Things To Consider When Installing Outdoor Lighting

 


Exterior lighting is an integral part of the overall aesthetic of your home, as well as vital to the safety of everyone at home. With exterior lighting being such an essential feature, make sure a professional Athens electrician near me handles the installation. The experts help you to determine whether aesthetics or security is your top concern. They can also provide advice on what types of lights and accompanying features will benefit your place the most.

 

These are the things a competent electrician can help you decide:

 

Consider Technique

You may be familiar with path lighting as a popular outdoor lighting technique that an Athens electrician near me use; there are many others that have a widespread appeal. These are:

 

Uplighting. This depends on ground-based, low-voltage fixtures to enhance the structure and shape of tree trunks and the existing canopy of tree branches.

 

Downlighting. If the light is higher, you will have a smaller circle. You can downlight from sidewalks, a roofline, flower beds, garden walls, or other focal points.

 

Silhouetting. This is where you place spread light between a sculpture, plant, or fountain and an adjacent structure, silhouetting the object in black against a soft white background.

 

Shadowing. You use this technique when a tree or statue is lit, causing it to cast an interesting shadow on a nearby fence or wall.

 

Moonlighting. This is when you put fixtures high in a tree and aim them downward to imitate the effect of a moon-lit sky.

 

Consider Safety

If protecting your property is a priority, look at these outdoor lighting tips:

 

Install floodlights to light up the front and back entrances.

To maximize brightness, put light fixtures at the best location and height. This helps prevent blind spots and remove shadows that give potential burglars places to hide.

Put vandal-resistant covers over bulbs and position lighting fixtures in a way that it is difficult to tamper or break them.

Opt for lighting fixtures with a timer or photoelectric cell so that lights will be on every time you need them.

Illuminate your entire property from dusk to dawn, including the roof.

 

Consider Placement

There are several places around your home that are suitable for outdoor lighting. These are:

 

Front entrance. You can enhance this area with recessed lighting, wall lanterns, or chain-hung fixtures to identify visitors and greet guests easily.

 

Patio, porch, or deck. This presents a lot of opportunities for low-voltage enhancement, including around steps, benches, and rails.

 

Driveway, steps, sidewalks, and paths. The lighting in these areas makes it easier to navigate. Simultaneously, highlighting nearby flower beds and landscaping.

 

Garage. It is an ideal place for a single fixture mounted in the middle, or lanterns on either side.

 

Pool or fountains. There are many homeowners who choose to invert the process by installing fountains because they want a source of illumination.

 

An outdoor kitchen or dining area. This outdoor area can benefit from task lighting.

 

An Athens electrician near me who is an expert in outdoor lighting can help determine the best placement for your lights, whatever purpose they may serve. For that, the lights will be doing the job you want them to do.


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