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The next article was originally seen on test and is courtesy of Southern Landscape Lighting Systems. Find more on:} https://www.southernlls.com/

7 Reasons to Install Driveway Lighting

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth shares 7 advantages of featuring the driveway lighting design.

The driveway is a significant hardscape feature of most homes and has been for over a hundred years. Historically, most houses built before 1850 were reached by way of dirt paths, which were direct and narrow rather than meandering and broad. They were for people, not carriages or motor vehicles which would only become commonplace in the early 20th century. Prior to the invention of motor vehicles, only the wealthy and landed had long, winding driveways with sophisticated entrances. The word “driveway” came into usage around 1871 and was originally a dirt path that a horse or carriages used to access the front of a home. During the second half of the 19th century, more creative driveways began to appear with nicer homes. Semi-circular drives, curving walks, and curbing also came into usage.

By design or by default, the driveway is a prominent hardscape feature for most homes, and it deserves attention because of its inescapable prominence. It is a serious error to neglect or ignore the driveway when considering a landscape lighting design. The design significance of the driveway cannot be overstated. The driveway with its attendant borders, curbing, vegetation, gates, fencing, entrance columns, decorative stones, and other features create a lasting first impression of a property.

A well-designed lighting plan for the driveway can make a powerful statement after the sun goes down. It could be argued that the lighting design for the driveway may very well be the most important aspect of lighting design. Having a professional lighting design specialist feature the driveway and entrance in a way that is complementary to the rest of the residence or estate is highly recommended.

There are many reasons to consider installing driveway lights, including aesthetics, pragmatism, beauty, and functionality. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth has completed many lighting installations over the years and is sharing reasons why homeowners may want to invest in driveway lighting.

1. Delineates Driveway Entrance and Borders

Driveway lights are often used to illuminate and clarify the entrance and boundaries of a driveway, helping drivers find the entryway and make their way to the parking area. It also protects landscaping adjacent to the driveway and provides overall lighting for the area.

2. Strengthens Security

A well-lit driveway, yard, and home can dissuade potential intruders. If the homeowner has a security camera, the lighting will better illuminate video footage.

3. Elevates Safety

Landscape lighting provides the necessary brightness to make driving and walking at a residence safer. It reduces the likelihood of tripping in dimly lit areas and can be a critical safety component for some driveways. For example, if the driveway has a narrow entrance, bridge, large trees, or a drop off along the borders, driveway lighting can be positioned to mark boundaries and alert drivers to potential hazards.

4. Impresses Guests

For a home that sits back from the road, the driveway may be the first landscape feature guests see as they arrive. For that reason, the driveway will be a foundational part of the impression that visitors have of the home. Even for homes with short driveways, lighting can increase curb appeal and enhance a home’s appearance.

5. Illuminates Parking Areas

This reason could be included under safety. However, outdoor lighting can also be used to clearly mark parking areas so that guests are aware of exactly where it is appropriate to park.

6. Protects Structures and Landscape Features

This can include carports, posts, walls, garage doors, or landscaping features that drivers may find difficult to see.

7. Enhances the Ambiance

In cases where the driveway is particularly long, a well-designed driveway lighting system can transcend merely illuminating for the sake of safety. The road to the home can be more interesting and impactful. For example, outdoor lighting can be used to highlight interesting trees or landscaping features along the driveway. If the driveway has a unique pattern or stamping, lighting can be positioned to highlight these artistic aspects.

When considering a landscape lighting installation, the beautiful need not eschew the practical and functional. Instead, the practical and functional can embrace the upper limits of the most sublime aesthetic.

For more information about the Acworth landscape lighting company, visit Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth on the web at https://www.southernlls.com/locations/acworth-georgia.

The following info was originally published on 7 Reasons to Install Driveway Lighting and is republished from Southern Landscape Lighting Systems. Find more on:} The Southern Landscape Lighting Systems Blog in Georgia

4 Tips for Lighting a Backyard Putting Green

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta shares 4 strategies for lighting a backyard putting green.

What better way is there to relax than playing a few rounds of golf at the local course and enjoying a glass of iced tea, an Arnold Palmer, or other beverage of choice? After a long day of work, sinking a few balls on the putting green can really take one’s mind off of the stresses of life. It is obvious why so many golfers have begun incorporating putting greens into their outdoor living spaces.

But the enjoyment and release do not have to end after sunset. Once the sun sets and the evening air cools off, the cares of the day and the rest of the world seem to dissolve away and leave the now relieved mind to enjoy the remainder of the evening. In fact, nighttime is probably the best time to play golf in the warmer months of the year.

But what about a backyard golf night? Is spending the summer nights down at the local golfing venue with the crowds and noise all that appealing? If not, there is an alternative. A summer evening on the back patio, a cold drink, some light music, and a few friends in a private backyard putting green can be a reality. Consider the addition of a well-designed and professionally installed outdoor lighting system. The additional lights for the putting green can be added to an existing system. Maybe the time is right to highlight the home and outfit the landscape with a custom-designed LED architectural outdoor lighting system.

4 Tips to Light a Backyard Putting Green

Tip #1: Downlighting

Downlighting is one of the best ways to splash a cascade of light over the backyard putting green. Downlighting is when a fixture is mounted in an elevated place and targeted downward at a specific location on the ground. The branches of a large, established tree or the architecture of a home can serve as vantage points from which to mount downlighting.

Downlighting, often referred to as moonlighting, creates drama. Flooding a target area with a high-powered floodlight does not create a dramatic aesthetic. The aim is to cast a soft light that yields both beauty and functionality.

Tip #2: Directional Path Light

What if there is not an elevated location from which a downlight can be attached or suspended? The lighting solution is to strategically place path lights around the putting green. A well-placed directional path light can be used to accent a putting green.

In contrast to a downlight that bathes the entire green with a flat light from above, a directional path light illuminates the putting green from the border of the feature. The path light casts shadows caused by tiny knolls. These subtle shadows from the small hills and undulations on the surface of the green hint at the best path from the golf ball to the cup.

Tip #3: Include an On/Off Switch

It may not be appropriate for the putting green to always be at the centerpiece of the backyard landscape. Having an on/off switch to control the lights to the putting green will enable the homeowner to use the recreational space for various other needs and uses.

Tip #4: Create a Relaxing Haven for Guests and the Family

The final lighting tip for the backyard putting green does not involve the illumination of the green. It addresses the larger goal of how to light the property in order to garner the most enjoyment from it.

Keep in mind the other features that make the outdoor living space so enjoyable. A small garden, an outdoor kitchen, bar top, pool deck, or fire pit come into play when lighting the putting green.

Creating a warm, relaxing ambiance makes for an enjoyable night in the backyard. In addition to lighting the putting green, accenting key landscape features elevates the beauty of a property and provides a better sense of visual control over the backyard environment.

The team of professional outdoor lighting specialists at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems are available to consult, design, and install landscape lighting for the backyard putting enthusiast who is seriously considering a lighting project for their putting green or the rest of their outdoor living space.

For more information about outdoor landscape lighting or to schedule a free consultation, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta by phone at (678) 616-9166 or via email at lindsey@southernlls.com. Visit them on the web at https://southernlls.com/locations/marietta-georgia.

The next information was originally seen on 4 Tips for Lighting a Backyard Putting Green and is republished from Southern Landscape Lighting Systems. Find more on:} The Southern Landscape Lighting Systems Blog in Georgia