If you are looking for exterior lights inspiration head to Kichler landscape lighting and Kichler exterior lights for refreshing tips. Kichler supplies a a lot of different designs, styles and finishes to coordinate with any style of architecture design.

Kichler Landscape Lighting Delivers Coordinated Designs

Whether you are considering Kichler bathroom lighting, kitchen lighting, bedroom or the exterior of the home Kichler has designs which will fit the bill. Their lines are already created to flow from the exterior towards the interior of the home driving the whole lighting plan together for one aesthetic look.

Kichler landscape lighting may be built to incorporate the complete landscaping plan both for appearance and security. Their lighting provide a finished appear that not only provides security but charm towards the outside landscape of your home.
With Kichler landscape lighting you possibly can make your objectives a real possibility. By adding light to the garden it is possible to light up a backyard eating area with an elegant suspended chandelier. Make an easy bird bath extraordinary with customized illumination creating a original focal point.

Kichler landscape lighting is built to provide elegance and long life. Their fixtures are constructed with high quality materials designed to coordinate making use of their line of interior lights. Their path and area lights designed for walkways, landscapes and home gardens consists of commercial grade components.

Kichler landscape lighting is obtainable in an array of finishes, designs and specialized sizes. Pick from finishes for instance aged bronze, textured black, spruce, olde brick or textured tannery bronze to complement flower beds, walls and paths. You may bring the brilliance of nature to light with their distinct imaginative and fanciful outdoor collection.

Kichler outdoor lighting in addition has developed a totally waterproof fixture that will safely and beautifully illuminate a pool, spa, pond or waterfall. They are suffering from a means to fully encapsulate the LED and electronics. This will ensure that water won't leak with the sealed surface and cause the light to fail.

Kichler Lighting has always been among the industry's leaders in sales and magnificence. With Kichler's mixture of design and science they could present advanced exterior and interior lighting. They will almost always be looking for the latest popular and new technology. Their lighting designs can be simply installed through the property owner eliminating the requirement to hire a professional.

To locate Kichler landscape lighting look online for a store in your area. While online you are able to compare costs, look at all the different designs and read consumer reviews.

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Many years ago our landscape lighting consisted of mainly a light on the front porch or a small lamp post light at the base of our front lawn. The landscape lighting ideas of today not only include our front landscaping but also our backyard gardens. We like to spend more time outdoors so we try to create garden rooms in the backyard for entertaining and relaxing with family, friends, and neighbors.

We do not want to just go out and buy any old landscape lighting fixtures, we need to plan on how we want our homes, gardens, outdoor rooms, and landscaping to look first. Are we going to light up our barbecue areas, pools, trees, flowerbeds, fountains, statuaries, and gardens? Now, what type of lightng do we want to use?

In coming up with some landscape lighting design we can look at the architectural features of our homes and landscaping. We may want to use some uplighting for an archway or to highlight an arbor. We can use additional submersible lights in our pools or place them in ponds and fountains to highlight the movement of the water. We can silhouette the trees and bushes in our landscaping by placing lights below them and behind them. There are functional lights and fashionable lights. Some low voltage lights are both fashionable and functionable when placed under stairs, bench seating, and handrails; they are meant to be nice to look at and create safety at the same time.

We can also get some landscape lighting ideas from neighbors and friends. If our houses are well lit durimg the night they are safer and more secure than a house that has no lights at all. By lighting up our driveways, pathways, and steps we can rest assured that accidents will not happen after dark. Motion detector lights are another source of security; these lights will turn on if someone or something walks by. Some lights have photocells that will automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn; these lights are good even if we are away from home.

We always want our friends and neighbors along with our families to enjoy the landscaping and not the lights; we just want them to enjoy the effects of the lights. We want to have just enough lights for enjoyment and safety. When we start our landscape lighting installation we need to make sure we can conceal the light fixture as best as we can. We can place them behind tree branches, shrubs, or foliage plants. All we want to see is the ambience of the lights and not the fixtures.

We always want to remember the safety of our family and friends when it comes to our landscape lighting design. The lights should illuminate all pathways, stairways, gates and driveways during the night. Floodlights are a good choice for lighting a deck area while entertaining and tube lighting under the handrails is not only a safety feature but also lightens up the area.

Most of our ideas will probably come from all the areas in the garden that we are proud of such as tall trees, flower gardens, and unusual plants. Since we already enjoy these areas during the day we also want to relax with them during the night and that is where the landscape lighting design plays a role. Solar landscape lighting is a sensible way to create safety in the garden, but we must place them where they will receive the energy from the sun during the day. Low voltage lighting and rope lighting are a couple of good lighting options. These are just some landscape lighting tips we need to consider when we want our landscape and home safe.

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So you went to the big home improvement store and brought home a box of little solar powered LED landscape lights. After an afternoon out in the yard sticking them in the ground the result is... well, probably a little disappointing.

A better option might be low voltage landscape lighting.

There are professional outdoor lighting designers and lighting installation contractors who specialize in knowing all about landscape lighting. These are the best people to contact about low voltage landscape lighting for your home. If you're ready to try it yourself, keep in mind that nothing is better than years of experience, but here's an outline to help guide your process.

