Tips for Architectural Lighting

Architectural lighting is the use of light to enhance your home. Not only does it show off your home’s best features, it also increases security and safety for your family and guests. But simply buying lights and placing them around your home may not accomplish your goals. Here are a few tips for effective architectural lighting in Marietta, GA home.

Don’t Use Too Much Light

Too much light can seem like overkill. Instead of continuous light everywhere, focus on key areas. Highlight important areas such as patio seating, grilling areas, steps, walkways, and some plants and trees in the yard (to avoid the perception of a “great dark beyond”). Avoid using very bright lights that will create a glare. Instead, go for softer lights and spread them around. Make sure to position lights carefully, and check them often. Also make sure that lights have fixtures to shield or reflect. This will concentrate the light where you need it and prevents glare.

Make Use of Different Lighting Types

There are different types of lighting to consider. Task lighting is used for a specific purpose, such as lighting steps and paths for safety. Accent lighting focuses on an object or area, usually with spotlights.

Choose the Right Type of Light

There are many different lighting options out there, including incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and LED lights. LED lights typically offer the best value. They cost a little more than the others (for now – their prices are steadily decreasing), but they last much longer and consume less energy. That makes them safer to use, and reduces costs in the long run in the form of fewer replacements and lower electric bills.

Don’t Forget About Walls

Accenting your home means accenting the walls, too. After all, they represent a significant portion of your home and really shouldn’t be neglected when considering areas to highlight. This can be accomplished with either washing or grazing. “Washing” a wall means directing a wide beam of light from a few feet away. Positioning lights the right way can also “graze” a wall. Either option will show off the wall, and provide some subtle accent to nearby features, such as plants.

Consult a Professional

The best way to ensure your home is properly enhanced by landscape lighting is to call a professional for a consultation. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Marietta, GA, can provide a free on-site consultation, as well as a free nighttime demonstration. We will help you design your landscape lighting, choose the right lights and equipment, install all components, and perform maintenance. Our warranty program includes protection for 20 years minimum – the longest warranty in the industry.

We have been serving Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta and surrounding areas for about a decade, providing excellent service to hundreds of residences, businesses, and homeowners’ associations. But don’t take our word for it – read reviews from other customers. You can also call us at (678) 616-9166 with any questions for our experienced staff, and to schedule your free consultation. And once you’ve seen the superior service we have to offer, feel free to leave a comment below with your own review!

Best Spots to Place Outdoor LED Lights Around Your Home

You may want exterior lighting for security purposes; for example, your driveway may be long and dark, and you want to deter animals or even thieves.  Perhaps you want to illuminate a particularly striking feature in your garden, such as a waterfall, tree or ornamental bush. It could be that you simply want LED landscape lighting to brighten up your deck, or to illuminate the façade of your home. Whatever reason you have for wanting LED lights around your home, the experts at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems can help and advise you.

There are probably several questions you have regarding the cost of outdoor LED lights. Here are the answers to some of them:

• LED lights last much longer than traditional halide ones. In fact, they can last for 50,000 hours.


• Low voltage landscape lighting is much cheaper to use than the usual lighting systems.


• Your LED lights will use less energy than traditional lighting. That means that you are lessening, albeit slightly, your environmental footprint.

Apart from being cost-effective, your LED lights will come on instantly. They don’t take time to warm up, even when the temperatures drop. At the flick of a switch, or a press of a button, your whole yard, or the part that you selected for your lights, can be illuminated. These lights can be turned on and off many times without breaking. If you routinely break your traditional lightbulbs, the longevity of LED lighting will mean that you don’t have to fumble around in the dark trying to replace busted bulbs.

Durability is a key consideration when choosing to install outdoor lighting, and as LED lights are made of durable, hard-wearing plastic, not glass, they can withstand frost, snow and the worst weather conditions.

LED lighting is free of ultra violet (UV) emissions and mercury, which means they are not as damaging to the health as traditional lighting. Fluorescent lights can induce headaches, and, of course they often hum, which can cause irritation, fatigue and a variety of other symptoms. On the other hand, LED lights are silent.

Convinced about the benefits of LED lighting and its green technology yet? Why not find out more by calling and setting up a time to visit the showroom at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Acworth, GA? You can call them at (678) 324-6842 and arrange to have a free night time demonstration of our lights. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, provide a complete maintenance service for your home, yard, or anywhere else you’d like to your LED lights installation. Contact us today and find out more about our LED outdoor lights and how you can improve your home and property with our help.

Marietta Security Lighting Company Opens New Location

(Newswire.net -- April 26, 2018) Marietta, Georgia -- Many Marietta, Georgia area homeowners are planning projects to enhance the curb appeal of their homes this spring, but they should also consider investing in security landscape lighting. Outdoor security lighting not only enhances the look and style of a home, but also increases its safety. A well-lit property and perimeter provides a warm, impressive welcome to nighttime guests, illuminates safe paths for family members returning home at night, lights stairways on decks and in front of entrances, and deters would-be intruders from singling out the home for burglary. TheAlbany, NY Police Dept. concluded that “lighting is the most inexpensive form of crime prevention that there is.”

