Landscape Lighting Tips To Improve The Look Of Your Home
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.
