Outdoor lighting can improve your homes appearance and safety. To get started, first you need to ascertain what exactly you want for your home:
Which type of lighting would you need?
- Spotlights for architecture or art.
- Floodlights for safety.
- Spotlights for small areas, floodlights for wide areas.
Get a flashlight with floodlight and spotlight feature. Draw a bird’s eye map of the yard. Include paths, windows, driveways and plants. Mark where you want your lights. Shine the flashlight to test which type of lighting is preferred. Look for issues which could include
- Is there anything important blocking the area?
- Would light shine into a neighbors window?
- Which is better, upward or downward facing light?
- Which power source is most practical?
Power sources for exterior lighting are solar panels, low voltage and high voltage. Do not attempt high voltage. Have a licensed electrician install high voltage lighting. Low voltage and solar exterior lighting is normally adequate and appealing.
If your lights are for accents, try solar lights. Some advantages of solar lights are:
- They are cost efficient.
- Fast to install, just insert and mulch around them.
- They do not require any wiring or connections.
When lights are for safety reasons, you may look toward low voltage. These lights are not dependent on sunlight for energy so are more reliable. For these lights you will need
- A power pack.
- Connector caps.
- Electrical tape.
- 12 cable gauge.
- shovel.
- A utility knife.
- A trowel or edger.
- A wire stripper.
Locate an outside outlet to install power pack ATMI (according to manufacturer’s instructions). Lay down the cables and assemble the connectors ATMI. Make a 3” deep trench for cable along your chosen route, avoiding underground electrical lines. Insert the cable into the trench and insert the light fixture ATMI. Attach connectors to the power pack and plug it into the outlet. Bury the cables and adjust the lighting fixtures if necessary.
Check out this video courtesy of Lowe’s
Last Updated on April 17, 2017 by ApexRoofingServices
