Lighting Orlando is more than a luxury – it’s a necessity that offers beauty, safety, and functionality. Choosing the right lights for your property will help you get the most out of your outdoor space after dark.
Uplighting shows off the architectural features of a house or structure, such as chunky porch columns or deep eaves. Garden lights illuminate flower beds and other planters to create a beautiful glow.
Regarding curb appeal, landscape lighting can have a significant impact. It can make your home look bigger at night and accentuate features like architectural details and trees. It can also highlight your driveway, walkways, or a water feature to make it more attractive and safer for guests and family visiting after dark.
If you’re trying to sell your house, a well-lit exterior can make it more appealing to potential buyers and increase its value. However, it would be best if you didn’t use landscape lighting solely for this purpose, as it can be a distraction from the overall appearance of your property.
For example, if you have a beautiful paver driveway, lighting it can make the whole entrance of your home more attractive. This is particularly true if you use uplighting to draw attention to your driveway, as it can give the impression that your home is more spacious than it is. You can also play up the colors of your windows, doors, and shutters with landscape lighting to create an even more eye-catching effect. For instance, you can use red to accentuate a rustic home or shades of blue to make your beach cottage-style home stand out.
The same can be said for your walkways and stairs. Illuminating these areas can prevent accidents and ensure your guests have a clear path to the front door without worrying about tripping or walking into low-hanging branches. In addition, you can install motion-sensing lights to reduce the risk of burglary and vandalism.
A professional landscape company can design a lighting plan to complement your home and highlight its features. They can also help you determine the best type of lighting for your specific needs and budget. They will be familiar with local regulations and building codes, ensuring that your installation meets all safety requirements and that any necessary permits are secured. In addition, they can also recommend high-quality fixtures and materials that will provide a long-lasting, durable solution for your landscape lighting needs.
Many people choose landscape lighting not just because of its aesthetic appeal but for safety. Accidental injuries caused by tripping and falling are common. They can be very dangerous, especially when they happen at night. Landscape lighting can illuminate areas where someone might fall, such as stairs or walkways that aren’t marked. It can also lighten driveways, paths, and parking lots for safe navigation after sunset.
It can also help discourage burglars by making it harder for them to hide or sneak up on your home. A well-lit yard can make it easier for neighbors and passersby to notice any suspicious activity and call the police if necessary.
If you’re considering installing landscape lighting on your residential property, hire a professional for the best results. This will help you pick the right type of fixtures for your needs and create a plan that will look great and be safe to use. Several things can go wrong with a DIY installation, especially if you have no experience with landscape lighting. For example, you may have problems with buried wiring that could cause a fire or have your lights not working. Even if you do your research and find the best professional for your project, unexpected obstacles can still arise.
These can include concrete or tree roots that prevent the trench needed to install your lighting, or they might be unable to install the fixtures you want due to their location. It’s also possible that they won’t be able to connect the wiring properly, leading to inconsistent power. Or, they may have to dig up or remove your landscaping to install the new fixtures, which can add to the project’s overall cost.
Safety is just as important for commercial properties, if not more so. Employees, customers, and visitors deserve a safe way to navigate the grounds after dark. A well-lit exterior can discourage thieves from targeting your business and deter them from entering. It can also help guests find their way around if they are still getting familiar with the area.
Adding mood lighting is one of the most important things you can do to improve your landscape. This creates a more relaxing environment for guests and can also help deter crime in your neighborhood. Professionally installed landscape lighting can enhance your home’s architecture and create dramatic shadowing that draws the eye to key areas of your yard.
The type of light you choose is vital in setting the right mood for your home, with warmer tones reminiscent of natural sunlight or an open flame more pleasant than crisp white lights that feel out of place in a tranquil setting. Using silhouetting techniques and lighting colors, you can also use lighting to highlight certain landscape areas, like a beautiful palm tree or a soothing water feature.
Mood lighting also helps show off your landscape after dark, making it more usable and giving your family a new space for fun after the sun goes down. It can also increase the value of your home, especially if you ever plan on selling it in the future, as potential buyers will be more impressed by a well-lit property.
Incorporating mood lighting into your landscape design is easy, with the right landscape lights highlighting specific features of your home or garden. Spotlights focus on a controlled, intense beam that highlights flowers, small shrubs, and statutory landscaping elements. At the same time, flood lights can illuminate broader areas to help deter criminal activity by illuminating dark nooks and crannies that could be hiding places for burglars.
Using accent and track lighting on art pieces like the Hyperspace Lighting Infinity Mirror Art can add an extra dimension to your home’s décor by creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. You can even use color-changing LED lighting to create a wide range of moods, from calm and serene to vibrant and energetic. Experiment with different color options to discover the ones that best match your home and personality.
Proper maintenance is key to its longevity and continued effectiveness, as with any landscape feature on your property. This is especially true of lighting. Regularly cleaning fixtures to keep them free of leaves, debris, and dirt is important, as well as replacing bulbs as they burn out. This will help avoid the risk of dangerous voltage overloads and ensure your lighting works as efficiently as possible.
Whether you are using lighting to highlight your home, draw attention to specific points on the property, or add curb appeal, there is an array of lighting options. Some are more functional than others, but they all serve a purpose when creating the perfect lighting design for your space.
Spotlights are one of the most common types of landscape lighting, as they can highlight a range of hardscape and softscape features. This includes shrubs, trees, water features, outdoor seating areas and driveways. They can also be used to illuminate pathways and tripping hazards that may be present on the property.
Flood lights are another popular landscape lighting option. They typically have a wider beam spread than spotlights and are designed to flood the area with light. This type of lighting can uplight or downlight a particular area of your yard and is often more effective than simple spotlighting for non-uniform-shaped features.
Wash and graze lights are similar to spotlights but with the added benefit of washing or grazing walls with light. These are often used to highlight or accent architecture on the exterior of your home or in garden spaces. These are more decorative than other forms of landscape lighting and may be made of various materials depending on the desired look.
Lastly, low-voltage landscape lighting is an alternative to line voltage lighting, as it uses only 12 volts and eliminates the need for risky electrical wires. These landscape lights can be mixed and matched along the same transformer line, but the fixtures’ total wattage must be calculated to avoid over-taxing the transformer.