Outdoor Lighting on House: A Complete Guide

It is a well-known fact that outdoor lighting on a house can greatly improve the way your house looks. There is a fine line between overdoing the lighting and underlighting a house that should be trodden carefully. The job which is overdone makes your house look like a Vegas casino at night, making it hard on the eyes for you and your neighbors. Whereas the underlit outdoors is as good as the ones without lighting. So, the key here is to find the perfect balance and combination for various elements in your garden.

Homeowners today may be confused in choosing from a wide variety of options ranging from low voltage outdoor lighting to motion sensor lighting. Moreover, you may have various kinds of questions like What type of light to choose from? Which parts of the garden do I need to light up?. Worry not, this guide is here to help you find answers to most of your questions related to lighting your outdoors. This guide explains various benefits of outdoor lighting on the house. Also given are some ideas for lighting various outdoor components of a house.

Benefits of Outdoor Lighting on House

Firstly, it can be easily said that there are numerous benefits of lighting the outdoors of your house. Some of them are as under:

• Outdoor lighting plays a vital role in making your house secure as a well-lit house is less likely to be targeted by trespassers.
• It also certainly adds curb appeal to your house. So something that may look like an expense now can turn out to be an investment.
• If done properly, outdoor lighting on the house certainly improves the aesthetics of your house and gives you those feel-good vibes.
• Makes your house safer as you can easily navigate through stairs and other elements in the dark.
• Helps you make the most out of your illuminated garden for those nighttime parties or barbeques.

Types of Outdoor Lighting on House

Outdoor lighting can be of various types depending on the need of the customer. However, the two most popular options for outdoor lighting in the market today are:

Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting

This type of lighting has been used for a long time and is known to be very reliable. Often this type of lighting uses LEDs. The low voltage here implies that it works on a voltage of around 12v. You have nothing to worry about the high voltage power at your house as electrical transformers that can be plugged into an average wall outlet can convert it down. Low voltage outdoor lighting can also be used along with a timer or a dimmer. The preferred places for people to install low-voltage outdoor lighting are in the decks, railings, stairs, etc.

Solar Outdoor Lighting

There is no doubt that the future is all about solar and renewable energy. Hence, outdoor solar lighting is on a rise among customers today. This typically comes along with a solar panel that keeps recharging the battery that powers your lights. It is known for its quick installation and low maintenance costs. However, you may need to change the battery in a few weeks or clean the solar panel once a month depending on the dust in your region. Although they are eco-friendly and cost-efficient, they come with their drawbacks, lack of charging in fall and winter, constant change in position to get maximum sun, can only be added in areas of full sun exposure. Most solar lights are made out of plastic, so longevity is a concern as well.

Outdoor Lighting for Various Spaces

For lighting purposes, the outdoors of your house can be divided into three major parts:

1. Hardscape: The constructed parts of your garden like patio, fence, deck, etc come under this category.
2. Softscpae: This is the part which contains flora of your garden like bushes, plants, etc.
3. Decor: As the name suggests, this includes parts like water fountains, pottery, statues, etc.

Now, that you have got an idea of various components of the outdoors, let us take a look at how you can light each of them properly.

Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

The fixtures come in various types and materials (bronze, brass, aluminum plastics, and organic plastics),  all of these fixtures have one advantage or the other, ranging from cost to quality and durability. Best fixtures from a value point of view are cast brass fixtures, however, all cast brass fixtures are not made the same, you should look for a reputed brand, and would be advisable to seek a professional opinion.

Before purchasing a fixture light, here are some things that you need to keep in mind:

• First of all, you need to figure out your expected results, for example, are you trying a light walkway, a flower bed, an architectural feature, or a tree.
• Thereafter, you need to make sure that the light is wet-rated. This means that they can withstand getting wet during rain and other outdoor changes.
• Also, it is noteworthy here that all the fixtures that you select follow the same design theme and color family
• Here’s another pro-tip.  when installing a landscape lighting fixture leave a couple of feet of slack in the wire, it will come in handy in case you need to move the light after installation.

Now, after you got the correct fixture lights, some of the best places where you can install them are your walkways, driveways, and patios. In case you find it difficult to install the lights yourself, don’t hesitate to take help from the experts.

Deck Lighting

The deck can be easily lit using low-voltage outdoor lighting. Before lighting your deck, we advise you to repair any cracks or broken wooden planks so that the aesthetics of the deck match that of the outdoor lighting on house. Some of the most commonly used lighting options and their uses for your deck are as follows:

• Deck Stair Lights: This is often used for giving a subtle touch of illumination to the deck and is known to make the deck safer at night.
• String Lights: These lights are often used around the festive season or can be used around the year to give your deck a festive touch. These types of lights are the preferred choice for DIY and are one of the most popular options.
• Recessed Lighting: These types of lights are integrated into the deck boards and are useful for navigating over the deck at night.
• In-floor Lighting: These types of outdoor lights are placed in deck corners, near steps, or seating. This helps in bringing out features of your deck that may have gone unnoticed otherwise.

One of the most important things that you need to keep in mind while purchasing lights for your deck or patio is the dimensions of your deck/patio. Thereafter, ensure that the color of the lights matches the profile of your deck and house i.e. warm, cold, dark. Since the deck is exposed to the outdoor weather, also make sure that you buy outdoor lighting for the deck based on the safety rating i.e. wet, damp, etc.

Porch Lighting

It cannot be denied that your porch is the most noticeable element of your house for visitors. So, a well-lit porch can certainly enhance the decor of your house by many folds. Here is some outdoor lighting on house tips that you should remember for the porch:

• Since the porch lights will be exposed to the weather, buy ones based on safety rating.
• If you live in areas near the sea, consider buying outdoor lighting specifically designed to withstand corrosion.
• Keep the porch lights at height above you as this will help minimize the direct glare.
• Porch lights also come in a wide variety of designs. So, you can choose one with the architecture of your hose i.e. goth, colonial, etc.

Landscape Lighting

Adding lighting to your landscape would be amongst the highest worth for you and value of your property, in short landscape lighting enhances your outdoor experience after sunset and highlights your investment in your landscape.  a variety of fixtures ranging from path lights, spotlights, wall washers to flood can be used For this purpose, it all depends on the applications. as explained above landscape lighting can be both low voltage outdoor lighting and solar lighting and each kind have their pros and cons. Some of the things that you should try to keep in mind while executing landscape lighting are:

• As the application is outdoors, make sure that your landscape lights are of a high IP rating. Also, make sure that the frames used to hold lights are sturdy.
• Do not try to cover the entire garden with lights. As it can be costly and at the same time make your garden look ugly.
• Instead, strategically focus on specific elements in the garden like small bushes, shrubs, stones, etc. Plan them well in advance before implementing them.
• Ensure all the hazards in the garden are well lit to avoid tripping at night.
• To avoid the constant trouble of cutting wires, dig a 4″-6″ trench. Then, lay the wire down and then close the trench.

Conclusion

To conclude it can be said that today there is a wide variety of options available when it comes to choosing your favorite outdoor lighting on house. Be clear about how you want your outdoor to look and how to accomplish that by choosing suitable types of lighting. However, for an average person, this could be a lot of ground to cover at once. So, even if you have an idea of outdoor lighting in your house, contact outdoor lighting experts and they will implement it for you. With a team of professionals like illuminated gardens, all you need to do is just think of your idea. Sit back while they do the work for you. So what are you waiting for? Contact illuminated gardens now for outdoor lighting on house!