If you look at any home that is regularly used and has a great deal of potential, there’s a good chance it will have been designed with outdoor space in mind. After all, everyone loves to spend time in their yard or garden as much as they love to sit inside and read or watch TV. So what could be better than combining the best of both worlds? Whether you have a small fenced-in yard where you can take your shoes off and feel the grass between your toes or you have a sprawling estate with woodland views, the ability to enjoy it outdoors is something we all love about modern living. But for this to remain the case, we need to ensure our outdoor spaces are equipped with everything needed to make them feel safe and secure from dusk until dawn.
What is Outdoor Lighting?
Unlike indoor lighting, which is focused on specific tasks or activities, best outdoor lighting has a twofold purpose: to illuminate the area you want to see and to provide a level of security. Outdoor lighting is a necessity for any property that is used after dark. It is important for people walking their dogs, kids playing in their yards, or for people coming home from work in the dark. It can also be helpful for people like gardeners who work in the dark to avoid disturbing neighbours who may want to sleep. Outdoor lighting also serves as visual protection. It creates a “fence” around your property to discourage potential intruders and make would-be criminals think twice before choosing your home as a target. Outdoor lighting also helps with traffic safety. You can find outdoor lighting made especially for the outside of your home or garden that comes in a variety of styles and brightness levels so you can illuminate the areas you want and avoid ruining your view.
Importance of Outdoor Lighting
When it comes to outdoor lighting, it’s not just about aesthetics. They also serve a number of very important functions essential for home security as well as helping to increase the value of your property.
- Lighting helps to discourage crime
- The best way to secure your home against crime is to make it look like there’s someone home.
- Outdoor lighting is a great deterrent for would-be intruders, as it creates the illusion that you’re home even if you’re not.
- Lighting helps to protect your landscape
- Outdoor lighting can help to protect the landscaping of your home from damage caused by lawnmowers, weed whackers, or accidental gardening mishaps.
- Lighting helps to reduce energy costs – It’s a fact that making sure your home is properly illuminated will also help to reduce your energy bills as well as any carbon emissions that go hand in hand with powering your house.
Installing the Right Lighting for Your Needs
There are a few factors to keep in mind when installing the right lighting for your needs. It’s important to consider the wattage of the light bulbs you use in your lights, as well as the lumens of the bulbs. Wattage refers to how much electricity is used, while lumens measure how much light is produced by the bulb. – Wattage – You will need to know the wattage of the bulbs you use in your outdoor lights, as it will determine the type of circuit you need in order to switch them on and off. In most cases, you will need 8- or 12-gauge wire for any outdoor lighting. – Lumens – The lumens of the bulbs determine how much light is emitted from your outdoor lights. It’s important that you choose bulbs with the right lumens for the location you intend to light up. For example, outdoor lights for your driveway would require a different amount of lumens than ones for your garden path.
What You Should Know About Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting comes with a number of benefits, but you’ll need to make sure you get the right fixtures. There are a variety of different types of outdoor lighting fixtures to choose from, including floodlights, spotlights, wall packs, and soffit lights.
Floodlights – Floodlights are excellent for lighting larger areas, such as your backyard. They’re generally mounted on the roof of your house and pointed downwards, which makes them perfect for illuminating larger areas, like your front or back yard, at a lower cost.
Wall packs – Wall packs are lights that are mounted on the exterior wall of your house. They’re not as good for lighting larger areas but are fantastic for illuminating walkways, driveways, and other pathways, as well as shrubbery and trees around your home.
Spotlights – Spotlights are perfect for lighting up specific areas, such as your walkway or driveway, but they aren’t so great for lighting larger areas. They’re generally mounted on a wall, post, or your house’s exterior, and they’re great for making architectural features stand out.
Soffit lights – Soffit lights are mounted on the underside of your soffits and are excellent for lighting walkways and other areas near your house. They come in a variety of styles and are usually very affordable.
What is the Best Type of Outdoor Lighting?
The best type of outdoor lighting fixtures vary widely depending on the type of outdoor space you want to illuminate. If you’re looking to illuminate your driveway or your porch, a wall pack would be the best option. If you want to illuminate your garden or backyard, a floodlight would be best. If you want to illuminate your architectural features, such as a decorative fountain, a spotlight would be best. Soffit lights are great for illuminating smaller areas like walkways or stairs. Generally speaking, the best type of outdoor lighting is the one that illuminates the area you want to see while providing ample security in the process.
Tips for Creating the Perfect Ambience
Beyond installing the right fixtures and bulbs, there are a few other things you can do to create the perfect ambience in your outdoor space. – Colour temperature – You can create a particular mood and tone in your outdoor space by choosing the right colour temperature when installing your outdoor lights. Warm colours are best for creating an inviting and relaxing ambience, while cooler tones are ideal for a modern aesthetic. – Distance between fixtures – You can also affect the ambience of your outdoor space by adjusting the distance between your fixtures. Generally, the closer the fixtures are to one another, the more intimate your outdoor space will feel. The more distance there is between your fixtures, the more open and spacious your outdoor space will seem. – Placement of fixtures – The placement of your outdoor lights can also have a major impact on the ambience of your outdoor space. Generally, fixtures placed high up along the walls of your home, such as the edges of your rooflines, will create a more open ambience. Additionally, the placement of fixtures along the exterior wall of your home, as opposed to the front of your home, will create a more intimate appearance with your outdoor space.
Conclusion
Whether you want to illuminate your garden path or create a welcoming atmosphere for your outdoor living space, outdoor lighting can help to transform your outdoor living space into something truly magical. With the right outdoor lighting fixtures, you can create a beautiful outdoor space that’s safe and secure while also providing the perfect atmosphere for entertaining.