Here are the steps to creating your low voltage landscape lighting:

1) LIGHTING DESIGN

2) WIRING PLAN & INSTALLATION

3) ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

4) LAMP & FOCUS

5) MAINTENANCE

Although it's an electrical application, low voltage lighting takes very little energy to run and is relatively safe. You will need a GFCI outlet outside or in the garage, and a transformer that converts 120-volt to 12-volt power. It's important that the outlet is a ground fault circuit interrupter - to protect from electrical hazards. Your transformer needs to be the right wattage to accommodate the lighting you plan to install.

If you're planning to have a professional quality landscape lighting system installed, the best time to consult the designer is when you are still in the landscape planning stages, or as you are winding up your planting plans.

A professional designer will choose the optimum lighting effects, select the light source and locate the fixtures and wire runs, and calculate the appropriate electrical load and circuits for you. With professionally installed landscape lighting system you'll get the maximum effect for your money, and the satisfaction will last for years.

If you're going to try it yourself, the first thing you need to think about is how you are going to use the space. Choose light sources that will be bright enough to satisfy the needs of the area, but that can be installed without producing glare or shining into someone else's yard. For safety reasons, do not put the lights closer than 10 feet from a pool, spa or pond.

LIGHTING DESIGN Plan your lighting design by selecting features to enhance, and areas that need light. Attractive plants and trees, walkways, statuary, fountains, and the façade of your home - all are great features to light. Select a good, reliable, energy efficient light source - professional LED fixtures or MR16 halogen and xenon lamps are very popular options. Buy good quality fixtures and equipment. Professional and contractor grade materials will serve for many years.

Use flags or marking stakes to indicate where you will place your fixtures. Mark the locations for your fixtures, placing lights where they do the most good illuminating the space, shining on the walks, highlighting the plant material, skimming across rock surfaces. Tour the site and look from different angles. Try to hide the fixtures when possible. Aim the light so it doesn't make glare and you can't see the light source.

Professional lamp charts are available to help you select the right light source for the application and to see what wattage will provide the desired brightness and throw. Beam spread refers to the size of the pool of light and is measured on a chart at varying distances.

WIRING PLAN & INSTALLATION Next, begin to consider where you can best place the wire runs. Along the edges of hardscapes is often a good choice. Make right angles for wire turns and arrange your plan not only for maximum efficiency, but also in a way that makes sense to you as you work in your property. A good way to try this is to run string or twine from the location of your transformer (by your GFCI outlet) to the fixtures.

There are several methods of laying out the wiring. The better and best ways are by using a "T" style installation or a "hub" installation. Most professional quality LED installations can use a series or "daisy chain" method. The method you choose will depend on the type of fixtures, the distance from the transformer, and the type and size of wire.

Don't make your wire runs too long, and don't start your fixtures too close to the transformer. You want even distribution of power.

Sketch your wiring plan and the lighting placement. Write it all down to make the project go much more smoothly, and to keep a good record of your project for the future.

You can purchase low voltage landscape lighting kits from the home improvement store, and these kits will probably include the transformer necessary to match the fixtures. It's usually a small unit and has only one voltage available, so you will have some effect from "voltage drop" - a kind of line loss that occurs from fixture to fixture or over any amount of wire distance.

You'll also need to use the specific wire intended for outdoor direct burial and for use with landscape lighting. It is generally sold separately in reels or spools. For most purposes, 12 or 10 gauge is fine; there are other sizes available.

After you've determined your wiring plan, an easy way to determine your wire footage is to measure how much twine you've used in your practice wiring plan. Add a few feet for each fixture so you have some slack and the ability to relocate the fixtures slightly. Add another foot or so per fixture so you can bury the wire easily.

Before you do any digging, call a professional locator service, and carefully look around your property for where sprinkler lines, water mains, cable TV and phone wires are buried. Tree roots can be a problem to get through. It's best to dig around large roots - hacking through them can damage your trees and make entry points for insects. You can dig furrows about 6 inches deep to put the wires in, or slice the grass or sod with a shovel to the depth required by NEC code or your state or municipality (if different).

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS The electrical connections are very important and can be the weak link in your system. Click or pierce-squeeze connectors can easily allow moisture into the wire. Moisture and corrosion are the enemies of electrical systems. A waterproof splice is necessary for all connections that will be placed underground. A soldered connection with a waterproof electrical connector is a primo connection.

Make the connections at the transformer. Most consumer quality transformers have only one voltage tap. Professional and contractor grade transformers have multiple taps, to that the optimum operational voltage can be achieved.

LAMP & FOCUS Finally, put your light bulbs in the fixtures and aim them. Do this around dusk so you can see where you are pointing them. As you put the light bulbs in, moisten the ends of each bulb with lamp grease. This prevents dielectric corrosion and makes the light bulb easier to remove when time to change it.

Aim your fixtures carefully, making sure not to overshoot the features or aim any fixtures into the neighbor's yard. If you find that there is no better placement to prevent glare, install accessories like hex baffles, shields or louvers. Some in-ground fixtures come with covers, leaf-guards or gravel screens. Be sure to install them if they are needed.

Finally, you may enjoy the addition of softening filters, spread lenses or color media. Colored glass filters are available in a variety of hues, and dichroic-coated lenses are available in practically any wavelength.

MAINTENANCE Most importantly, keep your beautiful landscape lighting system maintained. As with any other home system, your outdoor lighting system requires maintenance for proper working order and safe operation. Most professional installation contractors offer an annual or semi-annual maintenance plan.

Clean the fixture housing and lenses regularly, re-lamp and re-aim the fixtures as needed. Check the area around the electrical wiring for wear, corrosion or insect infestations.

