When it comes to making the outside of your home more aesthetically pleasing, using even a few landscape lights can make all the difference. Why? Well, because your eyes need less light when you use them outdoors than indoors to look at patterns and shapes. This makes architectural and landscape features more observable. They also add more security to your home as the added illumination can deter would-be burglars from entering your property. So, if you want to install some on your own property, then let this article help you in using landscape lights effectively.

Landscape Lighting Basics

It’s a must to go over the basics first. Light is not the same day and night, a distinction that you need to understand when lighting outdoor spaces. But, the three principles below are the same outdoors or indoors. Overall Lighting – the overall illumination of a specific room or space given by a light source. Task Lighting – using light for a specific purpose, like putting lights in a pathway. Accent Lighting – using light to make a specific object more attractive and beautiful. There are also a variety of light bulbs you can find for outdoor light fixtures. Incandescent Bulbs – Emits pleasant light but is not energy efficient and has a short lifespan. Halogen Bulb – A better version of the incandescent bulb because of its longer lifespan and lesser energy consumption. Fluorescent Bulb – Has a much wider color range than the previous, while also being energy efficient with a long life span. LED Lights – The most expensive but is given justice with its long lifespan, durability, and energy efficiency. Landscape lights are usually put near buildings so integration into the electrical system would be easy. If you want to be eco-friendly, you can opt for solar-powered ones.

Tips and Tricks for Landscape Light Installation

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips and tricks to help any beginner in the installation.

Focus On Your House First

A common mistake people tend to make in landscape light installation is focusing on landscape features first rather than their house. Your house is the center of attraction of your property so, be sure to give it the attention it needs by strategically placing your lights and focusing on the beautiful features of your house.

Don’t Overdo It

It’s pretty easy for people to overdo their landscape lighting, which, instead of highlighting the aesthetic features of your house, you will only be drawing attention to the lights. So, just put enough lights and observe them during the night to properly give an assessment.

Get Creative with Pathway Lighting

People often think that putting lights in a straight line will make the pathway more visible. Unfortunately, it just makes everything bland. So what do you do? Well, you get creative. But remember, making something so unique can make it distracting. It is especially true for pathway lights. A good light arrangement would be to put lights that shine down the pathway. You can also stagger the lights.

Use LED Lights Instead

Yes, they can be expensive, but they are a good investment when it comes to having durable and long-lasting lights for your landscape. As you know, putting lights outside gets them exposed to harsh elements, and LED lights can withstand such conditions.

Conclusion

It is always a good idea to properly light your landscape. It helps in increasing the overall appeal of your house while also adding more security. Unfortunately, not everyone is an expert in landscape lighting. But if you follow the tips above, you will surely be able to use landscape lights effectively on your property.