Adding exterior lighting to your lawn and gardens can elevate your entire outdoor space. Whether you are looking to add functional lighting along a path or accent specific features in your landscape design, outdoor lighting is an effective way to give your yard a facelift. With the assistance of experienced installers, achieving a fantastic lighting design can be an easy and stress-free process.
Why is Exterior Lighting Important?
After investing the time, money, and effort it takes to design and execute a complete landscape design, you would be doing yourself a disservice to only be able to enjoy your beautiful outdoor space during the day. A thoughtful lighting design plan can highlight your favorite architectural features of your house and garden and also accentuate areas that may otherwise go unnoticed. A blank rock wall or lone tree could easily become overlooked areas of your yard but are transformed into showcase pieces with the right lighting. While aesthetics are certainly important, exterior lighting also has safety benefits. Lighting a walkway or stairs keeps you and your family safe when coming and going. A well-lit patio and yard also help keep trespassers and burglars at bay by eliminating places to hide. In addition to that peace of mind, a professionally installed outdoor lighting system can significantly increase your property’s value and is considered very attractive to potential buyers. The style of the light fixtures themselves can further enhance the style and mood of your home and yard. Sleek and minimalistic lights blend into modern, streamlined spaces, while more rustic-looking fixtures are perfect for a more casual outdoor spot. Most importantly, exterior lighting lengthens the amount of time you can utilize your outdoor space each day. From dinner parties to late-night games of tag, your enjoyment of your yard doesn’t need to end when the sun goes down.
Types of Landscape Lighting
Our experienced landscape lighting team members can help you choose from a variety of lighting styles to achieve your desired effect. Some of the different styles include the following:
Spotlights
Spotlights are very versatile. They can be pointed in different directions, house a variety of bulb styles, and may have adjustable beam widths and brightness levels. They are most often used to uplight or downlight trees and illuminate statues, plants, or any other special garden feature you would like to showcase.
Floodlights
These kinds of lights cast the widest beams of light and are typically used for security purposes because they light up a large amount of space. Popular places to place flood lights include front and back doors, the garage, walkways, and outdoor sheds. You can even add a motion sensor component to floodlights to both save on electricity and deter trespassers around your home.
Path Lights
Similar to floodlights in that they serve a more practical purpose than decorative lighting, path lights are smaller and add more ambiance than floodlights. Path lights are used to line walkways, stairs, garden paths, and driveways, and they should sit about 14 inches off the ground to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Path lights come in a variety of shapes, styles, and colors to match your garden’s aesthetic.
Well Lights
Unlike path lights, well lights are installed into the ground, with the circular bulb flush with the grass or ground cover. They are commonly used to uplight trees or other tall architectural elements that require the light to be placed as close to the ground as possible. An advantage of well lights is that if they are sunk low enough, you can pass over them with the lawn mower.
Patio Lighting
The deck and patio are the social hubs of your home’s outdoor space. They’ll often be used in the evenings and should be as attractive as they are functional. Most of the time, deck lights are attached to the adjoining railings or directly on the decking, but string lights are a charming option that can be strung overhead or wrapped around trees.
LED vs. Halogen bulbs
After your exterior lighting design has been drawn up and you know where all your lights will be placed, it’s time to consider what kind of bulbs to use. The two kinds to choose from are most commonly LED bulbs and halogen bulbs. The first difference to note between the two styles is cost. Halogen bulbs are much more budget-friendly than LED bulbs upfront. However, LED bulbs last much longer than halogen bulbs, making them a better value over time. To further illustrate the difference in longevity, LED bulbs can last up to 20 years, while halogen bulbs last at most two years. This also means you’ll spend a lot less time on maintenance by choosing LED bulbs, as you rarely have to replace them. Halogen bulbs used to be considered preferable when it came to color. The first LED models cast a harsh, white light, while the halogen bulbs give off a warm, yellow-toned glow. LED bulbs now come in different color options and create a very similar lighting effect to that of halogen bulbs. Finally, LED bulbs are much more energy efficient, using up to 75% less energy than other styles of lightbulbs and helping you save money on your energy bill.
Low vs High Voltage
There are two voltage options to choose from for your exterior lighting: low voltage and high voltage. There are pros and cons to each one.
High Voltage
- Great for lighting large spaces like basketball courts, expansive yards, parking lots, and commercial buildings
- No need for a transformer, as these lights connect directly to your home or building’s electrical system
- Can be easily controlled with a simple on/off switch
- Requires installation by a professional electrician
- Uses more energy than low voltage and will cost more to use
- Placement is less flexible than low voltage lights
- Best for public or commercial spaces
Low Voltage
- Safer for children and pets to be around as the lower electricity use decreases the chance of electrical shock
- Less expensive than high voltage lights
- Easier to install and can be placed almost anywhere in your yard
- Does not require installation by a licensed electrician
- Offers a wider selection of style options to choose from
- Best for private residences
Landscape Lighting with Aspen Landscapes
The talented team at Aspen Landscapes has years of experience creating comprehensive, beautifully lit landscape designs in the Chicagoland area. Contact them today for a consultation and free estimate.
