Lighting Tips to Enhance Your Outdoor Space |
Posted: June 5, 2018 |
Outdoor lighting is essential for security, entertainment and aesthetics. Knowing the right number and type of lights to install at your home can help you achieve your goals. Whether you want to feature some architectural elements of your home, illuminate your landscape or accentuate your home for dinner parties, you need to place lights strategically. Here are tips you should consider. Establish your goals Decide on the look that you want for your outdoor area and the purpose of your lighting. If you are doing everything on your own, you might need a plan drawn to help you know how many lights you need or what type of light is right. This way, you will avoid buying too many lights or getting the wrong ones. You can incorporate three types of lighting in your outdoor area, which include task, ambient and accent lighting. When lighting an area for entertainment, festive designs are suitable. You can have tall safety lights that can be used only when there is an occasion. If safety and security are your major concerns, check out areas where lighting is needed most, such as the front door or driveway. When beauty is your focus, you want the area to be inviting and relaxing. Choose the right fixtures Buy lights that are truly for outdoor use because they will be exposed to the elements. If you fancy sconces, there are types that are designed for outdoors. For ambient lighting, wall lights, hanging lights and post lights are your best options. For task lighting, you can have pathway lights and security lights. Spotlights and landscape kits are excellent for accent lighting. Select subtle lights for entertainment or choose fixtures with dimmers to make it more relaxing. To determine the degree of lighting needed, multiply the area to be illuminated (in square feet) by 1.5 in order to estimate the correct wattage needed. This makes a space of 100 square feet require 150 watts. Go for sturdy lights made of high quality, weather-resistant materials. Look from the inside Observe your outdoor area from inside your home. This helps you have an idea of how the spaces should be illuminated. Check what feature you want to highlight or how many sides you need to light up and you will also know how many fixtures you will need. Use LED lights GU10 LED lights are energy efficient and require almost no maintenance. They are now available in a wide range of fixtures, including softer lights, unlike when they were first introduced. Outdoor lighting involves creating desired effects and choosing the right fixtures to achieve such effects. It is not enough to just know where the lights will be positioned but you also need to design using light. When you determine how a space will be used in the dark, you will have an idea in mind. You have to put together safety, security, aesthetics and entertainment, which is a real challenge. You can consult with an expert to help you understand how you can bring those elements into one design.
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