Guide for Creating Outdoor Lighting for Your Landscape Design

A great approach to improve the look of your property is to install landscape lighting that is both smart and wired. This type of lighting is typically left out of the initial residential landscape layout. Not only does installing outdoor landscape lighting increases your home's kerb appeal, but it also allows you to highlight distinctive aspects of your home's architecture and shine a light on a variety of plants, thereby transforming your landscape into a thing of beauty when viewed from a distance at night.

Lighting up the outside of a building is critical to ensuring that safety is the primary concern. Extending the use of your outdoor entertaining and outdoor living facilities into the dark hours can be risky if the pathways, walkways, cooking areas, and steps are not adequately illuminated. If you want to be able to take pleasure in the aesthetic qualities of your environment, investing in landscape lighting that draws attention to your water features, pools, spas, and plantings is a great way to do it. It's important to remember that not all properties are created alike since particular fixtures may work well for some properties but not others, and vice versa.

We are prepared to guide you in selecting the best landscape lighting that will serve your needs. Use this piece to serve as your guide as you select the lighting fixtures and outdoor lighting ideas that will work best with the specifics of your property.

What is the Best Landscape Lighting?

Low voltage is used for the majority of outdoor lighting nowadays, and there is a solid reason for this. When compared to 120-volt systems, it is easier to deal with and requires a lower initial investment to set up. And despite the fact that low-voltage lights only get one-tenth the power that high-voltage lights do, thanks to a step-down transformer, there is no limit to the effects that low-voltage lights can achieve. These effects can range from an ethereal moonlight that is beamed down from a tree canopy to a subtle glow that washes over a low garden wall. A successful lighting plan requires more than selecting the appropriate hardware; it also requires artistic skill.

Types of Landscape Lighting Fixtures

• Spotlights: These are directional lighting fixtures that can be employed in a number of various ways to suit a range of purposes. There are a few different names for them, including floodlights, uplights, and downlights. The most common application for these is to illuminate bushes and trees from below.
• Path and Area Lights: These lights can be positioned along a walkway to provide illumination and can be aimed so that the light beam is directed downward. In addition, area lights are directed downward to illuminate a vast landscape, such as an entire planting bed as an illustration. If you are seeking ideas on how to light up your garden beds, this might be something that works for you.
• Floodlights: Increasing one's sense of safety is the most typical reason for employing them. These lights are quite similar to spotlights, but they have a higher wattage and a broader angle, which allows them to illuminate a significantly larger area. Wall wash lights are a specific kind of flood light that is utilised to illuminate a wide area of wall space. The purpose of well-wash lights is to illuminate the entire surface rather than concentrating the light in a single spot in the form of an oval beam. They are frequently utilised on the exterior of a house or for the purpose of showcasing architectural features.
• String Lights: The presence of string lights or bistro lighting, although primarily aesthetic, can significantly contribute to an improvement in the atmosphere of a particular location. They can be strung from trees, decks, or posts and hung wherever; furthermore, they are very easy to personalise. They are also an excellent choice for those on a limited budget.
• Bollard Lights: These lights, which typically range in height from 30 to 36 inches, are designed to be used in driveways. They perform more effectively than path lights both because they are at a level that is ideal for cars and because they are more robust.
• Step Lights: In most cases, step lights are installed on the risers of stairs, and their light beams are designed to illuminate each step in succession. These are wonderful things to have for safety.
• Fountain Lighting: The fact that many water feature light fixtures are submerged in the water helps enhance the feature's enchantment. In any other case, spotlights placed outside could likewise be used to illuminate the fountain.

Necessary tools 

In order to achieve a secure and efficient installation, creating outdoor lighting for your landscaping project requires using a variety of tools. The following is a list of some of the most important tools that you could require:

• Wire Strippers and Cutters - Throughout the installation process, it is essential to have this equipment available in order to strip and cut wires.
• Connectors for Wires - Connectors for wires are vital for linking wires together and securing them, which will assist in establishing an electrical connection that is both safe and functional.
• Voltage Tester: Before beginning any kind of electrical operation, you should make sure that the power source has been turned off by using a voltage tester, which is a gadget that measures and verifies voltage. In addition to this, it can be used to test whether or not the wiring and lighting fixtures are functioning appropriately.
• Either a spade bit or an auger can be used to bore holes in the ground in which to attach the lighting fixtures. These are the necessary instruments.
• Pliers - Pliers are excellent tools for bending wires and manipulating small pieces, both of which can be beneficial when dealing with lighting fixtures. Pliers can be found at most hardware stores.
• Screwdrivers are required in order to secure lighting fixtures to the ground or a mounting surface. Screwdrivers are available at most hardware stores.
• Wire Nuts - Wire nuts are used to join two or more wires together and are a vital component in establishing an electrical connection that is safe and dependable.
• Tools for Digging - Depending on the intricacy of your design, you may require a variety of digging instruments to build routes for your wire, our professionals have all tools for your needs . Some examples of these tools are shovels, post-hole diggers, and trenching tools.
• Ladder - If you are going to install lighting fixtures that are situated higher up, such as lights that are hung on trees or lights that are set on walls, you may require a ladder.
• Insulating Wires and Connectors with Electrical Tape - Insulating wires and connectors using electrical tape help ensure that an electrical connection is both safe and reliable.

How to Design Landscape Lighting

1. Determining the Aim of the Activity

At this stage, it is essential to give consideration to both the available space and the function. Find out which regions are very dark and which areas you want to highlight visually once the sun goes down and decide which areas to focus on first. Make a mental note of any routes or obstructions that, after it gets dark, might provide a risk to your safety.

2. Some Suggestions About Your Layout

Concepts to consider for your design. Images that can serve as sources of inspiration are essential to the design process. Get some ideas for landscape lighting from other landscapes that you like as well as from some settings that are comparable to your own.

3. Establish the Level of Effort

Find out how much effort is required. It is essential to determine the level of difficulty that the lighting design will have by taking into account the number of fixtures and the level of complexity of the area. At this stage, it is recommended that you seek the advice of an experienced lighting professional.

4. Create a Spending Plan

Be important to establish a financial plan for your project before you start shopping for fixtures; this will help you narrow down the options available to you.

5. Outdoor Lighting Design for Landscapes

Create a drawing of the landscape by beginning with the boundary and the structures and working your way inside out. This will assist you in making a decision on the type of system that you require for your lighting.

6. Choosing the Right Fixtures

Be sure to pick out lighting that operates at the appropriate voltage. Likewise, give some thought to utilising solar-powered LED fixtures.

7. The final layout, wire runs, and power supply connections

In the event that you decide to go with a low-voltage lighting system, there will be several runs that originate from a single transformer. Since your complete lighting system may be powered by a single supply, the next stage in the process is to draw a diagram showing exactly where the lighting fixtures will be placed, as well as the cables that are required to run from the transformer.

Mistakes to Avoid

Be wary of falling into any lighting design traps when adding low-voltage lighting to the exterior of your home; doing so can make an unexpectedly large difference in the amount of enjoyment you get out of your outdoor living space. When you get started on your project of installing landscape lighting, you should take care to avoid making the following mistakes:

1. Focus on Lighting Instead of Fittings While Designing

Put your attention on the light as you begin to imagine what you would like to see when it is nighttime. What is it recording, and what can you expect to see? These fixtures have no other purpose than to make the light source more accessible to the user. The light bulb that is housed within the fixture is the component that is responsible for producing light. Your primary concern, therefore, ought to be determining how to make the most of that light in order to capture a variety of components.

The effect that the light has on the scene, rather than the fixture itself, should be the focus of attention rather than how weird it may sound. It is often entertaining to speculate about the functions that various fixtures will fulfil. What they appear to be, how they are mounted or installed, and how we attempt to circumvent their limitations. This is a novice error. Do not let yourself get bogged down in the process of trying to create using fixtures.

First, determine what you want to be illuminated, and then choose the lighting fixture that will most effectively produce the effect you are going for.

2. Do not put a flame on everything.

The assumption that everything needs to have a light shining on it is a typical error that people make. The casting of shadows is equally as vital as the casting of light in any successful lighting design. Shadows are the elements that provide your design depth as well as contrast. You could easily add a massive flood light if you desired for everything to have some sort of illumination. Adding a creative touch to the overall effect of outdoor lighting is the primary goal of landscape lighting. As you examine a stunning example of landscape lighting, you will note that there is a wonderful equilibrium between the light and the shadows.

3. Illuminate the Trees Appropriately

Putting lights on trees may be a very enjoyable activity. Nonetheless, there should be some consideration given to the location of the fixtures as well as the possible number of fixtures that will be required. Take the placement of your fixtures as an example; make sure that you take into account the growth of any trees in the area. When lights are positioned in such a way that they are too close to young spruce trees, the trees will swiftly consume the lights within a year or two at the most. It is well worth the effort to move your fixtures back a few feet so that tree branches do not block the view of the light source.

