Choosing Outdoor Lights
Posted February 17th, 2011 by adminLandscape lights can serve a range of purposes, for some these lights are multi-functional but for others they are selected for a solitary reason. Typically the key reasons outdoor lights are chosen is for security, for increased visibility after dusk, to accent areas of the yard, as well as for overall appearance. Whatever your your goal there are a few factors to contemplate before you make your final selection.
There is definitely no shortage of lights from which to select, there are patio, coach, pole, string and removable bollard lights just to name a few. If you prefer a certain type of light you might consider starting with that, just make sure it truly blends with the style of your yard.
One more matter to think about while selecting lighting is the difficulty of installation and maintenance that will be involved. If you have enough money this will not be a major factor because you can employ an expert to preform the work properly. But if you are doing this on a budget this will have an impact. The installation will be different depending on the kind of lighting you buy. There are three basic types, high-voltage, low-voltage and solar.
Low-voltage must be wired and connected to the electrical circuit of the house. There are, however, positive aspects to this style of system. Low-voltage lights are generally easier to set up than high-voltage and they require more compact ground trenches. Plus they merely use 12 electrical volts.
Lights that are high-voltage require their own electrical circuit which should be hooked up by a professional who is licensed. Granted high-voltage lights are a more expensive choice. They will use more power, but the benefit is they can power a higher number of lights without experiencing a drop in voltage, and are possibly better if you are planning to expand your outdoor lighting in time.
Solar powered lights are the simplest type of lighting to set up because these lights don’t require wiring. Additionally solar lights are free to use once the lights themselves are bought. Sadly they will not function as well in certain parts of the nation. When the solar panels don’t have exposure to enough sunshine through the day time they will not perform as desired.