Outside Lighting
Outside Lighting Tips to Accentuate Your Landscape
Due to technological advancements in recent years, low voltage outside lighting has become extremely popular when it comes to lighting homes and landscapes. No matter what type of landscape, outside lighting can enhance the aesthetic value.
The cost of operation for outside lighting is much cheaper with low voltage outdoor lighting than when compared to conventional high-voltage systems. In addition, low voltage outdoor lighting is much faster, safer, and easier to install, as well as being virtually maintenance free.
Outside Lighting Used to Mean Incandescent Bulbs
It wasn’t too long ago that if you wanted to enhance the appearance of your home with outside lighting it was necessary to use lamps made with tungsten filaments. To be more specific, this meant using incandescent bulbs. This type of outside lighting is definitely eye-appealing as it can bring out the architectural focal points of a home as well as change its mood. By applying dimming capabilities many lighting effects can be achieved. However, these lights use lots of electricity and tend to burn out very quickly, making them expensive to operate and replace. They may cost less up front, but over time they can be a financial drain.
Today you can install low voltage outside lighting instead of power-hungry incandescent lamps. Most of these low voltage fixtures require just 12 volts of power, which makes them very safe to install for the homeowner because there are no high-powered and dangerous electrical wires to hook up. And without the need for electricity they are much cheaper to operate. Plus, with certain types of low voltage exterior lighting the lamps can last for 100,000 hours or more, saving money over replacing costly bulbs.
Installation prices are lower with low voltage landscape lighting because the wires are simply buried underground without needing conduit pipe. However, this brings up a potential problem. Since the wires are not protected, as they are with high voltage electrical wire, they can be easy to cut or damage if struck with a shovel. For this reason, a professional installation outside lighting should be considered, but is not necessary.
Advantages of Low Voltage Outside Lighting
When considering outside lighting, low voltage outside lights have many other advantages in addition to cost. They can be used as landscape lighting to highland focal points, but can also be used as security lighting. Many outdoor lighting systems use LED lights, which are cheap to operate and can produce illumination for 100,000 hours or more. If you are thinking about using solar power, you should know that outside solar lighting produces less power and is therefore best used for lighting landscapes, patios, decks, stairs, and walkways. They are usually not used as security lighting.
Before installing outside lighting it is important to first develop an overall plan. Incorrectly lighting an area can spoil its appearance instead of beautifying it. Accentuating specific focal points of a landscape can make a spectacular difference in its aesthetic value as well as increasing the value of a home.
When it comes to lighting a landscape, it is usually better not to overdo it. A small amount can make an incredible difference if the color and wattage are carefully considered. Too much light can produce an unflattering appearance and glare. Try to make outside lighting look as natural as possible and complement the style of the home. This means you should not align several lights in a straight line as it will detract from the overall appearance. Highlighting just a few focal points of a landscape with outside lighting can dramatically change the mood and ambiance of the home, but overdoing it can decrease its aesthetic value.
