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Landscape Lighting Can Improve Your Home In Many Ways

Often, when thinking about landscaping, we think about our lawn, shrubs, and trees. Yet, adding outdoor lights is also a landscape feature that can certainly accentuate your home. The right outdoor landscape lighting can highlight an architectural feature of your home and boost security. Plus, you can enjoy the outdoors long after the sun sets.

Have you ever tried to unlock your front door in the dark? If you have, then you can see the necessity of having lighting near the door to illuminate the lock. Likewise, many people don’t like to walk through a shadowy yard at night. But brightly lit path lights will guide your guests safely to your front door. Additionally, spot lights and flood lights will eliminate dark areas and shadows dissuading potential intruders. Of course, the right outdoor lighting can also make grilling much easier!

Outdoor lighting can also add beauty to your dwelling. Lighting adds softly-lit hues and draws your eye to a particular landscape feature. We can use downlighting, moonlighting, silhouetting, or shadowing to create drama around trees, shrubs, or a water feature. By placing a lighting fixture above, behind or below an object, we can create these different effects. Plus, today’s outdoor lighting comes in many colors for a dramatic focal point. Together, we can help you create a warm and welcoming ambiance.

We use American-made Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting Products for all our projects. Manufactured in Simi Valley, California, Vista Lighting has innovative designs and finishes. You can choose from 320 landscape fixtures in aluminum, brass, copper, stainless steel, or industrial composites. Built to last, Vista luminaires provide superior performance under all weather conditions. Moreover, their products meet the stringent standards of Underwriters Laboratory.

Endless Options for Your Landscape Lighting

Correctly-designed exterior lighting adds beauty, curb appeal, and increases the value of your home. It might seem simple to buy a landscape lighting kit and place a few lights around your home. However, the incorrect placement of landscape lighting fixtures can seem jarring. Even worse, you may create glare, a blinding light directed in your guests’ eyes. That’s why it’s so important to hire a professional to help you design the perfect landscape lighting system.

Moreover, outdoor lighting can extend the time spent in your outside living areas. Improve your deck or patio with lights for grilling and entertaining. Well-placed lights increase usability, comfort, and make the space more attractive and inviting.

For convenience and cost savings, you may want to consider an automatic timer, photocell, or motion sensor. You’ll never have to come home to a dark house with an automatic timer or photocell. Preset your timer for the lights to turn on or off. Or invest in a photocell which detects light level, so you never have to worry about seasonal changes. While you may want a motion sensor light in less-used areas for security.

Generally, certain essential areas require lighting. These include paths, entryways, and steps. Other areas you probably want to light are the driveway, and decks or patios. You may even want to illuminate a landscape focal point.

Our design specialists can help you decide on the areas that need lights. We recommend using a variety of lighting techniques. Accent lights can create a dramatic effect with precision illumination on trees, garden structures, and architectural elements. Submersible lights can illuminate a pond or other water feature. Using a combination of lighting creates eye-catching layers in any outdoor space.

LED Landscape Lighting Is an Energy-Efficient Choice

Light emitting diode (LED) lights are quite popular for good reason. LED landscape lights are the most energy-efficient lighting available for outdoors. Using only a fraction of the amount of energy of other lighting choices, you’ll see substantial energy cost savings. Additionally, an LED bulb is extremely long-lasting. Some LED bulbs can light the way 8 hours a night for 17 years.

However, even though LED lights use less energy, they are still bright. Both LED and halogen lights can produce the same amount of light. Yet, when you compare energy use, halogen lights use 80-85% more than LED lights.

Versatility is greater with LED lighting, giving you endless application possibilities. Most outdoor LED lights can change color with the touch of a button. Thus, your outdoor home lighting will be ready for whatever holiday is at hand. Often these systems have date timers, so they’ll change automatically. Some systems can even allow you to control them from your smartphone.

LED lighting is safer for kids and pets. Emitting very little heat, you don’t have to worry about little ones or furry friends accidentally burning themselves. Accordingly, you can place outdoor lighting wherever you need to without safety concerns. Plus, many LED outdoor light fixtures are very small. So, you can tuck them behind and underneath objects hiding the light source and producing a mystical glowing appearance.

Best of all, LEDs emit very little UV light and longer wavelengths of light. What does this mean to you? UV light and shorter wavelengths of light attract insects, which can ruin any outdoor nighttime gathering. By using LED lighting, you’ll enjoy your outdoor living spaces with less bug intrusion on warm summer nights.

LED landscaping lighting

Professionally installed LED low voltage landscape lighting

An easy way to add outdoor lighting is with low voltage lights. Low voltage outdoor lighting operates on just 12 volts. This is much lower than the 120-volt current from your house. Installing a 12-volt system is environmentally-friendly because it’s more energy-efficient. Plus, it’s safer and less expensive to install.

Accidents happen, especially if you have children. You’ll want to use a low level of electricity to minimize injury. Exposure to 12 volts of electricity will not cause injury; it would be unpleasant, but not damaging. Plus, if you want to illuminate a pool, spa, or pond, low voltage lighting is the way to go.

Beyond safety concerns, 12-volt light bulbs use 20-40% less electricity than 120-volt. Less electricity usage means lower energy bills. Moreover, you’ll be replacing your low-voltage light bulbs less often. 120-volt lightbulbs generate much more heat causing them to burn out faster. Thus, you’ll be spending less time and money replacing burnt out light bulbs. Also, not only is the initial installation much cheaper, but the landscape lighting installation is much easier.

Plus, a low voltage system is much more versatile. There are many more styles and color choices because most outdoor lighting systems are low voltage. Furthermore, it’s easier to change landscape fixtures or add more. Finally, a low voltage system is available in different wattage, color, and beam spreads. You can use it for path lighting, underwater lighting, and accent lighting.

Additionally, you can choose a low voltage system that uses LED or halogen bulbs. And whereas years ago, high voltage had the advantage of more light output, this no longer holds true. Many of today’s outdoor low voltage lighting systems have the same effect as high voltage.

Specialty Lighting Adds a Unique Ambiance to Your Home

Your home reflects your personality and taste. An outdoor lighting system should also be distinct and unique. Outdoor specialty lighting will highlight both the architectural and landscape features as well as increase the use of outdoor areas.

For example, human beings love water. That’s why we build homes on shorelines and add ponds to our backyards. You’ve worked hard to bring your dream of a lush backyard pond to life. Why restrict enjoying it to only the daylight hours? Installing underwater lights can extend your pleasure into the nighttime hours.

LED lights are perfect for illuminating your pond. With changing colors and luminosity, you can create different effects. However, water bends light and it may end up creating an unwanted glare. You need a lighting designer who knows exactly how to accentuate your pond’s features.

But don’t stop there. Path lights entice you to follow along a walkway. Outdoor garden lights beckon you to enjoy your backyard at night. Spot lights provide the security you need. When planning your home’s exterior lighting design, you need variety and versatility.

Our landscape lighting design specialists will find the perfect combination of lights for all your needs. They are Vista Lighting-certified designers and installers. We’ll find you the perfect combination of accent lighting whether it’s a bollard light, well light, or step light.

Offering both low and high voltage lighting, we can brighten up trees, shrubs, and architectural features of your home. Call us today at 336-442-0160 to learn how we can show your home in its best light. You’ve worked hard to make your home look great during the day. Don’t let it disappear after the sun goes down.

Outdoor Kitchen With Fireplace
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