Using the technical expertise of a Lighting Designer, you can create the perfect Outdoor
post Lighting for your home. These professionals are equipped with a thorough knowledge of Lighting equipment, products, and software Design. Taking raw creative Design, an Outdoor post Lighting expert can turn your Design ideas into an advanced and creative platform Design. With a thorough understanding of possible light pollution and Lighting levels, three dimensional models of the best possible Lighting system for your yard is standard. By utilizing the expertise of an Outdoor post Lighting professional Designer, you can experience the newest aspects of the industrial Lighting industry and then integrate your favorites into a new energy efficient Lighting system prior to making any purchases. The Design can be purchased from the Designer or from other sources of Lighting equipment.
You can select the distinct level of precision which you desire when you hire professionals to help create your perfect Outdoor post Lighting Designs and systems. The technical expertise to be found with Experts in the field of Lighting Design include Outdoor and landscape Lighting for residential homes and for commercial buildings. This includes Lighting for sports areas in the home or tennis courts, as well as security lights, safety items, and holiday Lighting. With the necessary hands-on training in electrical Design and architectural Design, it takes a thorough knowledge of wiring and building exteriors for an expert Designer to create the perfect Lighting layers for your home. They can directly correlate their understanding of how light is dispersed with your particular structure.

Solving any problems you might have with your Outdoor post Lighting, Experts can offer Designer solutions which integrate in-depth knowledge and the best energy efficient Designs. Taking an overhead plan and converting it to match your current Lighting system, photometric models can be presented for your consideration prior to making any purchases. Offering system solutions and innovative Designs, residential landscape Lighting and Outdoor post Lighting ideas can work with any existing fixtures or accessories.

By using an expert in the field you can save money by receiving precise numbers on the required fixtures and Outdoor post lights required. You will find products with an extended lamp life and the maximum energy efficiency. Any Design questions can be answered by using a professional. Your residential questions and Designs can be created in conjunction with a technical expert to produce a system that best complements your home. No matter your needs, there is a full range of Outdoor post Lighting that can meet you Lighting needs, your creative desires, and your safety concerns.

Providing you with a cost effective plan, your system will show you ahead of time how much light is needed in each part of your home and the required number of Outdoor post Lighting fixtures. The cost of these Lighting plan Designs is well worth the investment. You receive better planning and better savings overall in terms of your personal future maintenance, your time, as well as your money.

When you are landscaping, or installing outdoor Lighting for a newly-built home, or reDesigning an existing Landscape, the results will be much more satisfying if you plan first. This sounds obvious, but when you start landscaping a property, or installing outdoor Lighting, the urge to begin planting, or placing outdoor lights immediately is almost overwhelming.

Developing The Basic Plan

A Landscape and the associated Landscape Lighting is a picture, with a great opportunity for artistic composition. With a home the central feature is the house and the fundamental objective is to make good use of every part of the grounds and to avoid scattering trees and bushes all over the area surrounding the house.
So you need a definite plan on paper for the location of the key features of the Landscape and the associated outdoor Lighting. Consider the features and functions of the different components - the residence itself, outdoor areas and patios, any out buildings, walks and drives, the service areas, the border planting, flower-garden, and possibly a vegetable-garden.

To begin, it is recommended that you draw a base plan to scale. For most properties a scale of 1/8″=1′ is workable; for small properties or a particular area of a larger development 1/4″=1′ may be better. Graph paper with lines indicating a particular scale is also helpful.

Include all the major features of your property on your drawing. After you have prepared the base plan you can either use tracing paper or transfer the drawing into a suitable PC drawing/graphics program. Then you can sketch possible ideas and solutions to your landscaping and outdoor Lighting needs.

Steps For Drawing The Plan

Indicate the compass directions in relation to the house by drawing an arrow (N->) pointing north.
Measure each property line and record the measurements.
Accurately locate one corner of the house on the plan by measuring the distance from the back edge of the curb or edge of the street and nearest property line. From this corner of the house, measure each side of the house and place it onto the plan.
Locate other existing features on the plan by measuring from known reference points, such as the street, property line or house.
Identify potential outdoor living and entertaining areas. Terraces and patios are now an integral part of many homes. They should be located, if possible, where they will receive summer breezes and afternoon shade. If sun is a problem, add trees or overhead shading structures.

Once key features are located on the plan, next decide which of these will require outdoor Lighting. Some will need functional Lighting e.g. patios and decks, paths and walkways, others will be lit for aesthetic value and other Lighting will be for security purposes.

Tips:

Don't go overboard with the number of lights. It increases the costs for installation, maintenance and the running the outdoor Lighting.
Too many lights also don't look good.
The best (and most used) outdoor living areas are usually located adjacent to living areas of the house where they can easily be served and seen from inside. Even when they are not in use, well-planned, attractive decks and terraces adjacent to the house give a feeling of added space to interior rooms.
A terrace is sometimes placed away from the home to take advantage of a striking view, good afternoon breezes, or the shade of a large tree.