According to the FBI, criminals committed an estimated 1,515,096 burglaries in 2016. This figure indicates a 30.8 percent decline in burglaries since 2007, but victims lost an estimated $3.6 billion in property losses with an average loss per burglary estimated at $2,361. Then there’s the untold emotional and psychological costs on victims as they feel violated and lose their sense of security. Homeowners can refuse to become future victims by hardening their home to make it less inviting to intruders that includes installing outdoor security lighting, among other practical steps.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems is excited to announce their new satellite office in Marietta, GA enabling the company to better serve the Marietta area homeowners looking to add security or landscape lighting to their home. SLLS is ready to help homeowners decide which lighting options are right for their home, and can also include a security and landscape lighting design and the installation of the final outdoor lighting system.

Step One: Case the House for Security Lighting Opportunities

Thinking like a criminal is an important tactic for beating them. Convicted burglars have readily shared their home invasion strategies with police and reporters across the nation, including how they select a home for entry. They “case” the homes in the neighborhood, looking for easy targets. Criminals typically want to get the goods hassle-free. The more challenges and hurdles they face for getting into a property without being seen, the greater the risk they run of getting caught.

Homeowners should case their own homes at different times of day and imagine how they would break in if they were criminals. They should look for anywhere a criminal may hide or approach undetected. Landscaping can play a role in this, so shrubbery and bushes should stay trimmed and trees shouldn’t be close enough to upper story windows for criminals to climb and access. Residents should also look for dark areas of the property that can conceal an intruder’s approach at night. The neighborhood and surrounding environment are also important for them to consider as well, such as requirements of homeowners’ associations and local city ordinances.

Step Two: Create a Plan to Harden and Secure the Home

Homeowners should at least have strong locks for doors and windows and might consider investing in an alarm system. Fake CCTV cameras are inexpensive and can make criminals think the home is harder to case and gain entry with even an appearance of security systems in place.

The house should look occupied always. A car left in the driveway and keeping a radio on inside can suggest to criminals that someone’s inside. Developing relationships with neighbors has the added benefit that may be more inclined to keep an eye on the property and check mail to keep the house looking lived in during extended absences.

Step Three: Light it Up with a High-Quality Security Lighting System

Proper lighting on the property’s perimeter is simultaneously welcoming to guests and threatening to burglars. Lights expose nighttime invaders crossing the yard or accessing an entryway and increase the chance that the perpetrator’s face will be recognized in a police lineup.

Homeowners have a variety of landscape lighting designs to choose from that offer different style and purposes:

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  Floodlights come with up to three heads and light up a wide area. They’re great for covering driveways, yards, and decks.


• 
  
  Landscape path lighting and post luminaries are a great way to welcome guests with safe walking paths across a yard or on decks.


• 
  
  Surface-mounted luminaires attach to a ceiling, making them great for lighting entrances at sheltered porches.

 Outdoor security lights can activate passively with motion sensors or photocells in dusk-to-dawn lighting. With motion detector security lighting, the area is illuminated whenever the sensor detects movement within range. They can activate when residents or guests pull a car into the driveway or approach on foot, or when unwanted intruders sneak into the area. Criminals don’t want the exposure, plus the motion activation has the added element of surprise when it turns on and a burglar is suddenly bathed in light. In his book, “Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life,” former CIA case officer Jason Hanson writes that “it’s a myth that bright lights will help burglars see what they’re doing. They don’t want you to see them, and the bright lights are going to stop them from wanting to rob your house.” Dusk-to-dawn lighting stays on all night. Not only can these lights increase curb appeal of the house at night, it also serves as an after-dark deterrent to burglars before they even approach the home.

Homeowners can activate lights themselves through dimmers and time switches. Dimmers replace standard wall switches and users control the brightness of lights by pushing a slider up and down by degrees. With time switches, homeowners can set specific times of that they want lights to turn on and turn off.

Choosing the Right Security Lights and Getting the Security Lighting System Installed

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems is a 5-star rated landscape lighting service company serving the Marietta, Alpharetta and Northern Atlanta service areas. SLLS designs and installs custom outdoor lighting. They offer free consultations to help homeowners determine the outdoor landscape lighting designs that are right for needs specific to their home and neighborhood environment. They also offer nighttime demonstrations that allow customers can see the lighting systems in action for themselves.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems offer more than just designing, selling, and installing outdoor landscape security lighting. After installation, customers can call on them to service their lights free of charge for a year. Because outdoor landscape lighting is exposed to the elements, it’s important for homeowners to provide maintenance to the lights, and Southern Landscape Lighting Systems is proud to offer care for the products to keep your outdoor security and landscape lighting systems in perfect working order.

