lighting for your outdoor space.
When purchasing the fixtures, you should also carefully check their sizes to avoid getting fixtures that will appear very big in your space.
When purchasing the fixtures, you should also carefully check their sizes to avoid getting fixtures that will appear very big in your space.
Take a Look From Inside the House
It is vital to get the view from inside the house because this will help you decide the lighting you will settle for and how to place it around the yard. It is vital to consider how your patio space, pathway, and garden look like from inside the house. Go for path lighting for the gardens, or you can opt for solar light.
Go For Subtle Lighting
Your guests would enjoy their outdoor meal, and it would be more fun if your outdoor lighting gives a soft glow. They wouldn't want a very bright spotlight on them, and neither would you. Outdoor spaces benefit from subtle lighting, as this creates a relaxing mood. Outdoor lanterns and pendants are perfect for lighting dining and seating areas. Ensure that your fixtures have a dimmer so that you can use full light when preparing meals and dim it when dining or relaxing.
Lighting Placement
While you can place lighting anywhere, there are some spots you must place lights which include:
Paths: A perfectly lit pathway will appear welcoming to your guests as it provides illumination, which in turn extends hospitality and ensures their security when walking.
Entries: Make sure to place lights on all entry points of your property.
Steps: You should light the steps for safety to reduce the risk of fall accidents.
Decks or Patios: You should light particular work areas on your deck or patio such as the cooking spot and seating or dining areas.
Driveways: For your driveway, you should opt for landscape lighting with low voltage. For increased security, illuminate the side doors and garages with wall lanterns.
Architectural Features: You can use outdoor landscape lighting to highlight a wall. You can either wash it or graze it.
If you're looking for a pro to handle your landscape lighting needs, give us a call today! We're experts in sprinkler repair, landscape design, tree care services and yard maintenance.
Paths: A perfectly lit pathway will appear welcoming to your guests as it provides illumination, which in turn extends hospitality and ensures their security when walking.
Entries: Make sure to place lights on all entry points of your property.
Steps: You should light the steps for safety to reduce the risk of fall accidents.
Decks or Patios: You should light particular work areas on your deck or patio such as the cooking spot and seating or dining areas.
Driveways: For your driveway, you should opt for landscape lighting with low voltage. For increased security, illuminate the side doors and garages with wall lanterns.
Architectural Features: You can use outdoor landscape lighting to highlight a wall. You can either wash it or graze it.
If you're looking for a pro to handle your landscape lighting needs, give us a call today! We're experts in sprinkler repair, landscape design, tree care services and yard maintenance.