How to Choose the Right Landscape Lighting for Your Home

Landscape Lighting Harrisburg PA not only illuminates your home’s exterior and helps with safety, it can also create a welcoming curb appeal. However, choosing the right lighting can be tricky because there are a lot of options.

To narrow down your choices, start by considering power type (hardwired or solar), installation, and lighting type. Then, select a fixture that fits your style and meets your needs.

Pathway lighting is an effective way to illuminate walkways and highlight low-growing foliage in your landscaping beds. It is also a great way to create an inviting outdoor space that is safe for guests after dark. Pathway lights are available in a variety of styles and colors to complement your landscape design.

When choosing a pathway light set, it’s important to consider the spacing of the fixtures. Pathway lights that are too close together will cause overlapping light, which can look unappealing and inefficient. On average, experts recommend placing pathway lights 10 feet apart. This will ensure that your walkways are adequately lit and prevent accidents after dark.

Another factor to consider when purchasing path lighting is the type of bulb. LED bulbs are more energy efficient and longer lasting than traditional halogen bulbs, which can help you save money on electricity. Additionally, LED bulbs emit less heat, which can help you avoid damage to your plants.

Lastly, when installing pathway lights, it’s a good idea to place them on a timer. This will make it easier for you to turn them on and off each night, and it will also help you to conserve electricity.

Postmount Lights

Post mount lights, also known as post lamps, are designed to illuminate walkways and outdoor areas while enhancing design aesthetics. These medium-to-large-sized fixtures are available in an array of designs, lighting colors, light directions and finishes to accommodate various landscape lighting objectives.

In addition to adding an attractive look, these versatile lighting options can help improve safety and visibility around pathways, driveways, gardens, patios, porches and other outdoor spaces. By highlighting these areas at night, you can reduce the risk of accidents or injuries. In some cases, these lighting solutions can even enhance the security of your home by illuminating entrances to your property.

The wide array of style options available for post mount lights helps you create a cohesive design theme for your outdoor space. Choose from styles ranging from sleek and contemporary to warm classics, so you can find a fixture that perfectly matches your home’s exterior architecture.

Pier mount lights are particularly well-suited for illuminating pillars or columns on your property. They’re often used to highlight entrance gates and driveway pillars, enhancing their appearance and creating a sense of grandeur and sophistication at these entry points to your property. They’re also a popular choice for illuminating docks, piers and areas near gated waterfront spaces.

Spotlights

Spotlights are directional lighting fixtures that emit narrow, intense beams of light. They’re often used in commercial and residential settings to highlight art or other features of a space. They’re available as a track-mounted fixture, ceiling mounted, or recessed into the wall or floor.

Resembling small searchlights, spotlights are used to highlight characters or other objects on a stage during theatrical productions. They’re a must-have for large concerts, musicals, and plays where actors are moving around the stage. A spotlight operator tracks the actor with the help of a “follow spot” to ensure that their movements are illuminated. Modern technology like RobotSpot eliminates the need to be in the rafters operating the fixtures, allowing stagehands to focus on other tasks.

Unlike a downlight, a spotlight can be adjusted to illuminate any area of the room. Its beam can also be angled up and down, depending on the model. Lastly, spotlights can be rotated at will, which makes them perfect for accenting a focal point in any room.

While some people may confuse these two lighting systems, the key difference is that downlights radiate light downward, whereas spotlights can be directed in any direction. They are also more compact and are designed to be surface mounted compared to downlights which are recessed into the ceiling. This means that they can be installed on walls and ceilings in living spaces, offices and bedrooms.

Flood Lights

Flood lights are a versatile, wide-beam artificial light designed to illuminate large outdoor areas efficiently. They provide high-intensity illumination to increase visibility and safety, deter crime, or to create an aesthetic or dramatic effect. They are commonly used to light up sports fields, parking lots, building facades, and outdoor events.

The difference between a flood and spotlight is that flood lights emit a wider beam of non-natural light and have a higher wattage than spot lights. They also have a different color temperature which can influence the ambiance and mood of the area they are illuminating.

The color temperature of a light is measured in Kelvin (K) and ranges from warm to cool. A warmer color temperature produces a more welcoming ambiance, while a cooler one provides a brighter, alert atmosphere. It’s important to note that a warmer color temperature may interfere with sleep patterns, so it is recommended to use a cooler color for indoor and outdoor flood lighting.

There are many types of flood lights on the market, but they can generally be grouped into four categories. They can be fixed to the ground using a slip fitter mount, mounted on a pole with a knuckle or yoke mount, suspended on a truss, or placed on a wall or billboard using a yoke or trunnion mount. When choosing a flood light, it’s important to consider the type of area you are looking to illuminate, the wattage, lumens, and mounting options available.

Uplights

Illuminate paths, garden nooks and more with a mixture of landscape lighting techniques. The right fixture type, color and wattage set the tone for the space while proper placement prevents glare and ensures safety. Convenient automatic timers, photocells and motion sensors turn lights on at dusk and off at dawn.

Uplighting highlights the shape of tall landscape features like trees, statuary and architectural columns by illuminating their silhouettes and creating interesting shadow designs. This landscape lighting technique works best with spotlights or well lights that are several inches above the ground. Be careful not to overdo it, though, as too many fixtures can create a tripping hazard for guests.

Silhouetting involves placing the fixture behind a feature, aiming it towards an adjacent wall to create a dramatic shadow design. This landscape lighting technique works well with trees and plants that move in the wind, like swaying grasses or branches blowing in the breeze. Spotlights and well lights are the most effective tools for silhouetting, but any light source can be used.

Grazing emphasizes a textured surface like stone walls, climbing ivy or brick accents by directing the light near the base of the fixture. This landscape lighting technique is perfect for highlighting retaining walls, patios and outdoor kitchens. This style also makes it easy to highlight the textured patterns of cacti and other plants in xeriscape designs. Be careful not to overdo it, however, as too much lighting can make the texture of a plant appear blurry and flattened.

Step Lights

Stair and step lights are specialized lighting solutions designed to help people safely navigate stairs, steps, and other elevated areas of outdoor spaces. They’re typically installed in homes, commercial properties, and hospitality venues. They’re available in a wide variety of styles, shapes, lighting colors, and light direction. They can also be incorporated into the overall lighting design to highlight architectural features or create focal points.

Deck and step lights increase safety and add a stylish architectural look to outdoor spaces. They’re energy-efficient, durable, and easy to install. They come in a variety of styles and finishes to complement any décor. You can even find solar options that make them more environmentally friendly and budget-friendly.

When choosing a deck or step light, consider its brightness level and color temperature. Brightness levels help ensure that steps are adequately illuminated, while the color temperature can set the mood of your space. Warm white (2700K-3000K) offers a cozy, welcoming ambiance while cool white (4000K-5000K) is more energizing.

Also consider how the light will be mounted, whether it’s recessed or surface-mounted. For recessed fixtures, it’s best to mount them closer to the riser or at the same height as the step nosing. This helps to evenly illuminate the surface and minimize shadows. For surface-mounted options, you can mount them on the top or side of the riser or step nose to best fit the geometry of your steps.