About Southern Landscape Lighting Systems

Marietta, Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs Georgia Voters chose Southern Landscape Lighting Systems as the best Outdoor Landscape Lighting company in the 2017 Consumers’ Choice Award

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems

2470 Windy Hill Rd SE
#300-5276
Marietta, Georgia 30067
United States
(678) 616-9166
lindsey@southernlls.com
https://southernlls.com/

Types of Types Lighting You Can Use to Accent Your Garden

When planning your landscape lighting in Alpharetta, GA yard, one area that should not be forgotten is your garden. You likely put a lot of work into your garden, and it should be admired as much at night as it is during the day. Fortunately, there are several different ways you can highlight. Here are a few types of lights you can use to show off your garden.

Hanging Lights

Hanging lights are an attractive way to draw attention to your garden area. They come in different colors, sizes, and designs, and can hang elegantly from an overhang, porch, or posts placed strategically around your garden. One design to consider is lanterns – they add an elegant touch. Gas models are available, but LED models are recommended. They last much longer and consume less energy, which will save you money in the long run. If there is an overhang directly above your garden, you could also consider hanging pendant lights.

Downlighting

Downlighting can be used to light a large area of the garden. This is accomplished by installing a light at an elevated level, creating the effect of a soft glow. One design to consider is an outdoor wall sconce, which is placed on the wall of your home to light the garden below.

Spotlights

Spotlights are used to highlight a specific feature or object. In a garden, they can be used to accent a particular plant or section. They could come in the form of an outdoor security spotlight. This type of spotlight will keep intruders away, while illuminating the center of your garden or trees, plants, or other landscaping features.

String Lights

String lights can be hung from porches and overhangs, similar to hanging lights. They can also be hidden among nearby foliage, such as shrubs, for a subtle touch of light.

Rope Lighting

Similar to string lights are rope lighting. This type of light comes in a long strip. There are various ways to use it in your garden – hide it in nearby shrubs or other foliage, add it under the lip of your deck, or wrap it around a nearby pool area.

Post Lanterns

Post lanterns are a great touch to any outdoor area. They can be placed near the garden to light both the garden and the surrounding area. They’re also very versatile – they can be used to light pathways, patios, and pool areas as well.

Let a Professional Help You Decide Which Option to Choose

The best way to figure out which options are best for your garden, is to call a professional for a consultation. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, Alpharetta, GA will provide a free on-site consultation, as well as a free nighttime demonstration. We have been serving the Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta and surrounding areas for about a decade. We will help you design and install landscape lighting, and our maintenance program includes annual and bi-annual inspections. Read reviews from our satisfied customers, and give us a call at (770) 691-1221 to speak to our team of landscape

Best Spots to Place Outdoor LED Lights Around Your Home

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Have you been thinking about getting some outdoor LED lights to put around your Acworth, GA home? Perhaps you aren’t quite sure where you should have your outdoor landscape lighting installed. If that’s your dilemma, why not call the specialists to advise you on the best spots for your exterior lighting? Southern Landscape Lighting Systems will arrange to visit your home and suggest which areas could most benefit from outdoor LED lighting.
You may want exterior lighting for security purposes; for example, your driveway may be long and dark, and you want to deter animals or even thieves. Perhaps you want to illuminate a particularly striking feature in your garden, such as a waterfall, tree or ornamental bush. It could be that you simply want LED landscape lighting to brighten up your deck, or to illuminate the façade of your home. Whatever reason you have for wanting LED lights around your home, the experts at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems can help and advise you.
There are probably several questions you have regarding the cost of outdoor LED lights. Here are the answers to some of them:
• LED lights last much longer than traditional halide ones. In fact, they can last for 50,000 hours.
• Low voltage landscape lighting is much cheaper to use than the usual lighting systems.
• Your LED lights will use less energy than traditional lighting. That means that you are lessening, albeit slightly, your environmental footprint.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1051" align="alignleft" width="3728"]

Apart from being cost-effective, your LED lights will come on instantly. They don’t take time to warm up, even when the temperatures drop. At the flick of a switch, or a press of a button, your whole yard, or the part that you selected for your lights, can be illuminated. These lights can be turned on and off many times without breaking. If you routinely break your traditional lightbulbs, the longevity of LED lighting will mean that you don’t have to fumble around in the dark trying to replace busted bulbs.
Durability is a key consideration when choosing to install outdoor lighting, and as LED lights are made of durable, hard-wearing plastic, not glass, they can withstand frost, snow and the worst weather conditions.
LED lighting is free of ultra violet (UV) emissions and mercury, which means they are not as damaging to the health as traditional lighting. Fluorescent lights can induce headaches, and, of course they often hum, which can cause irritation, fatigue and a variety of other symptoms. On the other hand, LED lights are silent.
Convinced about the benefits of LED lighting and its green technology yet? Why not find out more by calling and setting up a time to visit the showroom at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Acworth, GA? You can call them at (678) 324-6842 and arrange to have a free night time demonstration of our lights. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, provide a complete maintenance service for your home, yard, or anywhere else you’d like to your LED lights installation. Contact us today and find out more about our LED outdoor lights and how you can improve your home[/caption]