Furthermore, take into consideration the different viewing angles of the tree-like spruce. It is likely going to take more than one light in order to adequately photograph such a massive, wide tree. We will not be adding a second light to the tree in an effort to make it brighter because there are other methods by which this may be accomplished. In order to make the light experience feel more complete, add a second light.

If you think that all this is very tiring for you, trust our professionals, they will do everything in the best way, taking into account all your wishes

4. Choose the Precise Bean Angle and Lumen Output for Your Lamp

You are able to produce some truly remarkable projections by utilising a variety of light types with varying beam angles and brightness outputs. Avoid using a universal LED bulb if at all possible. Keep in mind that the light must be appropriate for the subject that it is photographing. You wouldn't drive a car with a V8 because it gets great gas mileage in the same way that you wouldn't drive a tiny car to tow a fifth wheel behind a larger vehicle. You wouldn't use a lamp with a diffused light to light an old oak tree, and you wouldn't use a lamp with a lumen output of 500 to light a tiny ornamental tree either. In a similar vein, you wouldn't use a lamp with a softly diffused light to light an ancient oak tree.

5. Watch Out for Infringements of the Light

Even though you take pleasure in your lights, there is no guarantee that your neighbours will feel the same way if you do not give careful consideration to the layout. The very last thing you want is for the light from your lights to shine into the windows of your neighbours. The positioning of the fixtures is critical to assisting in the prevention of this issue. Look at your viewing angles. Are you able to notice the glare from the lamp on the road?

You will have greater control over the direction in which your light is focused if you rotate the protective shroud that is attached to your fixtures. Just rotate your shroud till the light can no longer be seen if a light causes glare in an area that is not ideal. If you give thoughtful consideration to the issue of light trespass, you may ensure that both you and your neighbours are satisfied with the lighting in your home.

6. Never Create Anything Without a Prior Plan

Before beginning the process of installing lights, it is vital to determine the purpose of each individual scene in your landscape and the specific beauty that goes along with it. Even the most uncomplicated landscape designs have an underlying balance and theme that ties everything together. Your design has the potential to give the impression that it serves no function if you do not give serious consideration to how you will achieve balance. It is not necessary for you to know exactly where each fixture is going to go in the ground; nonetheless, you should have a rough notion of what you desire.

Special effects with lighting

Light and shadow are two elements that can be manipulated in a variety of ways to produce unique effects in the surrounding area. In order to create an effect similar to that of lace-like shadows on the patio, Dubreuil proposes directing light upwards via the canopies of oak, pine, or maple trees. By positioning the focal point in such a way that it creates a dramatic shadow on the house, Barton is able to amplify the impact of the element. And Wilcoxson directs the shadows cast by fireplaces or palm trees onto the surface of a water feature to create a rippling effect. The effects you generate will be entirely dependent on the architecture and terrain of your particular property.

Software Outdoor Lighting 

When it comes to constructing outdoor lighting plans for landscaping projects, there are a few different software solutions available to choose from. Before beginning the process of installation, you may better visualise your outdoor lighting design using these software tools, which also allow you to make adjustments to the plan. The following is a selection of the various software options:

• The computer-aided design (CAD) software known as AutoCAD is capable of being utilised in the process of developing outdoor lighting designs. It is a sophisticated tool that not only enables you to generate 2D and 3D drawings but also enables you to produce lighting simulations and renderings using those designs.
• The 3D modelling programme known as SketchUp is capable of being utilised in the process of developing outdoor lighting designs. It is a straightforward application that enables you to generate precise models of your landscape and lighting plans.
• The software programme known as Visual Lighting is a tool that was developed expressly for the purpose of designing lighting systems. It allows you to build simulations and visualisations of your outdoor lighting design, and it provides a selection of different lighting fixtures to choose from.
• Dialux is another piece of software that can be utilised in the process of developing lighting schemes. It gives detailed lighting analysis results, as well as a variety of lighting fixtures, the ability to build simulations and representations of your design, and more.
• Land F/X is a software programme for landscape design that includes capabilities for designing outdoor lighting. Land F/X is known as Land F/X. It gives you the ability to construct lighting schemes and simulations, and it also gives you cost estimates for the outdoor lighting design you are working on.

Summary

To summarise, installing outdoor lighting is an essential component of every successful landscape design. You can create an outdoor lighting design that is both beautiful and functional by taking into consideration the reason for the lighting, the various types of lighting that are available, the temperature of the light, the placement of your fixtures, and the addition of smart technology. This will cause your landscape to be completely transformed.