Outdoor lighting Cleverly positioned exterior lighting will extend your enjoyment of the backyard any time of the year. The correct lighting will help you find your way along a path, enjoy a leisurely barbecue and let the kids play outside longer. These are some of the lighting options you need to consider... Paths, steps, front door First and foremost, it’s important to light the areas that could be dangerous. Path and step lights should be low to the ground and with enough illumination to prevent trips or falls. They can be free-standing, wall mounted or you could even use a rope of lights to outline a path. The light can be pointed downwards with a cap to prevent glare. Front door lights should be slightly brighter than surrounding areas for safety and convenience. It’s important to be able to see your keys clearly and not trip over steps, doorways or mats. The light should be mounted above head height with enough spill to illuminate the entire area. Powering your lights A lot of garden lights today are low voltage (either 12 or 24 volts). The wiring for the lights is connected to a mains powered transformer. These types of lights are safe to install yourself, and harmless should a wire be accidentally severed. Most wiring can be laid just below ground level but it is better to run it through PVC piping. Sometimes an extra powerpoint or two can be very handy outside. These must be installed by an electrician and can be positioned on garden walls or the back of the house. Weatherproof switches are an absolute necessity. Solar lighting These battery-powered marvels can be used in multiple positions. They can line a path, highlight a feature or be scattered throughout the garden. Position them in a spot where they are in sunlight during the day so the in-built battery can store a charge. Once it gets dark, they turn on automatically and will shine for up to 10 hours. Solar powered lights are not as bright as lights powered by electricity but they give a warm ambience and cost nothing to run. Ground lights These are recessed into the ground with the light pointing directly upwards. They work well in marking the edge of a deck, positioned on the edge or in the middle of a path, or outlining the shape of a lawn. Placing them at the bottom of a tree creates a wonderful highlight and focal point of the garden. Wall lights From modern, minimalist black boxes to antique-looking carriage lights, there is a wide variety of styles when it comes to wall lights. They can be used to highlight doorways, create an ambient wash of light or brighten eating areas. If they are placed over an outdoor dining table, the key is to make it light enough to eat without making guests feel like they have been caught in a spotlight. It’s better to have the overhead lights a little dimmer than needed and add to the illumination with table lights or candles. A lot of wall lights come with an attached hood for reducing glare. They also come in a variety of materials but marine-grade stainless steel is the most hard wearing, particularly if you live near the coast. How bright? It’s a delicate balancing act getting the brightness of outdoor lighting just right. Too bright and everything looks washed out and uninviting. Not bright enough and you can’t enjoy your outside space in the evening. Your backyard really needs a variety of lights with different levels of illumination. Entrances, exits and entertaining areas should be slightly brighter than their surrounds. The brightest light should be over the barbecue so the chef can keep an eye on the cooking. However, once the meal is served, the barbie light should be turned off! Paths, steps and the edge of decks needs to be bright enough to stop people tripping, falling or getting lost without blinding people with glare. LED lights are perfect here and have the added benefit of being cool to the touch. Gentle ambient light is great for highlighting the garden and for pool lights. A few bright lights work well in making focal points of trees, dark corners and any unusual sculptures or water features. It’s simply a matter of seeing what works best for your outdoor area and experimenting with different levels of brightness. The fun stuff Fairy lights are cheap, simple to attach, look great and kids love them! They can be used in a variety of different ways. Outline tree branches, hang them under the patio roof, drape them along a fence, create a living Christmas tree or turn a cubby house into the castle of a princess. If you doubt their impact, just wait til you turn them on. The ‘ooohs’ will soon have you convinced.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 22:47:42 +0000
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