Homes in neighborhoods almost everywhere are lighting up the night and with good reason. Today’s outdoor lighting offers more possibilities, requires lower maintenance and is more cost effective than ever before.
Central to this design trend’s popularity are LED lights which are up to 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Because they use less electricity, they cost less to run. They also last longer. Cordless Lights
Don Telge, of Outdoor Decor, Irrigation & Lighting, explained that LED lights don’t actually burn out, they weaken.
“Most manufacturers warranty their lights for 10-15 years and if they weaken to 30% before the warranty is up, they will replace them,” Telge said.
Exterior lights can illuminate the exterior of a home to add dramatic highlights to its architecture, extend living areas to the deck, patio or seating in the yard and can offer light for special events.
“The question is what do you want to do with the light,” Telge said.
Recessed lighting can be run in the home’s soffit, providing a soft overhead glow; spotlights can illuminate statuary, boulders, trees or fountains; pathways and steps can be lit both for safety and ambience; and for those who like the soft magic of moonlight, that’s also available.
Telge said those who want to add lighting to the exterior of their home but are having trouble deciding how they want it put together or envisioning the result should take an evening drive to look at other homes that have lighting they like. The beauty of lightscaping is that it can be elegant and sophisticated, or fun and whimsical, or even a combination of both. Lightscaping in the front of the home can be radically different from the lighting features used in the rear of the home. Most companies also have portfolios of photographs showing work they’ve done or can do on other homes. Some companies, like his, offer free evening demos at customers’ homes to show them what particular effects will look like on their property.
If you’ve ever visited the Missouri Botanical Garden at night and taken delight in its whimsical lighting designs, it might inspire you to know that, with the help of a lightscaping professional, you can recreate that magic at home. And keeping up with your lightscaping is as easy as setting a timer or clicking on your phone.
Versatile LED light systems can be controlled via a cellphone and programmed to turn on and off at specific times. Astronomical timers turn lights on and off each day according to the time of sunset and sunrise, Telge said.
“Lights in different areas of the house and landscape also can be turned off and on in zones,” he said. “They can focus on a water feature, on a hot tub area, or on the trees to make your own night environment.”
One of Telge’s favorite projects was one that included underwater lights and some set behind a waterfall that sent shimmering light to nearby evergreens.
“It takes an eye to know what is going to be lit and what is not,” Telge said. “You don’t want to walk out the front door and be hit in the face with a spotlight.”
There is also holiday lighting that can be installed permanently and shine with the holiday spirit, no matter what holiday. Lights can blink a cheery red and green, patriotic red, white and blue, Cardinal red for the next pennant race or whatever program the homeowner chooses for them to do.
Aesthetics aside, there’s another good reason to light your house and grounds – improving safety and security. Exterior lighting can illuminate well trod steps and pathways, discourage trespassers and criminals and offer light where you need it most on driveways and doorways.
As Telge pointed out, the basic building blocks for any lightscaping project should include safety, security and beauty.
As storms rumbled through the metro area in late May, many local homeowners cringed at the sound of hail hitting their roofs, wondering what damage would be done.
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