Posts Tagged ‘outdoor lights’

Home Essentials: Outdoor Post Lanterns

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

The inside of our houses can look beautiful at night because of the lighting. However, the outside, when lit cannot only show its beauty but also enhance how the whole house looks. Besides the ordinary lamp, another great option to choose to do the job of illuminating the yard is by using outdoor post lanterns. Unlike other lights, these lights can be placed anywhere in the yard because the lanterns are attached to poles which can stand anywhere.

Outdoor post lanterns are firmly secured to the ground. To keep the ugly wires out of view, the wiring is usually buried underneath the ground and therefore keeps the visual neat for your visitors. Most lanterns and poles are made of iron, aluminum and other metals for durability and resistance to rusting. The enclosed designs of the lanterns protect the light bulbs from rain or snow.

You have probably seen these post lanterns illuminate the streets and alleys in your place. They can also be seen in some parks and amusement centers. Some businesses also choose to use outdoor post lanterns to light their place. They are commonly used outdoors because they do not need roofs or ceilings since their power source and attachment is from the ground. However, these lights can also be used in our homes as outdoor lights.

Aside from safety and security to keep trespassers away, these lights simply make the home look more beautiful. The designs vary from old-fashioned, modern to rustic. There are many styles to choose from that can complement the design of your house or the area in your yard you want illuminated. You can place them at the gate or along the pathway to your doorstep. They can also enhance the look of your garden. You can still enjoy and appreciate the flowers at night. If you had your front yard landscaped, outdoor post lanterns can also provide the perfect lighting to keep them visible for you and the others to admire. These lights can also be placed near the pool to give light when you have a pool party or simply want to go for a swim. To make the area stand out, one only needs to be creative and imaginative.

It is not a great task to set up and wire outdoor lanterns. Some even comes pre-wired at your convenience. However, if you want different combinations of pole and lanterns, you may have to do the wiring yourself. You will also need to do some digging to keep the wires buried underground. For those who have only a little or no experience at all with wiring, it is advisable to hire a professional electrician to do the job to be sure that it is safe from any faults.

Outdoor lighting is sure to stand out with outdoor post lanterns. They are beautiful as they are affordable. They do not require a lot and are very easy to set up.

You may want to add beauty into your outdoors by adding outdoor post lanterns. It not only provides security and safety from the outside but shows the real beauty of your home. Or you may want to try flush mount outdoor lighting.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in home improvement | Comments Off

Outdoor Lighting: Illuminating The Outdoors

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Like moths, we humans are attracted to light. Light brings a different feeling to us, something that is warm and cozy. We usually associate light with the good side. We like our houses better with lights. But as important it is that our indoors are well lit, it is also important to some degree to provide light outside the house.

First of all, outdoor lighting promotes safety. Imagine that you have to get something outside your room in the middle of the night. With the lights off, you might step on something that may cause pain or harm or you might stub your toes. It is the same with the outdoors. It does not have to be as bright as the inside of the house but at least you have a light that shines on the surroundings at night. Also, as part of safety, a house with outdoor lights is less likely to be robbed than the one that is in total darkness. Robbers like to work in the dark because they will be very hard to find. Adding an extra light outside your house can discourage them from trespassing and violating you.

Outdoor lighting also enhances the look of your house. It adds some sort of light gradient over your house. It can be a simple light bulb that is not as bright as the one you use indoors. When looked at from outside, there is a transition of light from the indoors being bright and as the focus of sight goes farther outside, the light does not abruptly vanish since there is still a soft light outside. This adds style to the house especially if you use lights that are modern and stylish. Depending also on what you want to highlight, outdoor lights can be very effective. A simple garden will look fantastic if you are able to use appropriate lights and style. A lonely porch can be a cozy nook to pass the time.

If you hold parties or events outside of your house, proper lighting is always considered. Whether you are holding a pool party or a reception, lights are needed in order for everyone to enjoy and appreciate the occasion. While soft and dimmer lights can make the atmosphere romantic, bright and shining lights can make people feel the joy of a festive occasion.

Buy you might ask, will it not just add a lot to my expenses? Here are some ways for you to keep your energy consumption from getting big. Choose a modern light bulb with low wattage. You may also want to install motion sensor or photosensitive lights for added security plus cost-effectiveness. During sunny days, solar lights are very useful since you can have free lights at night.

Outdoor lighting is essential to the home. It promotes safety and highlights the house and other areas you choose outdoors. One should know how much light is needed depending on the purpose of the lighting. There are also some cost-cutting tips that can be applied to lessen the expenses and make outdoor lighting really effective for you.

You may want to add beauty into your outdoors by adding outdoor lighting. It not only provides security and safety from the outside but shows the real beauty of your home. Or you may want to try exterior home lighting.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in home improvement | Comments Off

Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting – Affordable and Secure Lighting Option

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Low voltage outdoor lighting is an easy to implement, safe and a low-cost way to light up your yard. In order to set up the system, you won’t even have to pay for an electrician, since most likely you will be able to set up your low voltage outdoor lighting on your own.

Dangerous regular 120 watt electric current is stepped down to merely 12 V in the low voltage outdoor lighting systems, making it so much safer. Electric in such systems runs through a loop from one end of the transformer to another.

