Wouldn’t it be nice if you could keep your party going well into the night or you could put your property in the best light as soon as the sun goes down? Well, you don’t need to keep dreaming — both of these scenarios can quickly become a reality with the simple flick of a switch. You’ve got a great house and a wonderful property and you can show it all off with a little bit of landscape lighting.
What Is Landscape Lighting?
Landscape lighting is categorized as a low-voltage lighting system installed outdoors that runs on stepped-down power that already flows through your house. It’s generally safe to work with and often doesn’t cost as much as indoor lighting to install.
This type of lighting system is often used to highlight special features of the yard, provide illumination for safety and security, simply add some ambiance to the exterior of your home, or a combination of all three.
Types Of Landscape Lighting
- Garden: these types of lights tend to have canopies atop the bulbs and reflect light downward onto planting beds. Garden lights are typically found in the garden, but can also be used to light pathways, walkways or driveways.
- Wash: wash lighting casts a soft, diffuse light and is perfect for shining at a flat facade, fences that line your property and/or garden walls.
- Bullet: these are the lights you would use to show off certain features of the house, trees you are particularly fond of, or special garden structures or items. Bullet lights emit a narrow beam of light and are often installed in the ground and face upward.
- Well: well fixtures hide light bulbs inside and are normally buried in the ground so that you cannot easily see the fixture. They’re perfect for illuminating underneath plants or trees and are available with fixed or swivel bulb rotation.
- Flood: flood lights are similar to bullet lights, however they cast wider beams of light.
- Downlight: these are the opposites of flood and bullet lights. They’re usually installed high up on tree trunks or branches and aim downward at lawns or paths. Because repairs and replacements can be difficult to make with this type of lighting, it’s best to go with models that will last an extremely long time.
Does Landscape Lighting Require Maintenance?
If you’re looking for a virtually maintenance-free lighting system, this is the one for you. Landscape lighting typically requires extremely little maintenance, aside from keeping the fixtures free of leaves and debris and changing the occasional bulb.
It is however, vital to change burned out bulbs right away in order to prevent overheating and to eliminate the risk of voltage overloads anywhere else on the circuit.
How Long Does Landscape Lighting Last?
It all depends on the manufacturer, the types of fixtures, and the bulbs you choose to go with. Generally speaking, they can last anywhere from one to 10 years, with some models and options having the ability to last just about forever.
With a well-lit yard, there’s no reason to let darkness put a damper on your mood. With the right landscape lighting plan, you can transform that dark, dull property into one where you and your friends and family can surely enjoy all spring, summer and fall. Not to mention, landscape lighting can provide safety and security all year ‘round!
If you need new lighting to complete your recently landscaped yard, trust the skilled team at Universe Home Services! We have decades of industry experience and, as a family owned and operated business, we’re committed to customer satisfaction above all else. We’re happy to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.