Outdoor
Lighting Fixtures by
Kimberly
Quang
When
building a
new home, remodelling your existing house
or landscaping the yard, you should not overlook the possibilities and
benefits
of outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting is a fantastic way to enhance the
night-time vista of your yard, expand the boundaries of your home and
provide
security lighting for your family. A well designed outdoor lighting
system
should incorporate many types of lights such as security lights, flood
lights,
step lights, decorative lanterns, landscape lights, barbeque lights as
well as
provisions for seasonal lighting.
Security
lights are the foundation of any outdoor lighting plan. These outdoor
lighting
fixtures are typically mounted on the house, near doorways, garages or
areas
where you feel extra light will give you peace of mind. These outdoor
lighting
fixtures used in combination with switches, photocells and timers are a
must
have for any home. Halogen lamps are well suited for landscape lighting
because
they will turn off and on without delay. HID light sources, such as
metal
halide, mercury vapor and high pressure sodium require a warm up to
reach full
intensity and will not re-strike if accidentally turned off. For that
reason,
HID sources are not good for security lighting unless you remove the
switch and
leave them on all night.
Landscape
lighting is an artistic form of outdoor lighting that enhances trees,
plants,
structures or other architectural elements of your home and garden.
Outdoor
lighting adds to the value of your home and will give you years of
enjoyment.
Outdoor landscape lighting comes in many forms and should be discussed
with
your landscape architect or builder. They can put you in contact with a
landscape lighting professional who can educate you on low voltage and
line
voltage lighting systems.
Most
homes have either electric or gas lanterns at the front door for
outdoor
lighting. Electric lanterns should be used on a nightly basis to
provide your
guests with a sense of welcome and guide them to the door. It is best
to use a
dimmer control on your lanterns so that they can be dimmed for balance,
yet
turned up when necessary. If you are using gas lanterns, remember to
install a
recessed light over the door. Gas lights are beautiful, but they are
inadequate
for seeing who is at the door. Just about every home has an outdoor
grill or
barbeque pit that is used at night. Often times, outdoor lights for
grills or
outdoor kitchens are overlooked and may be difficult or impossible to
add after
the fact.
The
last thing on your mind when building your dream home is providing
outdoor
lighting for holidays or Christmas. But now is the time to provide
adequate
circuits, receptacles and timers to automate your system. Just think
how nice
it will be to plug in the twinkle lights, net lights, and outdoor yard
art
without running extension cords or blowing the fuse. Barbeque lights
that clip
or mount to your grill are a very practical way to illuminate the
cooking
surface and provide a good working light. Barbeque lights come in many
shapes,
voltages and sizes to fit any décor.
About
the
Author
To
learn more visit our outdoor
lighting fixtures section or read more about outdoor
lighting fixtures.
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