Look into the fixture at least every year to check for water seepage or corrosion around the socket. Lubricate o-rings and replace o-rings that are dry, worn or torn.

Trim away foliage that is overgrown or blocking the fixtures. Add extension stems to raise the height of the fixtures in groundcover areas or adjust locations as the landscape material matures.

Low voltage landscape lighting is a beautiful way to enhance your home and outdoor environment. You get what you put into it - so hire a landscape lighting professional if you can, learn as much as you can to prepare yourself for the Do-It-Yourself Project if you can't.

Contact Elegance Outdoor Lighting for answers to your questions about landscape lighting design, installation, service and maintenance.

http://eleganceoutdoorlighting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandra_K_Taylor
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Whenever you would like to do nearly anything, you'll need a plan, a set of good concepts for the best way to approach it. A great plan or guide or some hints will help you to reach your goals. Mentioned below are 3 tips that can help you to attain your goals. Adopting the suggestions below will supply you with a good edge and augment the chances of your success.

When you set out to choose the best landscape lights, you will discover it is essential that you do things right. Failing to accomplish this could well lead to sad results. You may well be during times of dissatisfaction that your grand desire for a garden landscape illumination project to provoke your buddies and relatives, has failed, or perhaps your family and friends begin to question your knowledge in setting out on such a grandiose project in the 1st place!

1. You'll need to consider both these contributors for the light to illuminate the area you intended it to cover. Lighting engineers have developed way to do this without complex calculations. Therefore we advocate that you visit the web sites of the top brands for solar powered lights for steering on lamp specification and particularly, lumens of lamp capacity since it avoids clumsy mistakes once the project is completed and first switched on.

Neglecting to do this may presumably bring upon you the need to throw-away, or to send back your first set of solar powered landscape lights for replacement by solar powered landscape lights to an altered design. So don't slip up and skip over this crucial suggestion!

Make sure that, the lights you choose, do obey any local Health and safety regulations, and particularly have water ingress protection rules suitable for solar powered landscape lights which may spend time out in frequently damp and icy conditions

Almost as critical as checking carefully the power rating is appropriate for the task to supply an adequate intensity of light on the subject illuminated, and the spread of the beam extends to cover the area you intended it to cover, whenever handling solar powered landscape lights, is make sure that, the solar powered landscape lights you select, do obey regulations and water protection necessities are up to standard.

This most often occurs due to wetness inside the units, and even loss of charge can occur, if internal moistness causes seepage of current stored in the chargeable batteries within solar powered landscape lights. That's a thing that everyone of experience spends time on. That is, trying to prevent dampness Problems when making their selection of solar powered landscape lights.

three. Make sure that your lights may not be set at, or close to eye level as that may surely cause glare.

Lastly, when set out to select the best solar powered landscape lights you had best be sure to make sure that your solar powered landscape lights may not be set at, or close to an eye level which will be expected to cause glare.

Should you not observe this, you could possibly cause glare to you or your neighbours, by less than suitable choice of lamp height, which is probably going to induce tiredness, and watering of the eyes.
 
As was stated at the beginning, regarding setting out to select the best solar powered landscape lights, you seriously need to be sure you never make one or two mistakes which lead on to discontent that your grand wish for a garden landscape illumination project to provoke your loved ones, has failed.

Maybe also your family and acquaintances would start to question your wisdom in setting out on such a grandiose project in the first place! You truly want solar powered landscape lights that work well, and you will get that result by closely adopting the above recommendations.

Discover exactly how one can achieve success in the choice of outside lights for garden use, and many other sorts of outside lighting projects at our outside lights UK site.

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If you are thinking of redesigning your home then you may want to look into landscape lighting as well. It is one area that cannot be left out if you want your home to look attractive and elegant. However, many people don't understand what landscape lighting is all about.

Landscape lighting has grown over the years and transformed itself into many new innovative forms. As far as lighting the outdoors is concerned, landscape path lights are popular as they light up the area at night providing the open area of your house a lustrous look. Landscape lights are highly advantageous as they are safe, very efficient and you can save a lot of money as well.
Landscape lightings can be installed in a very short time as short as half a day. But it is necessary to attach them properly to the power inputs and provide the ideal voltage for proper functioning. For home uses, it is better to use a lighting that does not consume a lot of voltage otherwise the total expenses may go up very high. It is also important to find an appropriate location for installing the landscape lighting. You can do that by selecting the areas that you want to highlight in your yard. Use a torch or a flashlight to see how to light up the dark regions and uncover the zones which need lighting.

The usual places for landscape lighting are gardens with flowers, decks, terrace and the patio. It is in your interest to consult an expert who can guide you to light your yard in such a way so that the dimensions of your plan match with the surroundings. What this does is that the appearance of your yard becomes more captivating.

As far as the installation procedure is concerned it is a wise decision to seek the assistance of a professional as the electrical wiring involves a few intricacies. In order to ensure safety and help prevent mishaps, an electrician needs to do the job or at least supervise it.

As the time required for setting up landscape lighting is not much, you can get it done at a short notice. If the time taken to purchase the materials is counted it will not take more than 8 hours to do this task. The results of such lighting are marvelous and really change the way your yard looks.

There are several techniques for lighting available in the market today. The main purpose of these lighting methods is to provide illumination and increase the security of homes by ensuring safety during many times. By making use of landscape lighting not only will your house look aesthetic but the whole architectural features will be greatly enhanced as well.

