If you are looking for the perfect way to increase your home’s security, safety, value, and functionality for a relatively low rate, outdoor lighting is your solution. In this article, we’ll discuss the best locations to install your outdoor lighting.
Adding landscape lighting to your home will double the time it can be used because you can be outside on your deck, patio, pool, or other areas at all hours of the day.
Where To Install Your Outdoor Lighting
Because outdoor areas are usually so large, you have multiple options for where you can install lighting.
Overall, you can choose where the lighting is and its effect on the area. But there are some areas you should highly consider having lit up for the best outdoor experience.
Front Entrances, Stairs, and Pathways
These places should be lit up for safety and security primarily. You want to ensure that anyone who comes to your house can see where they are so that they do not trip but also be seen on a security camera if they are unwanted.
Driveways
Driveways with lighting are also strong deterrents for unwanted guests trying to enter your home. It also allows for the safer passage of your wanted guests.
Porches, Decks, and Patios
These areas are the perfect space to light up and increase the value and functionality of your home! Lighting will bring these areas to life at night, allowing the fun to last longer. You can host social events for longer and enjoy quality time with those you love on a beautiful evening.
Water Features and Swimming Pools
Whether you have a pond, fountain, hot tub, or pool, lighting it up at night will increase the feature’s safety, value, and functionality.
This will help prevent any person or animal from stumbling into the feature in the dark while increasing its functionality so that you enjoy it even at night.
Trees
Lighting up your trees will increase your curb appeal and, therefore, the value of your home. The buyer of your home ultimately decides the value of your home and how much they are willing to spend on it. Buyers today are interested in curb appeal, which means a lot of outdoor lighting.
Different Landscape Lighting Techniques
Now that you know what areas to light up, let’s discuss the different techniques to layer lights to support the lighting ambiance of your outdoor experience fully.
Path or In-grade Lighting
You will use path lighting to illuminate paths, steps, or obstacles to allow for the way to be seen that people should take safely. In-grade lighting will be more in the ground to prevent tripping hazards that path lighting could create.
Pool/Shoreline
Pool lights should be slightly above or equal to 12 inches beneath the water’s surface. They are usually near steps, at the ends of the pool, or along the side walls to create the best lighting for the area.
Highlighting
You should highlight when adding shape, color, and form to the illuminated area. The light will be placed at the base of an outdoor fixture or structure.
Washing
Place the light a few feet away at an indirect angle to a wall or shrub to create a soft glow on the area, known as washing.
Unique Lighting Techniques
Moonlighting
Moonlighting is lighting in a tree that creates a glow similar to moonlight. A soft, prominent fixture will be placed in a tree and angled downwards.
Silhouetting
When a light is placed towards a wall behind a feature, a dramatic effect will be produced by the light creating a silhouette of the feature.
Shadowing
Shadowing occurs when light is at the base of a feature and angled towards the wall behind it. This generates a magical shadow portrayed on the wall.
Need Help With Your Outdoor Lighting?
Summer is approaching quickly, and landscape lighting is the perfect way to enjoy cool nights. If you live in the Kansas City metro area, let our qualified electricians at Teague Electric perform all your electrical needs.
We serve those in all residential and commercial electrical services, from indoor lighting to security systems. Whether you are remodeling your home entirely or adding landscape lighting, we want to assist you.
Contact Teague Electric today to set up your new outdoor lighting installation!
