Outside Lights

Outside Lights – Planning and Installation Tips

The wrong type of outside lights can ruin the appearance of a home or lessen its security, while the right outside lighting can improve the beauty of your home and landscape in spectacular fashion as well as make it safer. Learn how to pick lighting fixtures that will give you the greatest bang for the buck.

Outside Lights – Develop a Plan

Before rushing out to buy the cheapest outside lights on the market it is usually wise to develop a suitable plan. And knowing which type of outdoor lights will best suit your landscape is the first step in successful lighting installation. Take the time to plan ahead and you will be rewarded with a home that looks elegant at night while saving you money and increasing your safety.

There are two basic reasons for installing an outside lights: security and beauty. The aesthetic look of a home can be improved dramatically by installing low voltage outside lights. Since these types of light systems come as kits it is easy and safe to do the work yourself. Most low voltage lighting systems don’t require electrical hookups, and since they have transformers to lower the voltage they are extremely safe to install.

When security is your main objective you have the choice of using high voltage lamps or low voltage lamps. Low voltage has many advantages including lower cost, easier installation, softer light with a lower amount of glare, as well as the aesthetic beauty it offers.

Brighter outside lights, such as outside emergency lights, will have increased glare, cost more to operate, and may require professional installation due to the higher voltages, but they can provide more light. Brighter light is more likely to deter intruders as well as light up stairs and walkways better, making areas safer and more secure. Be sure to point these lights away from your home as opposed to toward it because they can become annoyingly bright when shining into your windows. Most security lights become activated with motion sensors, but this feature can be overridden most of the time.

Be Careful of High Wattage Outside Lights

High wattage outside lights can be blinding on pathways and should be placed in a position where they will not shine directly into the eyes of someone walking on the path. Instead, they should normally be positioned between you and the object they are shining on.

When lighting your home or landscape for aesthetic reasons you can use outside recessed lights, outside string lights, or even outside Christmas lights to bring attention to certain areas of the home or yard. It’s important to decide which areas will be focal points, such as your front door, a statue, large trees, or other items. Once you have determined locations for the outside lights you can then start thinking about wattage and color.

Low voltage outdoor lighting comes in an assortment of colors and wattage. When highlighting certain areas of the yard you usually want to go with lower wattage lamps. There are different types of lamps including incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, and LED, and they can come in many different colors. Draw up a plan and decide which types of lights will go where, as well as their wattage and color. Once you know your desired layout it’s a simple matter of buying the lighting kits and installing them.

Low voltage outside lights can add beauty and elegance to a home, but they can also detract from the appearance if not installed properly. Make sure you don’t put lights in a straight line as this can produce a very unnatural and unpleasant look. Don’t use outside lights that are too bright. It is usually best to use fewer lamps with lower wattage. You can also use deflectors or reflectors to increase the light instead of buying extra lamps. And never point the lights toward the sky, but always at a focal point. Yellow lights should usually be avoided as they are unflattering to plants, people, and most other things as well. Blue and white are two colors that are usually pleasing to the eye.

Solar powered lights are usually not as powerful as other types of outdoor lighting, but they are great for walkways, patios, and decking, or even for your garden. There are many reasons for using solar power lamps including the cost of usage, ease of installation, safety due to low voltage, and maintenance. Solar powered outdoor lighting usually uses LED lights that can last for 100,000 hours or more, making buying new lamps unnecessary.

In addition to installing outside lights for aesthetic and security purposes, you can also do many other things. It’s possible to create a magical atmosphere in your yard by putting outside lights in trees. With enough lights placed on tiny branches it can give the appearance of stars in the sky while lighting a patio or deck at the same time. It’s also possible to install flickering outside lights which will provide a twinkling look.

Video: Outside Lights – Planning Outdoor Landscape Lighting