More information about landscape lighting can be found at website for further information. Truly, landscape lighting is a very effective yet affordable way of illuminating your landscape in the evenings and at night.

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Landscape lightings are those which are used for outdoor illumination like garden, patio or pathway illumination. It can either be of neon lights, night bulbs, torches or lamps as long as it serves the purpose of providing illumination within a specific outdoor area. It adds up beauty and mimics illuminative lighting so as to directly capture the object being lighted.

There are many types of landscape lighting and those which are most popular and gaining high interest when it comes to outdoor designs are low voltage lighting and Malibu lights. These are those which are typically with minimal lighting having to have lower volts compared to the standard or regular lighting systems. These are good for garden set ups as it does not require too much electricity when lighted thus conserves ample amount of light and helps you conserve energy.

Malibu lights are good for decorating unique structures within the entire landscape and are good light-providers for pathways and gateways. These are of different shape and designs whether the pagoda-style or oriental ones. Malibu lights are considered popular as these are famous for their modernized feature having to be used mostly by hotels and other commercial structures for their outdoor or entry pathways.

These are just some of the most recommended landscape lightings to modify visual art within an outdoor design and masterpiece. A good structural outdoor design can be extraordinary if you have supplied great variety of ways to illuminate it thus using landscape lights. It doesn't just serve as decorations, but it serves as good visual imagination of the visual image of the entire area in general. Many people nowadays prefer having this type of modern art for their garden so as to exude a different beauty within their garden and make a dramatic entry within each detail of the entire space.

Landscape lighting does make things look lighter and more peaceful as each detail is being illuminated and given some importance within each new design or landscaping. Most designers make use of these wonderful lighting kits to complete their own craft and masterpieces when it comes to landscape art.

In choosing your own landscape lighting, you need to be sure to list every detail there is to be installed within the design so as not to confuse yourself in buying such. You need to have an imaginary picture of how you would be able to attain a good lighting design having to choose the right lighting for every detail of the design. Landscape lighting vary in shape, size, color and design so it is recommended that you know first your choices and taste before indulging yourself into shopping for these items. Most of the lights mentioned range in quality and prices, from the cheapest to the most expensive ones. What matters is that you have good quality at the right price so as to avoid exceeding the assigned budget for your landscape lighting. You can research first through the Internet or through magazines on where you can buy the most affordable yet good qualities of landscape lighting, so make use of your resources for you to save more time and money when buying these things.

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Outdoor landscape lighting is an important consideration in trying to illuminate your patio, entrance, yard, landscape

garden or deck. But, sadly though, outdoor lighting is often ignored. Homeowners should remember that outdoor lighting can actually give the sense of "completeness" in their homes. Therefore, considering very detail of its decoration is really essential to achieve a completely beautiful and presentable area that will surely catch every guest's wandering attention.

The outdoor lighting you chose to have will not only add an important aspect in the appearance of the area and in helping you light your place rightly, but it will also give you a sense of safety and security for your house. All that you needed to do is to make the perfect choice of the lighting that will just be fitted for your house and your taste, and then you will all be set in achieving beauty and security. Consider the following types of landscape lighting:
1. LED (Light Emitting Diode) Landscape Lightings - these are one of the possible great choices for outdoor spaces lighting. Since, at the present time, many homeowners are enjoying spending time outside their houses, LED lightings can accentuate any outdoor space that may need more light than the others. This type of lighting can come in different voltages so that finding the perfect one that will meet your standards for intensity, color, and brightness, or any of your personal needs will be made easier. This can be used in illuminating your patio, driveway, or garden. Not to mention that this is also one of the few lighting that can also be environmentally friendly since they are an energy saver type of light. People even in businesses choose LED so that they will save their resources, especially in paying their electric bills, and also to do their part in saving the environment.

2. Solar Landscape Lighting - is a perfect way to bring forth light to your pathways around your house or business areas. Different manufacturers have come up with different styles that are also environmental friendly and will not require the use of electricity in order to make it work. Solar lighting makes us of the sun's full light so that it can operate at night. It makes use of small solar cells to charge the batteries that are already built in. This is so when you have fully-charged it the whole day, it will provide the all the needed light in the night. One thing to consider in purchasing this type of lighting though is the PV panel. The PV panel is important because it is needed in the charging of the battery; it needs to be located somewhere it will be conducive to have more sunlight on it, otherwise the battery will not charge properly. It would also be wise to find out if there are available replacements for the batteries and bulbs also. Take note that the best types of this lighting are those that are that are weather resistant, durable, and stainless steel.

3. Garden Lighting - having a garden at home enhances the beauty of the place even more. And having a garden should be enjoyed at any season or any time of the day. And to make the garden even more attractive even at night, adding lighting on it can really make all the difference. Planning will also make the big effect on the goal that you would like to achieve. Garden lighting can be used to accentuate the general layout of your garden. If your garden has a seating area on it, it would be wise to put the lighting there; while adding a touch of green will be better if you use solar lights accompanied with lampshades. But if you have a pond on it, it would enhance it even better if lights will be placed underwater. Putting fountain lights can also add effect and offers another option you can take. Garden lighting can also be solar powered so even if your garden is located far from an electrical source, it would not pose any problem. Highlighting some trees can also be dramatic in the different seasons of the year.

