Outdoor Lighting For Your Home
Are you keen on outdoor lighting for your home? Well, you are in the right place. An ever-increasing number of individuals are putting resources into how their outside space looks. And lights are a great way of bringing life to your landscape. With the perfect balance of hues and radiance, they can make your outdoor space stylish and inviting. Outdoor lighting provides a lot of benefits to you.
Apart from improving the beauty of your property, it also provides security and safety, illumination, adds value to your property, ensures you spend more time with your family and is eco-friendly. There’s more to outdoor lighting. And in this article, we are going to look at the reasons to install outdoor lighting, how you can DIY the lights, and the latest tech in outdoor lighting.
Reasons to Install Outdoor Lighting For Your Home
There are several reasons to install outdoor lighting.
Outdoor Lighting Adds Your Property Value
Any extra steps you take to make your home inviting will increase your property value. Consumer reports state that LED outdoor lighting can increase the value of a residential property by up to 3%. So if you invest in outdoor lighting for your home, you will be smiling to the bank when you sell it.
Other reasons are:
Illumination
This is the basic function of any lighting, not just outdoor lighting for your home. Outdoor lighting fixtures shade light on your property and helps you see at night.
Security and safety
Apart from illumination, outdoor lighting also aids in security and safety. When your home is properly lit, it keeps away animals and intruders. Otherwise, burglars might take advantage of the dark and break into your house. In Addition, outdoor lighting for your home adds a layer of safety. It keeps people safe from tripping or hitting themselves on something during the night. Pathway lights also keep people from straying away from the designated path walk. Preventing them from walking in your perfectly manned garden.
More family time
With outdoor lighting for your home, you don’t need to stop your family time when it gets dark. You can sit on the porch yet appreciate each other’s conversation and laughter when the sun sets.
Eco-friendly
Gone are the days when outdoor lighting had the annoying humming sound of halogen lamps. Today, there are different ways that you can power your outdoor lights. For instance, you can use solar power which does not produce that annoying sound and is environmentally friendly. By this, you can be sure you are doing your part of leaving less carbon footprint in the world.
Decor
Outdoor lighting can be used to emphasize certain features of your landscape and increase the curb appeal of your home. Imagine an outdoor space that is properly light in total darkness at night. It sure brings a relaxing view.
How to DIY Outdoor Landscape Lighting
When choosing to have outdoor lighting for your home, you can either decide to Do-It-Yourself or recruit an expert. Do-It-Yourself isn’t quite as hard as you could naturally suspect.
Planning for your DIY Outdoor Lighting for Home
The first step is to plan for the project. You need to identify which areas need lighting the most. You also need to consider the size of your space. This will determine the number and size of lighting fixtures you use. The planning phase also involves considering the amount of power you will use and the energy source. Decide whether your outdoor lighting will be powered by electricity, solar, or battery. If you are choosing to utilize solar energy, consider the amount of power it produces as this will affect the quantity of lights you use.
Gathering Materials For Your DIY Landscape Lighting
The following stage is to assemble the materials and tools for a successful job. Consider including an assortment of lighting installations, for example, flood lights, spotlights, and path lights. For décor and curb appeal, go for lanterns and string lights. Apart from the lighting fixtures, you also need tools to install them. These include wires, wire cutters, drills, and pliers.
Following Safety Lighting Guidelines
Every state has local building codes that must be followed. Furthermore, there are safety guidelines that guide you when dealing with electricity. One of the guidelines is installing GFCI outlets. GFCI outlets absorb electric currents and prevent you from getting shocked. Other safety guidelines that you should keep in mind are using proper grounding techniques and burying wiring in the ground. The former will protect you from the danger of high voltage whereas the latter prevents exposure to live wires which can be fatal.
Placing Your Lighting Fixtures
There’s an art to placing fixtures for outdoor lighting for your home. First, you should consider the height. You should vary the height of your light fixtures to avoid shadows and keep the lights from looking flat. Secondly, you might want to have different light colors for a cohesive and balanced look. Finally, consider the distance between the fixtures. If the lights are situated near each other, the light probably won’t be projected on a large area. As the world keeps on moving towards a modernized future, there have been developments in the lighting business.
The Latest Tech in Outdoor Lighting
Here are some technologies in outdoor lighting.
Motion sensor Lights
Outdoor lighting fixtures have upped their security advantage by incorporating motion sensors. Hence keeping away intruders. Motion sensor lights turn on when it detects motion. This is because of infrared sensors and ultrasonic sound technology.
Dark Sky-compliant Lights
The world has become more environmentally conscious which has resulted in dark sky-compliant fixtures. This is in an effort to reduce light pollution. Dark sky-compliant outdoor lights work by maintaining the darkness of the night sky. These lights are designed in a way that reduces the light projected toward the sky. In addition, they are fitted with shielding that directs the angle where the fixtures cast light.
Photocell Lighting
Photocell lighting is a technology used in outdoor lighting. The lights automatically turn on when the sun sets and turn off when dawn breaks. Due to the automation of photocell lighting, they are a low-maintenance option. This makes them great for areas in your home that have occasional traffic such as the garage.
Solar Lighting
Solar-powered lighting has become very popular. One Of the reasons for its popularity is its eco-friendliness. You can also use it in areas where electrical wiring might be a challenge.
LED Lighting
This is the most commonly used outdoor lighting today. LED lights are energy efficient, saving you money in electricity bills. This lighting also has a long life span and comes in different colors and styles.
Wireless Connectivity Lights
You can now control almost everything with your smartphone including your outdoor lights. Lighting fixtures fitted with Bluetooth technology allow you to control your outdoor lights from the palm of your hand. You can adjust the color, brightness, and lighting schedule from your phone. Wireless connectivity is also advantageous in areas where wiring may be difficult.
Conclusion
Outdoor lighting for your home is a great way to add oomph to your landscape. You can choose to DIY your outdoor space which is not a hard task. Installing outdoor lighting also has various advantages and increases the value of your property. Furthermore, if you want lights fitted with modern technology, there are a number of efficient lighting solutions in the market which you can choose from.