From simple landscape lighting to motion sensor lights to flood lights, outdoor lighting has become a popular method for homeowners to increase lawn security and change home ambience. Of course, it also establishes evening mood and atmospheres.
It can be tricky to install outdoor lighting. For someone who never experienced doing it before, the process can be difficult. However, it isn’t an impossible task as long as you know how to properly do it and how to choose the right materials you need.
Read on below to learn how to properly set up outdoor lighting.
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Calculate The Amount Of Lighting You Need
It’s important to figure out how much lighting you need before you start shopping for outdoor lights. There’s a quick calculation you can try if you want to determine the amount of light your space requires. All you need to do is to get the square footage of your area and multiply it by 1.5. It will give you a rough estimate of the required total wattage. For instance, if you have 100 square feet of space, then you’d require 150 watts of lighting.
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Include The Three Types Of Lighting
There are three basic lighting types, which include ambient, task, and accent.
- Ambient Lighting– This is a type of lighting that comes from the ceiling, providing you with the softest kind of lighting you can imagine. It also helps create the mood you want, and one way to di this is with a dimmer switch. With a dimmer switch, you can control how dim the light is or where the light is placed. It also gives you the freedom to change the amount of light you need without having to alter the fixture or the ceiling itself.
- Task Lighting– There are many different types of task lights that you can buy to complement the rest of your outdoor lighting system. These can be purchased as wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps, pendant lights, or track lights, among many others. A great way to determine what light fixture you need is to decide on what purpose it will serve.
Note that task lighting includes security lights, deck lights, and pathway lights. The majority of task lights come with a user manual when purchased, which can be helpful, but also keep in mind that it’s only a guide to the product. If you’re unsure about how the product will serve your purpose, it’s better to consult a professional before making a purchase or when installing the lighting.
When planning to work with an outdoor lighting company, make sure to check reviews about your prospect online. If possible, ask for a short lighting design video walkthrough like this: https://youtu.be/TgiZTfyB0AA. This is so you can have a concrete idea of what the company can really offer for your home.
- Accent Lighting– In recent years, accent lighting has become extremely popular. Accent lights are used most frequently as landscape kits and spotlights in the outdoor.
Light fixtures need to be positioned accurately to determine the best amount of light to place in the outdoor or any area. For example, a lamp sitting on a table near the center can cast a shadow, while a table lamp placed in the middle of the room can bring a dramatic change to the space.
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Choose The Right Lighting Fixtures
If you have a patio, deck, or backyard outdoor setting, and you’re considering adding some outdoor lighting to it, you should definitely start with a basic idea of what type of light fixtures you’ll need. There are several different types of outdoor lighting fixtures, such as outdoor lights, landscape lights, floodlights, as well as low-voltage, motion detector, decorative, landscape, and garden lighting.
It’s important that you choose the right type of lighting for your patio, deck, or backyard. For instance, lights should be placed at an eye-level distance. This distance will depend on where you want the light to shine from. Floodlights are the most common form of outdoor lighting fixtures. They can be used outdoors during the day to illuminate a path or walkway, or in a place that’s dark at night.
Landscape lighting is another popular outdoor lighting fixture. Landscape lighting is designed to accent a specific area, such as a deck or patio. Landscape lighting is often mounted on poles that are positioned at strategic points in the area. They have small lights that shine down on a specific area, which gives the appearance that the light is flowing around the area.
Outdoor Lighting
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Use A Landscape Lighting Kit As Lighting Fixture
When shopping for the perfect DIY landscape lighting kit, there are several things to consider. Do you want a solar-powered or a wired one? How many lights do you require to produce the effect you desire? What about lighting installation?
The number of lights required in a landscape lighting kit isn’t as complicated as you might think. If you have an entire yard or a large lawn area, then, you’ll definitely need more than three. You may have to decide if you’re going for accent or task lights.
You also want to determine how long it takes to complete installing your landscape lighting kit. The project may take a few hours to finish if you hire someone to do the work, or a few days if you’re doing most of the work yourself.
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Use LED
LED lights are popularly known as the most efficient lighting devices today. A diode-based light-emitting diode (LED) is a photovoltaic (PV) light source that emits light through the emission of electrons. Photons in the diode recombine and release light in the form of photons, releasing electricity in the form of heat when current passes through it. This type of lights is also referred to as vacuum tubes for their high efficiency.
There are two types of LED lights, which are common today. One type is the P-type, which uses an inverted conduction design wherein two wires, called the ‘light-emitting diodes,’ are connected to two separate terminals on the back side of the panel. The other type of LED is the H-type, which is similar to an incandescent lamp in appearance.
LEDs have higher efficacy when compared with traditional incandescent bulbs. They’re more energy-efficient and provide greater light output. The LEDs use very little power, but can be more expensive than other types of bulbs.
Many residential and commercial buildings today use LED lighting, and this is because of their energy efficiency. Due to their low power consumption, they’re also more affordable in the long run. LED lights have high efficiency and provide excellent lighting effects as compared to incandescent bulbs. So, if you’re looking to add a little flare to your outdoor space, you might consider using LED lights and hiring reputable companies that offer custom LED lighting solutions, like Oregon Outdoor Lighting.
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Take Security Into Consideration
You don’t need to hire a professional company to install and operate the outdoor security lights you’re interested in. The fact is that all you need is some basic home improvement knowledge and some good lighting equipment, and you can be able to install and use the lights that won’t only increase your home’s security, but also make your outdoor area look good. With the many different designs of exterior lighting systems available today, you’ll surely have plenty of different options when choosing the types of lights that you want to use.
There are many different ways to choose the right type of outdoor lights to use around your home, and the first step you need to take is to determine what kind and level of security you really need. Ensure that all of your home’s entry points are well-lit. Outside your garage, you can install a single lighting fixture above the garage door. It’s also a good idea to use spotlights for illuminating any side of your house in the shadows. You can install the spotlights on your eaves. Another option is to place wall lanterns at windows and side doors.
There are many different types of outdoor security lights available that also come in a large number of different sizes, so it’s not always necessary to buy the largest light system possible, even if you’re looking for the highest level of security possible. In general, if you live in an area that has low lighting levels, you’ll probably want to choose a small, bright, but soft-looking outdoor lighting system. If, however, the lighting around your home is just right, then, you may want to go with a large, bright, but hard-looking lighting system.
Final Thoughts
You’re probably going to spend most of your time in the outdoor area of your home once summer is already in full swing. You’re going to be hosting friends and relatives for an al fresco dinner or relaxing in your backyard with your family. The last thing you’d want to happen is for the fun to suddenly stop once the sun is already down just because you have an inefficient outdoor lighting or don’t have one at all. Hopefully, what you’ve learned here about calculating the amount of lighting your space requires, choosing the right lighting fixtures, and incorporating security into your outdoor lighting effectively can help you properly set up outdoor lighting in your home.
