Owner of Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, Lindsey Rodericks, takes us through what to do, and what to avoid when it comes to your landscape lighting installation in Atlanta.
Landscape lighting, if done right, can subtly
set the mood of a garden by using light to highlight features and working with
shadows to create texture. Outdoor lighting also performs an additional
important job, that of increasing the security of your property. Lindsey, with many
years as owner of Southern
Landscape Lighting Systems, Atlanta,GA has enough wisdom on the subject to
fill a book, and she shares four of the most important things that you should
do with your landscape lighting, as well as some things to avoid.
Do Use LED Lights
New LED lighting is between 60% and 70%
more energy efficient than traditional halogen bulbs, and they can last ten
years or more. LED technology is still
evolving, and LED lights are now available in a range of different hues so that
you can create the same effect as the soft white light of halogen bulbs.
Do Use Enough Fixtures
It may be tempting
to save money by installing fewer fixtures but making
them brighter. This ruins the effect of outdoor
lighting as you will have patches of extreme light and extreme shadow. If you
have budget constraints, rather focus on lighting the important areas of your
exterior – such as patios, walkways, and
entrances.
Do Vary the Fixtures Throughout Your Garden
By varying the intensity of the beams in a
garden, it is possible to create a sense of depth and texture to the area.
Do Highlight Landscaping Features Correctly
It’s a mistake to only use one light to illuminate features that you want to
highlight in your garden such as statues
and water features. A single light will create harsh shadows and wash the
feature out; this can be avoided by using two lights spaced correctly
with low to medium bulb intensities.
Don’t Only Use Bullet Lights
Bullet lights (or spotlights) are a
versatile fixture as they can be fitted
with different color bulbs and beams, but they can be quite one dimensional as
the light that they provide and can be quite harsh. Lindsey suggests limiting
the use of bullet lights to the corners of your home and property and for
highlighting architectural details, but to rather use softer lighting options
for the front of your home.
Don’t Use Solar Lights
Solar lights produce very little light and
are not reliable because they are weather dependent, and the lifespan of solar lights
tends to be a lot shorter. For people looking to make environmentally conscious
decisions, LED landscape lighting is an energy efficient alternative.
Don’t Treat Pathways and Stairs the Same
Pathways are a flat surface that won’t
create awkward shadows whereas stairs immediately create shadows even if there is only a small amount of light on
them. Lighting up a staircase by placing a single light at the top will make
the bottom stairs difficult to see, but this set up could work effectively for
a pathway. Stairs need a single light on each level (if the stairs are narrow),
however for wider staircases, it may be necessary to place multiple lights on
each rung.
Southern
Landscape Lighting Systems has been servicing the Atlanta for many years,
providing expert advice, high levels of customer service and expert landscape
lighting services. The company specializes in landscape lighting design with
free daytime consultations, as well as offering
landscape lighting installation and service. The team focuses on quality
workmanship and only uses the best
quality products. They pride themselves on offering superior after-sales
service to keep their client’s systems operating optimally.
The following article was originally published to The Do’s and Don’ts of Landscape Lighting and is courtesy of Southern Landscape Lighting Systems. Read more on:} https://www.southernlls.com/
Answering the question of whether outdoor lighting is a priority, Rodericks explains from her experience, the importance of outdoor lighting as both adding to one’s quality of life, and as a safety and security precaution. Lighting up your outdoor area means that you can spend more time outside. With shorter daylight hours during the winter months, it is still possible to enjoy being outside, even after it gets dark. Beautiful outdoor lighting also adds to the curbside appeal of a home, so if you’re thinking of selling your home at some stage, an outdoor lighting installation is the right way to go. From a safety and security perspective, a yard that is well-lit is safer when navigating steps, and uneven pathways are less risky to navigate. In addition, potential burglars are less likely to target a home with grounds that are well lit.
The Marietta’s Southern Landscape Lighting Systems have continued to receive 5-star reviews across Google, Facebook, and Yelp. A focus for them for 2019 will be building on their online reputation to reach new customers who haven’t heard about their services before. As Rodericks notes, “We have always understood that our customers are often our best marketing resources.” This has increasingly moved into the online space as potential customers are searching online for recommendations for outdoor lighting companies.
The last thing that should be looked at is adjusting the timers for your outdoor lighting installation. Most outdoor lighting installations have an automatic timer that switches on outdoor lights when night falls. With the end of daylight saving time, as with the clocks in your home, the timer also needs to be adjusted accordingly. It’s easy to forget to do this, but it is important if you are going to be arriving home in the dark and need to safely navigate your way to the front door and into your home.
Take the time to go around your property and note which features you want to stand out at night; research which light fitting will best illuminate these areas, and the transformer and cables that best suit your needs.
Safety is always an important consideration so make sure you check your lights, whether they have come straight from the store or out of the basement, for any broken bulbs or split cords. Also ensure any lights you are using outside have been manufactured specifically for outdoor use and have a high waterproof rating. If you are buying lights new, avoid cheap low-quality options.
The cables and cords from the lights can themselves become a safety risk. Try to avoid running cables along walkways so as not to be a potential tripping hazard. Make sure that cables aren’t run through doors and windows where they might be squashed or damaged and never run cables through pools or water features. All outdoor connection points must be waterproofed or sheltered.
Southern Landscape Lighting Systems further explained to us a phenomenon called ‘light pollution.’ This term refers to excessive light from manmade sources at night. Light pollution not only has a negative impact on nature but on people too. Artificial lights disturb the sleep of nocturnal animals, reducing reproduction rates of certain species. Sleep cycles of humans are also being disrupted as a result of excessive light pollution, resulting in physical and mental health problems.
Safety
