Landscape lighting installation Windsor ON
Designing your outdoor landscape lighting serves not only to make it beautiful, but helps with functions such as safety and security. There are some outdoor light fixture and placement considerations you should discuss with your landscape lighting installer.
How do we layer the lights? A common theme throughout your home is incorporating ambient, task and accent lighting. Outside lighting should be no exception. Ambient light can be provided by post lights, hanging lights and wall lights, which all provide a good background layer of functional illumination. Task lighting can be served by deck, security and pathway lights. And finally, if you want to add accent or decorative lighting, you can go wrong with strategically placed lanterns, spotlights and string lights. Be sure to consult with your landscape electrician if there are any questions about safety and function. How bright should outdoor lights be? Asked another way, “how many lumens do I need for landscape lighting?” It all depends on your exterior home’s square footage. A general rule of thumb is to multiply the square footage by 1.5 to give you the total wattage needed. If you need to know how many lumens, take the wattage and multiply that by 15. So let’s take the example of 100 square feet of space. You would need 150 watts (100 x 1.5) total to illuminate the area, or 2,250 lumens (150 watts x 15). Don’t discount the ability of indirect accent lighting to set the mood - think lanterns, string lights, pendants. The soft lighting provides some beautiful ambiance, so be a bit sparing on the bright spotlights. No one wants that in their faces when they’re eating their meals. |
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Safety and security
Safety refers to minimizing trip and fall hazards, so be sure to install lights where there are dark pockets of light and accidents can easily happen, such as stairs leading to a side door. Security lighting serves to prevent and detect crime. Main entry points and above garage doors should be well illuminated. Post lights should be at least 2.5 meters above the ground to prevent their blinding effect as you approach the driveway. Automatic timers and motion detectors are worthwhile investments. They save energy when the area is not in use, and motion detectors can potentially deter a burglar or intruder.
Where to install landscape lighting
Make sure you have these areas of your exterior home covered with the proper illumination:
Landscape lighting techniques
Here are some cool techniques that really play up the drama and ambiance:
-Grazing: highlight an interesting surface such as beautiful brick or stonework
-Shadowing: lighting from in front and below to add depth and ambiance
-Silhouetting: lighting a vertical object to draw attention to an interesting object in front
-Cross lighting: illuminating a tree or structure from various sides to emphasize its 3D effect
No matter what options you choose, be sure to consult with an outdoor lighting electrician in Windsor to properly service your landscape lighting needs.
Safety refers to minimizing trip and fall hazards, so be sure to install lights where there are dark pockets of light and accidents can easily happen, such as stairs leading to a side door. Security lighting serves to prevent and detect crime. Main entry points and above garage doors should be well illuminated. Post lights should be at least 2.5 meters above the ground to prevent their blinding effect as you approach the driveway. Automatic timers and motion detectors are worthwhile investments. They save energy when the area is not in use, and motion detectors can potentially deter a burglar or intruder.
Where to install landscape lighting
Make sure you have these areas of your exterior home covered with the proper illumination:
- Side and backyard entryways
- Front entryway including steps, doorway, and house number
- Steps and pathways
- Above garage
Landscape lighting techniques
Here are some cool techniques that really play up the drama and ambiance:
-Grazing: highlight an interesting surface such as beautiful brick or stonework
-Shadowing: lighting from in front and below to add depth and ambiance
-Silhouetting: lighting a vertical object to draw attention to an interesting object in front
-Cross lighting: illuminating a tree or structure from various sides to emphasize its 3D effect
No matter what options you choose, be sure to consult with an outdoor lighting electrician in Windsor to properly service your landscape lighting needs.
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