Exterior lighting - improving your lot
Everyone's home needs some sort of outside lighting. Whether
it's to help you get the key in the lock after a night out, or
to emphasise some of your favourite garden features, outdoor
lighting is a must.
The most common and practical lighting fixture is one that is
activated by movement or an infra-red motion detector. These can
be set to become active at dusk and any movement will turn the
light on. It means that energy is saved as the light is off when
not required but it switches on when someone moves. This type of
light has the added bonus of deterring unwanted visitors and
also lighting up any callers who come to your door giving you
added security.
Another form of exterior lighting is solar lighting. This stores
energy from the sun when lights are not required, and releases
it as light energy when needed. Solar lighting can take the form
of individual lamps or a major lighting installation that uses a
central store of solar light stored in a battery. The individual
lights each have their own solar mechanism and can be used to
light paths or driveways with the minimum amount of installation
work as they do not need electric cabling between them and the
power source.
A major garden lighting installation will need to be done by a
qualified electrician who knows all of the current regulations.
Cables need to be laid in ducts to prevent damage from the
weather and wildlife and so they cannot be disturbed by general
garden activities, digging and the like.
An overall garden lighting scheme should not be too bright so as
to annoy you neighbours but must be bright enough for the
purpose they are intended. Some fairy lights strung between two
trees make your garden look much more inviting than a 1000W
floodlight that bathes everything in harsh white light.
Many people only venture into the garden with lights at
Christmas when taste and practicality gives way to neon Snowmen
and flashing reindeer all done "for the children" but often a
competition between homes to see who can improve on last year's
display. I say why not? It's the holiday season and anything
that brings a bit of sparkle to an otherwise unused area in the
winter months is more than welcome.
Other lighting in the garden can be used to highlight specific
features. A well positioned spotlight can emphasise the features
of a garden statue or a particularly precious tree or shrub.
Many ponds have underwater lighting to help you see your fish
and outdoor swimming pools often have lights set into the sides
to improve vision in the pool.
Whatever route you decide to travel down to light your garden
ensure that you have a plan before you start and you will
increase your enjoyment of your outside space after daylight
hours.
About the author:
Karen Hughes is a decor consultant, get further lighting ideas
at
http://www.lighting-capital.com this is your first stop for
information about lighting.
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