Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth designs, installs, and services residential and commercial outdoor LED lighting systems in the metro Atlanta area. The design and installation team understands the importance of occasional fine-tuning and proper maintenance to keep a lighting system functional and beautiful.
A Landscape Lighting Scenario
When the landscape lighting system was first installed, the results stunned the homeowner, neighbors, and visitors. The final product was fabulous, a work of art. Over time, however, the homeowner became bored with their landscape lighting, even though guests and neighbors would rave with every visit. The homeowner was no longer energized or inspired by the landscape lighting. Was the system failing? Was the design uninspiring when the newness lost its shine? What happened to the mystique and the breathtaking brilliance?
What to Do When a Landscape Lighting System Has Lost Its Luster
If homeowners feel that their landscape lighting has lost its drama, interest, and ambiance, they can diagnose the fundamental problem by considering the questions listed below.
Question: Has the lighting plan lost its pop because it is outdated in style and technology?
A landscape plan is not a one-and-done project. The lighting fixtures should be up-to-date. The programming technology can easily be upgraded, allowing the designer and the homeowners to adapt and adjust to new ideas, new schedules, and changes in the landscape. Subtle, incremental changes in the lighting design style and application inject freshness and flair. Landscape lighting that lifts the eyes upward and brightens the landscape on a dark winter evening can stimulate the soul and positively elevate mood.
Question: Are undetected or unresolved electrical issues stunting the brilliance of the lighting system?
Halogen bulbs can go dark without warning. On the other hand, LEDs fade in brightness as they age. Engineering refinements have vastly improved bulb performance and affordability since the emergence of the technology over the last decade. LED bulbs are not indestructible, but they are amazingly tough.
Damaged fixtures can affect performance. Heat is the enemy of the LED bulb. High-quality fixtures, such as those used by Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, GA, have heat-dissipating features engineered into the hardware. If damage compromises the heat dissipating properties of the fixture, the longevity and illuminating power of the bulb will be reduced. Inadequate maintenance can interfere with system operation and diminish the beauty of a lighting system.
Question: Do the lighting hardware and layout need maintenance?
General maintenance is vitally important for a landscape lighting system. Vegetation should be pruned and shaped annually. Precocious plants need more attention from the landscape crew. Landscape maintenance crews can wreak havoc on a lighting system. The lighting position of various lamps may need evaluation several times a year to keep the system functional and beautiful.
If the evening landscape seems dull, opaque, or muted, the solution may be as simple as cleaning the lenses on the fixtures. Be sure and clean all the lenses to keep the lighting balanced and proportioned as intended by the lighting designer. A reputable landscape lighting company will offer a regular maintenance plan that covers most, if not all, of the maintenance services mentioned in this article.
Question: Does the landscaping need attention?
An illuminated landscape may appear dull for reasons other than a deficiency in the lighting design or hardware. Edged planting beds accentuate definition. Clean, well-shaped shrubbery and bushes communicate order and draw a contrast with the sharp, straight lines of the home. Winter color from mums, evergreens, and other cold-weather vegetation add a living dimension during the dormant winter months. Refresh mulch beds with a dark mulch that will keep its dark brown texture until spring arrives. The deep brown will contrast nicely with the grays and greens associated with winter.
Question: Do individual hardscape features need some TLC?
If “drab” best describes the landscape even when the landscape lighting system is functioning at its full glory, then consider these suggestions that can create eye-popping results. Pressure wash the sidewalk, driveway, and walkways. Include curbing in the pressure washing job if the curbing is stained with black tire marks. Rock walls and landscape boulders become almost luminescent when grime, algae, moss, and weathering discolorations are removed. A reputable pressure washing company will know how to handle delicate hardscapes such as fountains, fences, ponds, benches, and statuary.
Question: Does the home, the centerpiece of the landscape lighting plan, need to be spruced up?
Harness the power of paint. A fresh coat of paint on railings, columns, shutters, porch furniture, gutters, the mailbox, and garage doors can make the drab dazzle! Polish the brass. If there is none, consider adding some if it fits the décor. Doorknobs, locks, a door knocker, street numbers, and wall sconces will shine in the bright beams of LED low-voltage landscape lighting.
Showcase the front porch with seasonal accents and amenities. The front door should evoke notions of a grand entrance to a warm welcome. A brilliant lighting designer can illuminate the walkway and front door so that the trek is not only safe but also breathtaking. Upgrade the front porch lighting. Change out the existing front porch light for a stylish, elegant chandelier.
A subtle, tasteful adjustment or a slightly nuanced design shift may have the neighbors asking, “What have you done to your home. It looks fabulous!” The alteration may have been something as simple as manipulating the warmth of the entrance lights so that the initial impact is more inviting and calming.
For more information about landscape lighting installation and service, contact the office by phone at (678) 324-6842 or by email at lindsey@southernlls.com.
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