Pet-Friendly LED Landscape Lighting for Metro Atlanta Homes

 Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta, GA, designs, installs, and services residential and commercial LED landscape lighting systems in the metro Atlanta area. The team of lighting professionals is committed to designing and installing landscape lighting that accentuates the beauty of the home and enhances curb appeal while also providing functionality, durability, longevity, safety, security, and energy efficiency. Because LED landscape lighting technology is low voltage, this type of lighting is very energy efficient, using only about 20% of the energy needed for traditional halogen lighting. The high efficiency of LED lighting also results in a lower operational temperature. The lower voltage and cooler operating temperature make a residential LED low-voltage landscape system very pet-friendly.

Traditional Halogen Landscape Lighting: Not Pet-Friendly

LED lighting technology is overtaking halogen technology as the first choice of homeowners for landscape lighting. Still, many homes have halogen lighting. Listed below are some key reasons why traditional halogen landscape lighting technology is not pet-friendly.

1. Halogen lighting is high voltage.

Operating at 120v, halogen lighting can cause severe electrical shock, topical burns, or cardiac arrest to a small to medium-sized dog. A recent report revealed the most popular dog breeds of 2022 in the metro Atlanta area: French bulldog, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, German shepherd, and the poodle. All dogs, not just Labradors, love to sniff, dig, paw, pull, and chew anything and everything in the yard. For those Alpharetta residents who own an English Mastiff, not much can withstand their bite force of 556 pounds per square inch, including landscape lighting fixtures.

These curious, playful pets can sustain electrical shock or arc burns to the nose and mouth from sniffing, chewing, gnawing, and pawing wires, fixtures, and panel boxes. Some breeds of dogs are temperamental and aggressive. A tingle, jar, or jolt may throw the pet into a rage that does not subside until the lighting fixture, wiring, and any panel boxes are ruined beyond repair or destroyed. Electrical shock or injury is also possible during wet weather or when the irrigation system activates.

2. Halogen lighting is very hot.

Halogen bulbs burn at temperatures high enough to cause brush fires if combustible debris such as leaves, pine needles, and mulch collect on or around the fixtures. Dogs love to sniff and lick almost everything, including landscape lighting fixtures that were just serviced and cleaned by the landscape lighting maintenance crew. If the fixture is hot, the unlucky pet can receive severe topical burns to the nose, lips, and tongue. Accidental contact with hot fixtures with other parts of the dog’s anatomy, such as the ears, tail, or paw pads, could require an emergency visit to the family veterinarian.

3. Bright lights may bother some pets.

A dog’s sense of smell can range from 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than humans, and these furry friends can hear up to four times farther away than humans. Canines can hear higher frequencies and differentiate between various sounds, including the family car from other vehicles in the neighborhood. Also, dogs can see almost as well as humans can. If traditional halogen landscape lighting is painful and offensive to people, dogs may find it just as annoying.

4. Brittle filaments and flimsy fixtures often land the family dog in the doghouse.

Halogen filaments are brittle and may be damaged by a sudden impact from a happy puppy bounding through a flower garden or water feature in a frenetic search for a tennis ball or favorite chew toy.

5. Some landscape lighting technologies may be loud.

Halogen and fluorescent bulbs may at times generate a low-volume buzzing noise. This low humming noise or “filament sing” can annoy or disturb dogs, who may respond with a fight or flight response. While LED bulbs can also occasionally produce a humming, buzzing, or whining noise, the issue can be remedied by replacing the offending LED bulbs or fixtures.

LED: A Pet’s Best Friend

LED landscape lighting technology is a pet’s best friend for several reasons.

1. LED technology is low voltage, reducing the potential for electrocution and arc burns from chewing wiring and fixtures.
2. The cooler operational temperatures of LED bulbs all but eliminate the risk of topical burns to a dog’s nose, lips, and tongue.
3. LED lighting is easier on a dog’s eyes. The sharp, crisp beam edges allow the light to be focused on the object to be illuminated while reducing light diffusion and glare. Neighbors will also appreciate the reduction in light pollution.
   Also, a cat’s eyes are six times more sensitive to light than humans. Excessively bright lights can cause eye pain, eye injury, partial loss of eyesight, or blindness. Other nocturnal animals may suffer the same discomfort and eye damage as cats when exposed to bright lights.

