Landscape Lighting Guide

Because it covers such a massive selection of options, landscape lighting can be a hard thing to deal with if you are not already familiar with the different types of lighting know-how obtainable. Here at eLightSpot.com, they have all the knowledge you require to get the quality lighting you require at a cost you can definitely afford.

Solar vs Low Voltage

While eavesdropping on the Joneses across the alley, you most likely heard something about solar lighting and it is main competitor, low voltage lighting but you don't know what the hooplah's all about? We'll help you clear it up.




Solar Lighting

Solar Outdoor Landscape Lighting

If you are in to energy conservation, solar landscape lighting is a great choice, in the event you require lights to illuminate the pathway through your yard or the walkway leading up to your house. While slightly pricey, solar lighting is awesome because they harness the power of the sun leaving your electric bill unscathed and they have a tendency to emit bright beams that make every step you take more secure. With a tab to pull from the battery pack, solar light installation is very quick and simple. pull the battery isolation tab and place the light where you require it. make definite the light is out of shade and free from debris you require them to get as much sun as feasible in order to charge the battery. And as simple as they may be to put in, they are as simple to steal, leaving you in the dark with having paid for solar know-how, so make definite they are securely placed.

If you are looking for the quickest and simplest installation, look for the lights that stake directly in to the ground like the Brinkmann Sierra Solar Light. In case you are looking for lights with a bit more character and that may even serve dual purposes as far as lighting a landscape or other areas, try taking a look at a hanging light like the Brinkmann Victorian Hanging Light.

Low Voltage

For those of you who are aware of your electricity bill, but also require a bright light, then you ought to be taking a look at low voltage landscape lights. Operating on less than 50 volts (depending on # of lights in a strand), low voltage lights emit a brighter light than solar lights, giving off that warm atmosphere lots of people are used to. Low voltage lights use a transformer to convert standard 120 v electricity in to more energy efficient 12 v current. Low voltage lights can be used all over a landscape providing there is reasonable access to an electrical outlet. Installation and maintenance is more involved than with solar lights. The lights must be connected to a cable and the cable must be run in and around your landscape, which can make for tedious installation. One time installed, low voltage lights must be turned on at night, where as solar lights automatically come on. The nice news is most low voltage lights either come wth or can be equipped with a timer that can be set to automatically turn the lights on and off.

The other part about low voltage lights that makes them a more popular choice over solar is the choice. Low voltage lights come in a wider choice of styles & finishes which enable them to fit in to most any landscape. of the most popular brands of low voltage landscape lights is Kichler. Kichler landscape lights come in an brilliant variety of styles from modern to traditional to whimsical. They also carryover virtually every type of finish whether it is black, white, copper, bronze or some variation of those. A popular choice is the Kichler Path & Spread Light in Bronze.

Low voltage lights are sold both individually & in kits. Individual lights must either be added to existing low voltage kits are installed with a transformer & cable. See our editorial on Sizing a Low Voltage Method for help.

Bulb Talk - Incandescent, Halogen and LED lights

Incandescent probably sounds familiar while halogen & LED lights may lead to some confusion. It all comes down to a few factors: brightness, bulb life & cost. We'll get right to it.

Incandescent

Incandescent Landscape Lighting

These lights are famous for that warm, inviting feel. They accomplish this aura due to an infrared part built in to the bulb. Also, they are heat-driven & give off those emissions, so they are WARM bulbs. They are useful in path & deck lighting fixtures because of their warmth; and, if they are used for those applications, they will most likely be out of reach (mounted up on a deck or on the ground) so you won't experience much of a hazard. They are cheap (about as much as you would normally pay for a light bulb) but they usually have low efficiency as well as a short lifespan (250-2500 hours), so you'll find yourself replacing them, unlike LEDs. Because of these reasons, incandescent lighting is slowly finding itself being replaced by the latest LED know-how. However, professional grade lights like the ones from Kichler still predominately use incandescent light bulbs as they are still the best choice for true landscape illumination. See an example of incandescent lighting used in the Kichler Accent Light in Architectural Bronze.

Halogen

Halogen Landscape Lighting

The next step up in cost alone is halogen. Fundamentally an incandescent light with a tungsten filament as well as a tiny little bit of bromine or iodine gas, they can basically cost five times over your everyday incandescent bulb. Halogen lighting over pays for itself in value & features though because they boast a long life & over a bright light, making them a great choice for floodlight purposes. Due to the halogen cycle, they have a tendency to get warm while walking & pose a tiny bit of a hazard. & while they are closely related to incandescent, halogens lack that warm glow that made the incandescent a household name. Halogen are also often used in security lighting due to the scope & brightness of the bulb.

LED

LED Landscape Lighting

The creme-de-la-creme of the lighting world, LED is now widely available know-how. It blows the earlier lights out of the yard by featuring long life spans (most LED lights last up to ten years!) & low energy use. Out of the, LED outdoor lighting is definitely the quickest growing light know-how & now that they are becoming increasingly available, you are  sure to find something in your cost range. They boast bright lights without the heat emissions & they don't rack up your electricity bill to maintain that brightness. LED bulbs virtually never burn out. Because they are so energy efficient they are sometimes the bulb of choice in solar lights. On top of that, because the know-how & bulb brightness has improved, they can be used in a variety of lighting situations (lanterns, pathway lights, spotlights, etc.

What's Best for What?
Okay, so they have got spotlights, lanterns, garden lights, path lights, deck lights, pond lights the list goes on. What you  certainly need to know is what application to make use of. As always, these things tend to vary case by case. Usually, pathways like the leading to your front door ought to be lit by tiny points of semi-bright light. A series of LED path lights ought to do the trick. make sure they are secure. Would not need or to come up missing. Need to bring attention to your pretty garden that you have been working on all season? Shrubbery and flowerbeds can be basically be lit from below with spotlights or well lights. Decorative lights also could be used, adding a touch of class to your garden. Got a bust of David you have been dying to show off or some other statue or fountain? Select a pleasant adjustable spotlight or floodlight to accentuate your art. The key is to know what your point of interest is or intended aim and then you can make the appropriate choice.

Styles and Finishes

Landscape Lighting Styles and Finishes

Finally, you determined what type of light you need/ need, but now you need to choose which styles best match your decor. Taste is innate and no guide can tell you what looks best on your property. Selecting the proper style, whether modern or colonial, rests with you. The best approach is to evaluate your whole light needs so you can be sure that no matter the type of lights you need, you can select lights that have matching styles so your whole landscape can have a uniform look and you can avoid a lighting process with varying finishes and styles that may not mesh one time they are all in place.