Feature and Aesthetic Lighting

There may be some striking features on your property that you wish to highlight. There is a huge range of lights available. Again be restrained - less is more here - and remember that just like you trees and shrubs don't like to be brightly illuminated night after night. It interferes with their natural rest cycles.

Lighting Paths and Entrance Areas

The amount of path Lighting required depends on:

(a) The amount of ambient light from other sources, such as streetlights, "always on" security lights and outdoor Lighting attached to your home and outbuildings.

(b) The smoothness of the surface of the walkway, the presence of steps.

Outdoor lights linked to motion detectors are a popular and efficient choice for entrance areas as the light only comes on when needed.

Security Lighting

The main objectives with outdoor security Lighting are to illuminate dark areas and detect and recognize movement in "protected areas".

The best vision with outdoor Lighting is obtained from downward directed and shielded security Lighting that is "always on", supplemented with instant-on Lighting triggered by motion detectors.

Overall, the best position for security lights is mounted as high as possible on your property, directing light in a downward position for safe and reliable operation.

Motion detectors sense movement and turn outdoor security lights on when movement is detected and are ideal for both security Lighting and energy management. They are often used in conjunction with floodlights that raise the overall brightness. However, the aesthetic drawback of floodlights is they can make your home look like a jail.

The author enjoys the simple but rewarding pleasures that come from a well Designed garden with tasteful outdoor Lighting.

Well chosen and located Landscape Lighting enhances your enjoyment of your property and with well chosen outdoor security Lighting you can use and enjoy your garden as much in the evening as during the day.

There are many ways in which you can improve the overall look of the exterior of your home and garden. Not only do you have the options of planting certain trees, plants, and other types of shrubbery to create the perfect effect during the day, but you can also use Landscape Lighting Design as a way to enhance the overall look of your property during the evening. The way in which you are able to do this is by using low-voltage lights that have different colors to create the perfect welcoming effect in your garden. In fact, Landscape Lighting Design is not only about being decorative, as these lights can also be used in a practical way, such as improving vision in outdoor kitchens Houston has to offer. When you begin looking for ideas to create the perfect ambiance for your home, there are a few points you should keep in mind.
First of all, try to use a Lighting Design that has a welcoming effect to it. This can be achieved by using lights that have warm colors, and then to not make them too bright or too dim. In addition, it is also good idea to point some of these low-voltage lights in other areas of your garden besides just the walls of your home, such as against some shrubbery, because this in turn will enhance the overall look and feel of your garden. You can also use your Landscape Lighting Design as a way to improve security, because it will do a good job in Lighting up in certain areas such as the driveway and porch. It is also recommended to experiment with your Landscape Lighting Design before doing any final installations. In other words, point your lights to different areas of your garden and walls of your home until you feel you have the right settings, and then only once you are completely satisfied, can you then go ahead and finalize everything.

To ensure that your lights last for a very long time, it is always a good idea to use good quality bulbs and cables. The best way to find this type of quality is by going online and searching through many of the sites that specialize in selling these Lighting systems. In fact, it is also a good idea to compare the prices from one store to another, because you will be quite surprised at how often you are able to find a good deal on the exact same make and model of the specific Lighting system. More importantly, take the time to read up any extra information that these sites can provide to you in terms of best practices, creative ideas, as well as any other important information that you can utilize, because all of this can be a big help in ensuring that you create the perfect ambient feeling once your Lighting system has been set up.

Perhaps you have been noticing in and around your neighborhood some of the interesting and oftentimes downright amazing effects of what some of the currently available outdoor Landscape Lighting products have to offer. The technology these days is in fact amazing with what has been done even with cheap solar lights.

The up and coming thing really is L.E.D. Lighting though. The subtle, yet fantastic displays of ambient (and low cost) light are a wonder to behold. Perhaps the thought has crossed your mind that maybe, just maybe you could do something with your own Landscape whether it is in your front yard, back garden or patio area, or maybe even to do something along the lines of driveway Lighting.

If in fact these sort of things are on your mind here are a few Tips and guidelines to get your creative juices flowing:

Remember that "more" is not always better.
Remember that "more expensive" is not always better either.
There are a lot of low cost solutions to your outdoor Lighting situation and it helps to spend some time on the world wide web researching and looking at what others have done with their own Landscape.
Depending upon your own unique circumstances you may be able to get away with spending a hundred dollars or so for some relatively cheap outdoor solar lights initially and see if they get the job done.

The last point really is a key thing for a lot of people. Many have called upon the services of a professional only to be shocked at just how much they can and will charge for an outdoor Lighting scheme. Nothing against spending a few thousand dollars or more to get the job done right, but more often than not most people can do a sufficient job all by themselves.

For a plethora of outdoor Lighting and backyard garden Design Tips visit our Landscape and Lighting resource site. You will find there a compendium of information from Landscape Lighting Tips to pool Landscape Design, and even deck lights and Lighting, plus a whole lot more.

Landscape Lighting Tips will help brighten your gardens and Landscape during the evening hours. Some Landscape Lighting Tips are meant to show off different areas of your garden Landscape. Landscape Lighting is not only popular to homeowners but also business owners to highlight the business building during the evening. Everyone enjoys low voltage Lighting and solar Lighting because they are inexpensive and easy to install and are available to purchase almost anywhere.