4. Low Voltage Landscape Lighting - if your discretion is to save energy efficiency, using low voltage landscape lighting that will illuminate outdoor spaces can be ideal for you. Low voltage lighting can be very economical and practical in times like these. And no activity will be hampered just because of the lack of light; low voltage lighting can also provide spot lights for you on times when you needed them most. Three types of low voltage lighting can be considered as good options for this purpose. One of them is pathway lighting; this can be the lowest voltage of all and primarily designed to give a downward or even an outward glow. Then there are mood lights that can cast a soft or warmer glow appropriate for a romantic dinner or even just to have a personal conversation. And finally, there are also the accent lightings which can draw your guests' attention to whatever special and unique features that your garden is offering. They can be your ponds, any outdoor sculpture, waterfalls, or trees. Securing and ensuring that these lightings will last for several and all types of seasons will be the top most consideration here.

5. Deck Lighting - since decks are most likely to be used during night time rather than the day, any lighting arrangements done here will complete the beauty and grandeur of the place. Lighting here will give the deck a more appealing look especially after sunset; it will make your deck dazzling and even more strikingly pleasing. Opting for low voltage lighting along your deck will make it also shine. There are post-cap lightings having removable lid or cover that will enable easy access to the bulbs in there. In fact, there are enough choices of low voltage lighting for decks that add that scintillating effect.

For more than 3 decades now, Ed Vetter has been always willing to give practical and useful tips on having safe NJ outdoor and landscape lighting. For more info and guides on how to do these things safely and beautifully, click on http://www.vetternjelectrician.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chloe_Anne_Powers

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With the evolution of lighting technology over the years, the low voltage lighting technology has come to enjoy excellent regards and popularity when it comes to aspects of outdoor lighting. One reason is because of its unmatched decorative enhancement for all types and forms of landscapes. Additionally, it is cost-effective when compared to the high-voltage types; so many people are enjoying its high potential for reducing money allotment for its installation and maintenance. More than this, one reason why the low voltage landscape lights is the choice of many is because it is much safer for homes that have small children and pets, since it delivers a charge insufficient to cause lethal shock and serious injury.

Tungsten filament lamps were the traditional materials for the making of standard landscape lights. The colors they give off are perfect for bringing out and enhancing the rich tones of wood, stucco, masonry, and other home architectural keynotes. In the vast world of landscape lightning, the types that are still highly valued would be the incandescent lamps. This is because of their ability to be dimmed to create ambience, mood and several lightning effects. However, these lights burn out very quickly. Even though they are considered the cheapest lighting fixtures with regards to the front-end costs, their lamp lives are short such that they need to be replaced annually. This is what makes them expensive to operate and replace.

Low voltage landscape lights, on the other hand, offer a cheaper and more cost-effective alternative to illuminate the landscape. Most of these fixtures would only need 12 volts, which presents a marginal power cost. This is what makes them ideal light fixtures to maintain and illuminate landscaping features that would need continuous illumination to magnify their aesthetics. The landscape lights are cheaper than the high voltage incandescent lights when it comes to initial installation, as they would not require certain conduit just to house their wirings. However, since the low voltage wires are buried in the ground without protective covering, they can be easily cut and damaged with a shovel by people who are tending to the lawns and gardens. It is best, then, to have a professional install these low voltage landscape lights to minimize the risk of physical equipment damage.

One popular and ideal place to install these landscape lights would be a part of the garden that is characterized by subdued conversation and intimate gatherings. Low voltage landscape lights would normally be used to illuminate the surroundings of outdoor fireplaces, inducing a certain sense of warmth. Outdoor kitchens and arbors are also ideal places to install these lights, as the wires and fixtures can be hidden effectively in the structure themselves. This would make the structure appear magically luminous, which adds attraction and brightens the mood of people in gatherings and various events.

Low voltage landscape lights are the ideal alternatives to other landscape lighting. Not only are they the cheapest form of lighting, they are also the safest for everyone to use. Just remember to look for the reliable manufacturers in order to maximize the benefits of the low voltage landscape lights.

If you need more landscape lighting tips then check out this excellent site for Low Voltage Landscape Lights which is full of reviews, products and advice or this Low Voltage Landscape Lighting guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_D_Beasley
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Turn your yard into your own high end resort after a long day at the office or during a warm summer night and enjoy your outdoor space more with outdoor lighting.

Outdoor is a cost effective way to emphasize the exterior beauty of your home and the yard surrounding your property. In addition to decorating our outdoor environments with furniture, colorful plants and flowers, we utilize outdoor to bring it all together. Professionally installed outdoor makes homes more appealing and more inviting. Your can enhance

Outdoor is widely used for private homes and commercial environment for many reasons. The most important reason is to enhance the aesthetics of the property. It also increases the safety of the property. It is important to contact a professional to select the right type of outdoor fixture for your home. A professional will help you select the right fixture and the best possible locations for your fixtures. The wrong types of fixtures can create additional expenses and undesirable results. In addition, the wrong fixtures might produce glare and other undesired effects.

For example, objects in the environment can bend in a way that glare and shadows are more problematic. Consult an outdoor professional about which illumination fixture is best for your job and find out valuable information on where the best location may be to set up your new fixture to avoid any undesired results. Outdoor projects can be complex and tedious without consulting a professional.

For many of us, our garden is more often seen at night not only because of our ever-increasing working hours but also because of our long, dark winter. It important to use so that the garden 'shows' all year round and is useable at any time. Another benefit is that, lit properly, a garden can look beautiful, throughout the year regardless of the season.