4. Outdoor LED lighting fixtures and bulbs are extremely durable. The all-metal, CNC-milled fixtures provided by Southern Landscape Lighting System are manufactured to withstand heavy punishment, such as would be the case with the English mastiff and its 556 psi jaw strength. The premium quality fixtures and durable bulbs keep the dogs out of the proverbial doghouse.
5. LED lighting technology is quiet and can operate silently. The homeowner and neighbors are spared the annoyance of fretful whining, constant baying, and endless barking while the system is operational. Everyone sleeps better, including the dogs.

For more information about designing and installing a pet-friendly outdoor landscape lighting system or upgrading an existing system to be more accommodating to pets and wildlife, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems Alpharetta by phone at (770) 691-1221 or reach out to the team by email at lindsey@southernlls.com.

The Importance of Hiring a Landscape Lighting Design Professional

 The design, installation, and maintenance of a high-quality landscape lighting system is no small feat. A well-executed plan will:

• highlight the overall beauty of a home
• draw attention to unique architectural features that set the home apart
• improve functionality, safety, and security
• expand the usefulness of the property beyond daylight hours
• minimize light pollution and encroachment
• significantly reduce energy consumption and power bills
• provide many years of uninterrupted service
• achieve strong ROI on the initial investment
• enhance curb appeal
• elevate selling price while reducing time on the market

A shortcoming or failure in any one part of the lighting plan can spoil the experience and cause the homeowner to rethink spending the time and investing the money on landscape lighting. By hiring a competent lighting professional, Acworth, GA, homeowners can ensure that they receive a great landscape lighting experience.

A Professional Design

Efforts to plan and design a custom landscape lighting system without enlisting the expertise, skill, and artistic ability of a professional designer can result in aesthetic and technical deficiencies. First, every homeowner desires their lighting to have aesthetic appeal. To accomplish this goal, the lighting designer must place the light fixtures where the light will cast the perfect beam in the perfect location. Second, the lighting system must also function properly. Technical issues can plague a system from the very first day of operation. The knowledge and ability to design a wiring plan that does not overload the electrical system and still achieves code compliance requires professional expertise.

There are a variety of available landscape lighting fixtures, and each fixture has its own capabilities to meet specific lighting needs. The selection includes wall lights, accent lights, in-ground lights, and well lights. Each fixture offers different color temperature, brightness, and beam spread choices. A lighting design professional is well acquainted with the wide array of lighting fixtures, which component to deploy where, and how the fixtures can be arranged to work in harmony to create the desired aesthetic effect.

The Appropriate Tools

Tools especially suited to the outdoor LED lighting industry allow for the proper, safe, and efficient installation of a landscape lighting system. Most homeowners are unaware of the variety of tools needed in the lighting professional’s “toolbox.” The mechanical trencher is one example of the specialized tools or equipment utilized by the lighting technician. The manual excavation of the trenches where the wire is laid is highly inefficient and physically impossible for most people. Special tools are required to bore under patios, sidewalks, walls, and driveways. The lighting professional brings to the table the right equipment and skills needed to operate the tools. The tools are a force multiplier that significantly speeds up the installation process, reducing the time technicians are onsite for the installation.

Intensive Labor

The installation of a landscape lighting system is a mammoth task. Successful completion of the project requires the execution of carefully coordinated tasks along with intensive labor. A vigorous, seasoned professional and an experienced work crew may need a full day or two to completely install, test, and perfect a lighting system. The DIY homeowner may take or week or more on the system working in the evenings and a weekend or two. In some situations, the homeowner realizes the scope of the project and calls in the professionals. Regrettably, the work that has been completed must be corrected, repaired, or replaced. The additional work may cost more than a turnkey job because so much time was wasted resolving issues created by a well-intentioned homeowner. Professional proficiency ends up taking less time and costing less than a DIY project. Also, the knowledgeable professional will install at or above code compliance. The peace of mind the homeowner enjoys is priceless. Finally, a professional installation avoids the embarrassment of having a home inspector break the news a day before closing that the landscape lighting system is not up to code and all the wiring h must be reburied at the proper depth.

Professional Problem-Solving

The consummate landscape lighting professional installs the system according to industry-standard guidelines and building code regulations. The conscientious installer performs tests at each stage of the project to identify and resolve issues in each zone. An arsenal of troubleshooting tools and problem-solving skills increases efficiencies and avoids the need to reinstall some or all of the entire set of lights.