Low voltage Lighting has been around the longest and you will find are used by many homeowners. Low voltage refers to the line that is sending the voltage from the house outlet to a transformer and lowers the voltage to only 12 volts. This style is quite safe and can be install easily without hiring an electrician or without procuring a permit. The transformer that comes with the low voltage kit will plug into a 110/120v outlet located on the exterior of your home. Multiple cable runs are attached to the transformer that can connect up to a group of six light fixtures.
Solar units have become more popular these days as outdoor Lighting because they are easier to install than the low voltage kits due to the fact there are no wires attached. All you do is attach a fixture or solar panel where it will receive direct or indirect sunlight. Some solar lights come with a solar panel that is attached with a wire; these are usually spot lights or uplights that highlight an area that is usually sitting in darkness most of the time. You position the light on a tree or some other object to be highlighted and the solar panel needs to be inserted in an area that receives sunlight to absorb the sun's energy. There are some solar lights that are recessed for placing in decks and others for placing on posts or railings; these will need a screwdriver for installation. The solar Landscape fixtures consist of a solar panel, LED bulb, and anywhere between 1 and 4 rechargeable batteries. The energy from the sun will be changed to electrical energy by way of the solar panel and be stored in the batteries. It will take about eight to ten hours of sun to completely charge the batteries after the initial installation of the solar Landscape lights. After the charging is complete the units will come on at dusk.

Here are more Landscape Lighting Tips that will apply either to low voltage or solar lights for good results in the garden. You can accomplish upLighting by placing the light below a target and positioning the beam on an upwards angle for highLighting, this will create a focal point. DownLighting is done by doing just the opposite; place the light source high above an object and position the beam of light on a downward angle to highlight an object or large area. By placing a downlight close to ground level it will create light puddles to light a walkway or pathway. Grazing an object means to position the light close the surface and it will display the texture of the surface. To silhouette an object hide the lights behind and below that object and the night sky will show its silhouette.

Other than the above ways to light objects there are other ways such as spread Lighting, path Lighting, moon Lighting and security Lighting. Spread Lighting is done by using low-level lights to cast light upon ground covers, shrubs, or flower beds; these can also be used underwater to highlight a pond. Path Lighting can consist of low impact lights or lights that are shielded so they shine on the path for visibility and safety. Moon Lighting is accomplished in the same manner as downLighting as described above. We use security Lighting to guard against crime and uninvited pests. It is best to illuminate all areas that intruders like to hide and the best ones for that are spotlights that are set to come on when any type of motion occurs.

There are a few things to avoid in regards to Landscape Lighting. When there are too many lights Lighting up your property it will look too garish and you do not want that. You basically only want to bring out the most interesting aspects of your Landscape features, structures, and/or special areas. When you place lights along a pathway do not line them up evenly, alternate them for each side and make sure they are spaced according to what the manufacturer recommends.

Do some experimenting with low voltage Lighting and solar Lighting. Both types of Lighting are flexible enough to move things around and adjust angles for the right effect. Some solar Lighting spotlights and the low voltage Lighting kits have wiring that you can bury but can be left until last until everything is positioned correctly. When your patio area and the Landscape in the front yard look good to the eye you wisely used some good Landscape Lighting Tips.

Landscape Lighting is the jewel in the crown of excellent landscaping. This is not to suggest that it is optional. Far from it. Most professional Landscape designers consider light essential to completing their work, and essential to making it work. This is why tailored Lighting is now an essential consideration in planning new homes and updating existing ones. Lighting is a way to revitalize existing landscaping and is vital in new greenery designs. Gone is the spotlight! Throw away the cans! The trend now is fixtures that you cannot see.

Outdoor Lighting still has function, of course. It allows the use of outdoor entertainment areas after the sun has gone down. It lights the way on paths and walkways. It provides security. But you can have all of the essential functions with beauty built in. You often hear the term "nightscape" or "lightscape". These terrific designs change the look of everything at night, using light and the direction of light. In the hands of a professional designer, Lighting provides a daily makeover of your landscaping, using appropriate fixtures and their location. Light paints. Light draws attention. Light does much more than simply illuminate.
For many people, it makes sense. Why should they not be able to enjoy their greenery after dark? If you have invested in trees, plants, hardscape and water features, you want to enjoy them in the evening hours, too. The great part about it is that once a professional Lighting design has been installed, you will see your home and grounds in an entirely new way.

Here are some of the terms for today's outdoor Lighting: Uplight, shadow and downlight. UpLighting, as you would imagine, points upward. When you light a tree from below, for instance, it takes on a whole new look (we are accustomed to seeing our trees with light from above, from the sun). UpLighting can give texture to a wall or draw attention to a fountain.

Shadowing throws a shadow, which is a dramatic counterpoint to a ray of light. A great new trend in downlight is hanging the fixture in a tree, so that it shines on the greenery below. It can be installed in traditional areas, too, such as from eaves of a house. Down is still the preferred direction for security Lighting. But it can be wholly decorative, too. Landscape Lighting does so much more than just flood an area with light.