Outdoor is beautiful, but avoid light pollution by making sure that none of your outdoor lights shine directly into a neighbor's home or garden or are left on while there's nobody at home to appreciate them.

There are many ways your can benefit from outdoor fixtures. Security spotlights and motion detectors can increase safety around your property. Path lights can highlight hidden color and accent surrounding foliage. Outdoor increases home owner appreciation of outdoor living. Professionally planned and installed low-voltage along walkways and near hazards increases home owner and guest safety.

More and more home owners realize the importance of outdoor. Used the right way, outdoor can transform your garden into a magical world of lights and shadows. It not only increases your enjoyment of your property but it also safety and security. With outdoor you have the power to turn a dull dark space into an outdoor entertainment area.

The author of this article has expertise in outdoor led lighting. The articles on outdoor landscape lighting reveals the author's knowledge on the same. The author has written many articles on led landscape light as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_C_Andrews
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Outdoor landscape lighting can be a very decorative addition to any garden. But what about the additional benefits of the security and safety that it can also provide.

Security
Outdoor landscape lighting is one of the best security systems you can install. Landscape lighting can be used as a deterrent to residential crime. Correct proportions of outdoor landscape lighting surrounding your home, has been shown to minimize crimes by as much as fifty percent. Landscape lighting has two great uses to aid in the security of your home. The lighting can intimidate possible intruders to avoid trespassing on to your property. Should this fail, the illuminated areas will also make it possible for you or your neighbor’s to see any intruders as they trespass.
As well as lighting an intruder visually, they will also create shadows. At night when vision is limited a moving shadow is easy to see. Even though you probably won’t clearly make out the intruder in the darkness, your eye will be drawn to the movement straight away which will put you on alert immediately.

When designing your outdoor landscape lighting it is a good idea to light the pathways separately as to lighting individual garden features. This can be done using separate wiring circuits. To save power the feature lighting can be turned off very late at night, say after 1.30 am and the pathway lighting can remain on for safety and security.
Also remember when wiring your outdoor landscape lighting, make sure to bury the wiring. It is common for intruders to see this wiring an cut it knowing that it will blow the lighting fuse which will turn off all of your lights.

Safety
Typically low voltage lighting systems are used for outdoor landscape lighting around the home. The preferred light fittings used to create outdoor landscape lighting, are low voltage, weather resistant fixtures. The low voltage used reduces the risk of electrocution if live wiring or terminals are touched. Also if power supply transformers are used to reduce the voltage, then they also isolate the low voltage system from the mains voltage which increases safety.

Low voltage lighting outdoor systems around the home garden also use low wattage lamps. These do not heat up as much as the larger sized lamps commonly used inside the home. The risk of burning anyone is reduced. Also the risk of burning and damaging plants by the directed light is also greatly reduced.

Maintenance
Always check your low voltage outdoor landscape lighting regularly. Say once every week. Lamps eventually burn out and require replacement regularly. Another problem is that plants outgrow their original shape and form and you will need to re-aim the lighting again to suit. The neighbor’s cat or dog may also knock your lighting over if it is loosely installed.
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One of the most important steps in installing low voltage outdoor lighting is getting the installation of your landscape lighting transformer correct. However, this is a step that many people don't spend enough time on and mess up as a result. Here are a few steps on how to install the transformer, converter, or power pack that you have for your outdoor lights to make sure that your low voltage lighting system look exactly the way you intended it to.

The first step in installing any lighting transformer is trying to figure out where to place it. You need two things for an ideal installation of your transformer - easy access to an outdoor, weather-proof socket and close access to your lighting fixtures. Most homes will have a few outdoor electrical sockets, but if you have one that is too far away from your light fixtures, you may need to call in a professional electrician to wire one closer for you.
The reason for this is that as you run any electrical cable further from its source, the total amount of power in the line declines due to some of it actually being lost to the cable. This isn't a really big problems with normal household electrical cables because they carry 120v of power. Losing a volt or two or five from this is unlikely to have any effect. However, with low voltage cables you only have 12v to work with. A loss of even a few volts here will make a significant difference in how bright your lights are and whether they actually work at all!

If you can't get the transformer close enough to your light fixtures you will need to up the voltage that your line carries. Sixteen to Twenty-two volts are still considered generally safe for use as low-voltage lighting.

Once you have gotten your transformer close enough to your lights, the only thing that is left for you to do is mount the transformer. You should have it mounted either on the side of your house or on a post that sticks up out of the ground. While your transformer will be weather-proof, you still don't want it sitting in standing water. Sitting in water and mud for long enough will eventually cause it to short-circuit and you will have to go out and get a new one. Avoid this by taking the few extra minutes to mount your transformer.

Installing your landscape lighting transformer correctly is just one part of installing your outdoor garden lighting like a professional. Always make sure that you have the right placement and you keep them well-maintained as well.

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Good use of outdoor or landscape lighting is often one of the easier improvements you can make to the exterior portion of your home that can make a big difference. Not only can this upgrade improve the look of your home at night, but it is also very functional making your yard more user-friendly at night. The most common places to add accenting light is to a walkway or path, patio or deck or the garden.

Walkway Lighting

Walkway lights provide a clear and attractive distinction of the paths in your yard. They illuminate the paths so they are safer to use at night while also providing a warm glow in your yard.

It is important to determine the right spacing for this as you don't want too many or too few lights. They should be about 8 to 10 feet apart. Instead of lining them equally on either side consider alternating them on either side to create a better look.

