Encyclopedia

of Home Improvements

*Outdoor Lighting*

Outdoor lighting when properly installed can provide sunning results for homes, gardens, pools, patios, decks, driveways, and walkways. The outdoor areas of your home become more beautiful at night and more inviting for lingering and lounging outdoors into the evening and throughout the night In addition to providing a new dimension of beauty to the home's landscape, the outdoor lighting designs also enhance safety by eliminating dark and scary places around the homes' exteriors.

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider an outdoor lighting system, like safety and security for starters. But there are even more reasons to go with low voltage landscape lighting. How about energy efficient, safe, and easy to install! Unlike 120 volt lights, low voltage landscape lights reduce the household current to 12 volts and can usually be installed without an electrician. Low voltage lighting can also be installed, expanded or repositioned with the power on, which means it is easy to make adjustments once the system is in place.

Low voltage lighting consists of three main components: transformer, lights, and cable. A transformer is an electrical device that reduces household current to 12 volts and controls when the lights turn on and off through a timer or photocell. The light fixtures themselves consist of socket assembly, bulb, and covers, which can be found in louvered, recessed, and other styles. Whichever style you choose, make sure that all fixtures are rated as water resistant and UL approved for outdoor use. Lights usually draw 4 to 7 watts of power. The cable connects all the lights to one or more transformers and to the electrical outlet. All outdoor wiring must be grounded.

Patio Lights

These are low to the ground and ideal for lighting walks, driveways and outlining planting beds and natural areas. Use path lighting to illuminate the areas where people walk or drive. This lighting makes a path attractive and safe.

Flood lights

Floodlighting is a versatile technique for illuminating a wide range of features. Use floodlights to illuminate walls, garden ponds, gazebos, statues, pergolas, ornamental trees and other property accents. Unique landscape features, such as sculptures and shaped shrubbery, can be highlighted using spotlights. A sequence of spotlights can create an interesting mosaic of colors and textures.

Wall Lighting

Wall lighting is designed to be incorporated into a wall bordering a building, pool or walkway area for added visibility.

Pond Lights

Perfect for accenting ponds and water features Use silhouetting to provide dramatic effects on a broad surface, like a wall, behind a landscape feature, such as bushes

Deck lights

Deck lights provide added safety for stairs and railings while achieving striking effects on the architectural details of your deck.

Well Lights

Well lighting is ideal for "wall washing" or "grazing" the house. They can also be used for up lighting trees, chimneys, and roof peaks.

Landscape Lighting Tips

If you are lighting an object such as a tree or statue that may be viewed from more than one side it is a good idea to consider 2 or 3 fixtures for full illumination rather than one.

Be sure that the in ground fixture is at least 18" from the object you are lighting. This will eliminate a hot spot on that object.

Make sure to bury well lights in such a manner that the fixture is 2" above ground level so that potentially flammable materials (leaves, pine needles etc.) don't come in direct contact with the fixture.

For both security and safety, light up steps, driveways, walkways and grounds with post lanterns and tier lights.

Enhance the ambiance of your property at night with low-voltage landscape lighting of trees, shrubs and flowers.

Create a lighting plan by choosing one or two points of interest and make this the centerpiece of your landscape lighting display. Build the rest of your lighting plan around your focal point.

Low voltage lighting uses only 12 volts of electricity and is safe to install.

For maximum light output, light fixtures should not be covered by foliage, tree branches or bushes. Check the fixtures periodically to see if nearby foliage needs pruning.

For maximum safety, light and cables should be installed at least five feet from the edge of a swimming pool.

Remember to regularly clean the lenses and fixtures of your landscape lighting. Also take the time to readjust ground level fixtures if needed.

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider an outdoor lighting system, like safety and security for starters. But there are even more reasons to go with low voltage landscape lighting. How about energy efficient, safe, and easy to install! Unlike 120 volt lights, low voltage landscape lights reduce the household current to 12 volts and can usually be installed without an electrician. Low voltage lighting can also be installed, expanded or repositioned with the power on, which means it is easy to make adjustments once the system is in place.

Low voltage lighting consists of three main components: transformer, lights, and cable. A transformer is an electrical device that reduces household current to 12 volts and controls when the lights turn on and off through a timer or photocell. The light fixtures themselves consist of socket assembly, bulb, and covers, which can be found in louvered, recessed, and other styles. Whichever style you choose, make sure that all fixtures are rated as water resistant and UL approved for outdoor use. Lights usually draw 4 to 7 watts of power. The cable connects all the lights to one or more transformers and to the electrical outlet. All outdoor wiring must be grounded.

"Many Thanks to Dennis and Amy Dowling for their expertise and incredible photographs of what outdoor lighting can do to enhance your home."
You may contact them at olpli@optonline.netFlood Lights

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