Tips on Outdoor Lighting

Now that summer is in full swing and the evenings are long, you might be turning your attention to the outdoor lighting around your home. There are many benefits to lighting your home at night, from aesthetics to security. As such, here are some helpful and simple tips for your outdoor lighting projects.

Don’t Focus on the Lighting First


When you start thinking of installing outdoor lights, you’ll probably be concentrating on what kind of lights you like best, solar bollards or recessed lights, string lights or spotlights. Instead, focus on what you’re lighting up, i.e. your landscape or other features. Start with the primary focus of your outdoor lighting and then you can determine how best to light it.

Getting Started


Check out the lay of your land and the practical set up you have. If you’ll be using electric lights, where is your closest power source? If the house is a new build and there aren’t any outdoor receptacles yet, where will your power source be? Will you need additional transformers?

Think about how you can maximize what’s already installed, but don’t be afraid to start from scratch if you don’t like the existing set up. If there are already some lights installed around your home, that doesn’t mean you have to use them (or that you have to use them in the same place).

Think About the Whole


exterior of house with pool and tree at dusk - outdoor lighting tips

Plan out your entire lighting scheme as a whole, drawing up sketches and plans as you need them. Think about what needs to be illuminated for safety, what features you want to accent and what kind of overall mood you want to create with your lighting.

Consider not just the individual space you want to light, but how each individual space will lead into each other. Be careful not to overdo it – your lighting scheme should draw attention to the features you’ve chosen to highlight, not draw attention to itself.

Go Eco-Friendly on your Outdoor Lighting


Solar Lights

Solar lighting is the greenest option for outdoor lighting, and there are many other pros to this kind of lighting, as well. They’re easy to install and require no hard wiring, making them ideal for spaces that are difficult to reach. They’re hard-wearing and cost effective.

There are also many more kinds of solar lights than there used to be. Solar lights are perfect for paths and for task lighting. You’ll also find solar spotlights, although they tend not to be as bright as their electric equivalents.

Motion Sensor Lights

Motion sensor lights can be conventionally powered or solar-powered. They save energy because they turn on only when necessary. These are perfect for security lights, but also work well for illuminating spaces like decks and walkways.

String Lights

You can find both solar-powered and LED string lights that are much more energy efficient than older styles of lights. These lights look great around a patio or deck, but they can be used in any number of creative ways. When they’re used to light trees, bushes, fences, arbors, trellises and garden furniture, they can create fantastic effects.

Upgrade the Bulbs in Existing Fixtures

If you’re working with older, halogen light fixtures, you should know that it’s possible to find retrofit bulbs that can convert the fixtures to LED. You’ll have to examine the base type of your existing fixture, as well as its wattage, in order to replace it with an appropriate bulb that fits.

Outdoor lighting is a great chance to make the most of your outdoor spaces at night and to showcase the beauty of your landscaping. By making green lighting your priority, you can light your space up in the most energy-efficient way possible.

Image credit: Randy Fath; Image 1: thanhhoa tran

1 thought on “Tips on Outdoor Lighting”

  1. Wow! Very informative and impressive lines. Exceptional work by the landscape lighting installers. They transformed our outdoor space beautifully, creating a stunning ambiance. Professional, efficient, and highly recommended.

    Reply

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