Low voltage outdoor lighting benefits include:

1. A homeowner can set up his/her own low voltage outdoor lighting system hassle free, with the use of a special kit. Such kit usually includes all of the needed components, such as the cable, a transformer and the fixtures. The only needed component that is not included in the kit is the bulbs. However, it would not be prudent to include the bulbs in the kits, since every bulb may have a different wattage.

2. Low voltage outdoor lighting is very cost-efficient. Such lighting may use bulbs with as little as 4 watts. Most kits come with low watt bright halogen lamps. However, low voltage fluorescent lamps are also available, which are yet more energy efficient.

3. Timers are another very useful feature, allowing you to set the time for the lighting to go on/off for 4, 6, or 8-hours. Some low voltage outdoor lighting systems also include a photocell, which can turn the lights on at night and turn it off in the daytime.

4. Low voltage outdoor lighting setups provide the homeowners with a maximum security, since they can easily indicate intruders after the sun goes down.

5. Low voltage outdoor lighting setups are generally very easy to move around the garden, given that the wires of such setups do not have to be buried permanently into the ground.

6. It is usually recommended to purchase a transformer for your low voltage outdoor lighting setup, which somewhat exceeds the current needs of your lighting system. This will allow you to expand your system in the future as well as to start using lamps with more wattage.

7. You can pick the low voltage cable depending on the amount of watts required to operate your low voltage outdoor lighting system. Popular sizes of the low voltage cables include 12 ga. (can carry 300 watts), 14 ga. (can carry 200 watts) and 16 ga. (can carry 150 watts). Standard wire size is 12 gauge.

8. There is a wide variety of schemes based on which you can build your low voltage outdoor lighting system, including in-ground fixtures, spotlights and deck lights for an ultimate convenience while walking in your garden at night.

9. The price of the low voltage outdoor lighting kits varies dramatically, starting from $15 and up to $300. The systems for $300, however, usually have a much higher quality and are much more environment-friendly.

10. Simple mathematical calculations will help you estimate how many light bulbs you can use in your system, as well as what will be the average wattage of each bulb. Simply multiply the number of the bulbs in your system by their wattage, and you will find out what the wattage of the transformer is that you need for your lighting system.

Before starting to bring about your low voltage outdoor lighting set up, please consider the following:

1. Always remember to plug the transformer directly into the outlet, and not through an extension cord.

2. Even though the wires of the low voltage outdoor lighting systems are not required to be buried deeply into the ground. It is better to bury them a bit. If you don’t, the wires will be prone to getting damaged fast and easy.

3. Even though your transformer is better to have some extra wattage, it should not exceed one third of the total wattage of your system.

Low voltage outdoor lighting is easy to implement, low cost and a safe way to light up your landscaping. Low voltage outdoor lighting will make any garden safer, and extend the life of the garden into the night.

John Monsholi knows a lot about low voltage landscape lighting and low voltage lights.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in home improvement | Comments Off

Decorating With Outdoor Patio Lights

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

I became charmed with the drama of outdoor patio lights at an exceptionally romantic restaurant in the old part of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We sat in the courtyard garden surrounded by outdoor art sculptures while rope lights wandered up and down the trees. It was the first time I had recognized the beauty and impact of outdoor lighting and outdoor art. I was mesmerized. Since that initial night I have visited many other romantic restaurants and have admired their outdoor lighting and outdoor art but nothing makes an impact like the first night.

At my own house, I have tried to replicate the feel of bringing the indoors out which is what properly placed outdoor patio lights should do. I have met with moderate success and I love to experiment. In choosing your outdoor lights there are a number of things you should always consider. I have tried to list the 4 most important considerations below.

1. What is the purpose of the outdoor lighting? Is the lighting to be atmospheric or functional or both? A certain amount of bright lighting is necessary for general safety. This type of lighting would include lights at every door including your garage door. This lights need to be bright. Safety lights are a necessary evil of outdoor lighting. Other types of outdoor patio lights can be for effect and these lights don’t need to be bright and really shouldn’t be bright. Lighting for effect can be quite dim or use very small bulbs. This type of lighting should be experimented with.

2. Determine the placement of your outdoor lights. Be sure to highlight any outdoor sculptures you may have or a pond or a swimming pool. You can use rope lights to highlight distant objects. Often lovely and simple white Christmas lights make a nice year-round twinkly setting. The lights needed for safety should be by each door of your house at a minimum. It must be relatively easy to maintain safety lights. If the light requires a 20 foot ladder to change and you don’t have a 20 foot ladder then the light position should be changed.

3. Determine the type of light you want. These days cost and energy efficiency are important considerations in choosing a type of outdoor patio lights for your home. You could choose solar lights. Solar lighting is very popular and has been recently hyped. Solar lights require careful and cannot be counted on in cloudy or rainy areas. The most energy efficient and thus environmentally conscious is LED lights. These lights can be used as both safety lights and background effect lighting. The price of LED lighting is reasonable and these lights are often chosen.

Visit clicking here to locate more information about patio outdoor lighting.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in home improvement | Comments Off