Peace of Mind and No Regrets

The professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth offer homeowners the opportunity to see for themselves what their homes will look like under the lights. A night-time demonstration whets the appetite for what awaits the homeowner who entrusts the planning, design, installation, and maintenance to true professionals.

Contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth for more details about professional landscape lighting design, installation, and service. The Acworth office can be reached by phone at (678) 324-6842 or by emailing lindsey@southernlls.com.

The Art and Science of LED Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Design

 For the lighting professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta, the art and science of LED low-voltage landscape lighting involves both aesthetics and technology. The word ‘aesthetic’ comes from Ancient Greek and has to do with sensory perception. In some circles, aesthetics has come to mean the study of beauty and taste. Architectural landscape lighting is like painting with light and is its own art form. A few basic, concrete principles guide the lighting designer, but as is the case in much of what is perceived as ‘beautiful,’ the end product is the fruit of gifted, inspired, and knowledgeable lighting artisans staying within the boundaries of balance and dimension but pushing the limits, nonetheless, to achieve beauty. Lighting applications include uplighting, downlighting, bath/area lighting, and specialty lighting. These applications are useful for creating certain effects such as shadowing, highlighting, silhouetting, washing, and mirroring.

Sometimes, in a homeowner’s DIY landscape lighting project, chance will play into the creation of an aesthetically pleasing lighting effect. However, beautiful accidents are rare, and intentionality most often yields beautiful and tasteful lighting for homes in Marietta, GA.

Understanding Beam Spread

Lighting technology includes fixtures, wiring, software, physics, and geometry. The proper application and the desired effects must wrestle with the mechanics of beam spread. A lighting designer, then, is both an artist with a keen eye and a technician with an understanding of the physics and geometry of lighting techniques and technology.

Proper beam spread is determined by the width of the focal object being illuminated. For example, a tall, thin tree requires a narrower beam spread. The superiority of LED landscape lighting technology truly shines when it comes to beam spread. LED lighting technology provides a beam edge that is sharper, crisper, and more precise than traditional alternatives. The light beam holds its pattern, stays focused upon the object on which it is aimed, and does not diffuse or become washed out. The sharp, crisp light combined with the ability to manipulate light color enables the designer with expertise and technical skill to highlight key architectural features while selecting color temperatures that set the mood while simultaneously making the desired colors pop. The capability to illuminate with almost laser beam precision in tandem with the capacity to select specific color temperatures empowers the designer to create a nightscape that dances with vivifying drama.

Beam Spread Dimensions and Applications

• 10 or 15 degrees: Suitable for tall, thin porch columns or column-like trees
• 25 - 45 degrees: Great for medium height and medium width trees (General accent lighting often utilizes this beam spread.)
• 55 - 60 degrees: Best for shorter, wider landscape features such as a mature, well-shaped Japanese weeping maple, a broad-based fountain, or a holiday display such as a creche
• 120 degrees: Ideal for washing walls, custom murals, espalier, and other wide areas or objects

“Watts” Up with Lumens?

LED lighting technology that is accessible and affordable is a recent development. The first 60-watt equivalent light bulb was not available until 2010. Since then, mass production has improved product selection and greatly reduced pricing. LED light bulbs are standard in most homes. Along with the technology and product line came new terminology and usage. In the LED nomenclature, ‘lumen,’ previously referred to as wattage, is the new way lighting is expressed. A lumen is the unit of measurement for the brightness of light. LED lighting is measured in lumens. From the perspective of sustainability, LED lights provide the greatest output of lumens with the least expenditure of electricity. Lumen output should complement the object being illuminated. Errors in converting lumens to watts and vice versa can negatively impact the aesthetic effect of a LED landscape lighting design and installation.

A subtle, tasteful adjustment or a slightly nuanced design shift may have the neighbors asking, “What have you done to your home. It looks amazing!” The alteration may have been as simple as manipulating the warmth of the entrance lights so that the initial impact is more inviting and calming. Neighbors will find themselves driving the long way around the subdivision just to see what is new and to have their spirits illuminated by a beautifully lit home and landscape.

To learn more about landscape lighting design services in metro Atlanta, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta by calling (678) 616-9166 or by emailing lindsey@southernlls.com.