Exterior Lighting for Safety Security and Fun
Exterior lighting around your home and landscape lengthens the amount of time you can spend outdoors, provides security and safety, adds ambiance and can help define particular areas of your yard. In addition lighting can be used to creatively accent the architecture of your home or special trees, plants, or other features in your landscape.
While spending time outdoors at night requires that you have good outdoor lighting, that does not mean that your entire property be lit up. However, certain areas such as paths and walkways or steps leading to a deck, porch or patio should be well lit for safety. If you have a pool or pond in your yard, these should also have adequate lighting not so you can enjoy them at night but also as a safety precaution.
If your backyard is fenced, lights strategically placed either as uplights or down lights will define the edges of your yard nicely. If your yard is not fenced, you can still make use of either solar or low voltage spot lights to mark the corners of the yard. Another nice addition is the use of deck post lights that are available in both solar powered and low voltage fixtures to define and accent the perimeter of your deck.
If you make the decision to add some outdoor accent lighting into flower beds or shrub beds, you might want to experiment with placement before making your installation. Wait until dark and play around with lighting placement and direction to create a pleasing effect. Once you are satisfied with the look, you can begin the installation in the daylight hours.
Don’t forget specialty lighting such as patio umbrella lights, string lights and rope lights. These lighting types can add a bit of fun and whimsy and create a great atmosphere especially for summertime parties.
Take a little time to think through what exterior lighting is needed at your home. Whether you need additional security lights, deck lights, porch lights, patio lights or garden and landscape lights, careful planning will allow you to make your backyard a safe, secure and fun place to hang out.