Remember there are different light colors available. Find one that best accents your home and yard. Maybe soft white is best, but maybe an amber or blue tone would be better.

Patio Lighting

The choice of deck and patio lights is pretty diverse so you can really get creative here if you choose, but don't overdo it. Too much of a good thing isn't necessarily a good thing anymore.

For a deck consider things like post lights, bollard or step lights for any stairs or maybe string lights. You may also want some decorative wall lights.

For a patio some of the same will work well like wall or string lights. You can use things like rock, bollard or patio umbrella lights to add light to the patio and accent your landscaping or potted plants.

You can use different lights for different purposes; they don't all need to be used at the same time. Alternate based on what you need and the look you want for different times.

Garden Lighting

To highlight specific garden or landscaped areas you can use in ground or bullet lights to illuminate trees or other plants. There are some very attractive full size or compact bollards that work well for this use, some that fit well with specific themes like a Zen or English garden. Or you can simply find some easy to install solar lights to accent any gardens or landscaped area of the yard.

Learn more about how to effectively use bollard landscape lighting whether you want to use full size or compact bollard light fixtures.

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Solar landscape lighting is one of the most versatile ways to make home improvements to your outdoor space. Many people think about how they may want to do landscape lighting in their yard, on their deck or patio, as well as along some dark walk way. The biggest problem is all the work involved in setting up the pattern, digging up the yard to bury the electrical lines, and all the other aspects.

With Solar landscape lighting, your ideas can become a reality without all that hard work. Numerous landscape lighting products utilize the energy from the sun to power them. There is no need to tear up the yard, and as long as the area has access to the sun, you can place them just about anywhere. While many of these are self contained, some of them have a separate solar panel, so as long as the panel has access to the sun, the light can be positioned even in shady areas.

Here is how solar landscape lighting systems work. Let's take a standard landscape lighting product like a stake light. These are lights that are mounted on a garden stake that you can push into the ground to light up a dark path. A solar model would have a small solar panel mounted into the cover of the light. During the day, the panel would absorb light, storing the electrical energy in an integrated battery. When the sun went down, the light would use this stored energy. The lights that are used today are not the same ones from just a few years ago. They are LED bulbs, which put out an intense light, but use 20% of the energy as a regular bulb. With these bulbs, your light will be on longer, sometimes up to ten hours.

Today you can also get solar landscape lighting products for just about any project you can think of. If you are interested, there are many different websites. You can choose from stake lights, post lights, and even light strings. In addition, you can also find a wide variety of different solar products for outdoor use, fountains, pond pumps, and even sprinkler systems.

Using solar landscape lighting can raise the value of your home in two ways. Good home improvements can always raise property values. Using these kinds of landscape lighting products saves you money on your utility bills, because you aren't drawing from your home power grid. Big factor when or if you want to sell your home. It also addresses environmental issues, the electricity is made from clean, renewable energy from the sun.

Prices on solar landscape lighting depend on how sophisticated the light is whether it has the solar panel built in or on a separate cable, as well the style of the landscape lighting. You can get large antique solar lamp posts for around thirty dollars at some outlets. You want to find a company that sells many different kinds, and one that offers free shipping on the products you order. Make sure that each and every one is Underwriter's Laboratories listed, and comes with some kind of warranty, whether it is from the manufacturer, or the retailer.

If you have spent the time, effort and money to landscape your yard you might as well enjoy the beauty of it both at night and during the day. Using the right type and amount of outdoor lighting can help highlight particular features of your yard at night.

The fun part about it is that the landscaping can look different at night when illuminated making it feel like you have twice as much visual appeal. You'll be able to appreciate your efforts in a whole new way at night. Plus certain types of outdoor lighting can help add a layer of protection and safety to your home.

Landscape Lighting for Atmosphere

When chosen and installed properly landscape lights should reveal your home's beauty, accentuate your favorite trees and flowers, highlight special features like a waterfall or pond and provide a relaxing environment for you to enjoy.


To get the best effect it is important to follow a few basic guidelines. First use a mixture of lighting types not all the same type and be creative. While solar path or garden lights can be attractive, some light sources should be concealed like those used for down lighting or up lighting. Consider using a timer for any that aren't solar powered so they automatically turn on at night. Be careful not to over light; you don't want your whole yard brightly lit.

Landscape Lighting for Functionality

From a functional perspective landscape lights should increase safety and reduce accidents through increased visibility, provide security by deterring potential criminals or unwanted visitors, and they should help improve the property value of your home.

There are some basic guidelines to follow when you are using lighting for security or functionality as well. For starters you want to provide a welcoming entryway, but one that illuminates the front door, the house numbers and the lock. Use decent lighting to illuminate all entryways into the home, the front, the back and any side entry.

Illuminate the driveway and garage. Using driveway lights can help increase visibility for friends coming or going from your home at night, but they can also create delineation. Garage lights can help offer security, they can be used any time of year and they can be used separate from other landscape lights.

Pathway and step lights offer an attractive look, but even more importantly they can help you or friends see better when coming or going from your house at night.

Learn more about how to use LED step lights and other types of LED accent lights to make the most of your outdoor space at night.

