Outdoor lighting can bring a range of practical benefits to your property, whilst creating an inviting ambience for summer evenings, and welcoming visitors to your home after dark. However, if you want to get your outdoor lighting just right, you need to spend some time planning the location and type of lighting that will fulfil your requirements. Here are a few things to consider when you decide to install or upgrade your garden lighting, to ensure that you find the right solution first time.
Purpose and Positioning
Firstly, think about where you want a light and why. Are you bumping into walls and tripping over steps on pathways in the dark, or do you want to showcase your beautiful garden on a night with pretty lighting? For practical reasons, identify areas that pose the highest hazard such as steps, paving or decking, and where you might be able to install a light. If the area is close to the house itself, a light could be fitted on the wall. For further reaches of the garden, a standalone light with wiring may be required.
Automatic vs Manual
Depending on the purpose and location of your lighting, you may find that an automatic system is suitable. A driveway, for example, can look smart with small lights running along the side of it, which illuminate after dark. Meanwhile, a motion-sensor light may be suitable for certain areas of your outdoor space. Especially for your entrance, an automatic light can improve security, whilst ending that frantic search for the keyhole in the dark.
However if you simply want a light for the patio or garden, an automatic light can be wasteful and annoying. In this case, you might want to invest in wiring that allows you to switch on the light from inside. Be careful not to undertake any electrical work yourself – this will usually require the expertise of an electrician or professional gardener.
Choose Your Lighting
You may love the appearance of an outdoor light when you see it in the shops or online, but when it arrives it could be too big, too small, too bright or too dim for your requirements. And after you’ve unwrapped it and taken the time to install your outdoor lighting, you may not be able to return your purchase.
If you want to get the type, brightness and style of your light right first time, why not get professional advice from a gardener? A garden expert will not only help you find the best solution for your garden, but can take care of the safe installation of your lighting too. Don’t mess with things you don’t understand.
If you want to strike the balance between the practical benefits of outdoor lighting and the aesthetic value, don’t act on impulse when buying and installing your garden lights. Assess the options and identify the areas that need illuminating most, and for best results allow an experienced tradesman take care of the fitting for you.
This article is written by Kelly Gilmour Grassam, a freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellygGrassam. This article has been written with helpful information from Gagajoo Landscapes