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Busy homeowners who care about the exterior appearance of their house as much as they do the interior can turn to a Landscape Lighting Contractor for designing ideas and to handle outdoor Landscape Lightingprojects. Installing landscape lights is a perfect way to improve or enhance any home exterior, whether they are installed to a new construction or an existing house. Low voltage lighting is amongst the most popular landscape lights. Adding outdoor lighting is the perfect way to create a striking effect by lighting the trees, statuary, fountains, or arbors. Yard lighting is a simple enhancement that can really make a huge difference in worth of your home and makes it looks stunning at night. Solar landscape lighting is also a good choice for your home.
Hidden beauty is always waiting to be revealed in the landscape. Every season has its own special environmental beauty and natural wonder. Whether spring is in the air, or snow is under foot, proper lighting will accentuate these features. Landscape lighting is one of the easiest ways to increase the elegance and natural beauty of your garden and home. With the fixtures, plans and tools, this can enhance the beauty and value of the property. The main objective of your professional Landscape Lighting Contractor should be to provide you with multiple options for your home. When you decide on a plan, ask for quotes from a number of landscape lighting contractors for low voltage lighting and ordinary line voltage lighting. Make comparisons among each price quote of all the contractors to pick out the one most appropriate for you.

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If you are looking for exterior lighting ideas visit Kichler landscape lighting and Kichler outdoor lighting for refreshing tips. Kichler offers a large range of designs, styles and finishes to coordinate with any type of architecture design.

Regardless if you are considering Kichler bathroom lighting, kitchen lighting, bedroom or perhaps the outside of your home Kichler has styles that will be right for you. Their lines happen to be created to flow from the exterior to the interior of the house driving the entire lighting scheme together for a single aesthetic appearance.

Kichler landscape lighting has been made to incorporate the complete landscape design both for appearance and security. Their lights present a finished appear that not only provides security but style to the exterior landscape of your house.

With their lighting you can make your dreams possible. By adding light to the garden you can illuminate a backyard dining space with an elegant suspended chandelier. Make a simple bird bath unique with customized lighting developing a original focus.

Kichler lights are built to supply attractiveness and long life. Their lighting fixtures are made of high quality supplies designed to coordinate using their line of indoor lighting styles. Their pathway and area lights designed for walkways, landscaping and home gardens consists of commercial grade components.

Kichler light fixtures are obtainable in many finishes, styles and specialized sizes. Choose from finishes such as aged bronze, textured black, spruce, olde brick or textured tannery bronze to complement flower beds, walls and paths. You can bring the brilliance of nature to light using their line of imaginative and fanciful outdoor collection.

Kichler outdoor lighting has additionally created a totally waterproof fixture that may safely and beautifully illuminate a pool, spa, pond or waterfall. They allow us a means to fully encapsulate the LED and electronics. This will ensure that water will not leak from the sealed surface and cause the light to fail.

Kichler has always been one of many industry's leaders in sales and magnificence. With Kichler's mix of design and science they can present state of the art exterior and interior lighting. They are always searching for the most recent in fashion and new technology. Their lighting designs can be easily installed by the home owner eliminating the need to hire a professional.

To find Kichler landscape lighting look online for a store near you. While online you are able to compare costs, examine all of the different designs and study consumer reviews.

Want to enhance the appearance of your home? Kichler landscape lighting can be an excellent lighting solution whenever you require personalized lighting effects. Kichler landscape lighting is the market leader in specialized residential lighting systems and offers a large variety which will satisfy any homeowners needs.

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The processes that are used when adding landscape lighting to your home are vital to the functionality and longevity of the product. Quality installation means that your lighting will not falter either in the short term or the long term.

One important aspect of landscape lighting installation is the wiring method. Understanding the different wiring options available will give you greater insight into your outdoor lighting project.

Daisy Chain

The daisy chain configuration is one of the most common wiring methods, due to its simplicity. However, with greater ease comes diminished voltage. On a daisy chain, the first light receives more energy and is therefore brighter than the last light. This can lead to a home that has brighter lights on one side, say by the front door, than on the other side, in front of the garage. If you are running a daisy chain a short distance, the difference in brightness is not very noticeable, if at all. But the longer the wire runs the more pronounced the difference becomes. In addition, the daisy chain method uses more connections, which increases the number of "weak points" or spots on the wire where you can encounter a future burnout or problem. A daisy chain configuration can be useful for certain types of landscape lighting, but it is important to be aware of its drawbacks.

T-wiring System

The T-wiring system gets its name because of its appearance, which looks like a "T." It is formed this way because the main wire is run to the middle of the fixture it powers, in hopes of balancing the voltage drop. This allows for more consistent brightness than the daisy chain wiring method. However, the T-wiring system adds one connection for each main wire and more weak points, increasing the likelihood of maintenance issues down the road.

Hub System

The hub system is widely accepted as the best combination of efficiency, longevity, and brightness. With the hub system, every fixture comes with fifteen to twenty inches of wire, and then the main wire is run to the center of the fixture. All the wires on the fixtures run to the main wire, similar to the spokes on a bicycle tire. For each "hub" there are two to four fixtures attached. This system reduces the number of connections and thus the number of problems you might encounter. The additional wires used in this method can be run through pipes or hidden below the ground.

Keep these three wiring methods in mind when you are planning a lighting project or choosing a professional landscape lighting company. Knowing which approach to use and how it will affect your lighting over time will insure a sound investment in your home's appearance.

Walter Lee Davis is the owner of NightVision Outdoor Lighting, an Atlanta landscape lighting company. NightVision provides residential and commercial Atlanta outdoor lighting design, installation and maintenance, as well as seasonal Christmas lighting, and has installed landscape lighting in over 3500 homes in its 11 year history.

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