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Landscape lighting offers incredible advantages to homeowners. It can increase security, help people move around your property at night, and make outdoor spaces usable after dark. But one of the most common reasons homeowners install landscape lighting is also the simplest; it just looks great. Well-planned and executed landscape lighting can be an impressive addition to any home. More than ever before, people are turning to high-quality yard lighting as a way to increase the value of their homes and make their homes more livable and more enjoyable. Here are a few landscape lighting strategies for long-time homeowners as well as those who are buying a home for the first time. Take the time to explore all of the intricacies of lighting. There are many options available for lighting your yard in a smart, logical, and affordable way.

Landscape Lighting Strategies For Residential Homeowners [infographic]

Using Outdoor Landscape Lighting To Illuminate Walls

The architectural features of a home will often dictate the best to light it. Of your home has large or tall walls, two or more stories, focus on those walls as a blank canvas. Large walls gain considerably from using outdoor landscape lighting to illuminate what would otherwise be a dull and uninteresting expanse. Use a wide beam of light from just a few feet away to create a dynamic and exciting look for walls that have any kind of natural texture. Stone, brick, and stucco do great with this kind of lighting, called grazing. The light falls nearly parallel to the wall and accentuates the wall’s natural texture with bright highlights and dark shadows.

You can also use a technique known as a wall wash. One or more wide-angle lights splash light over your whole wall. This technique is often combined with spot lighting to create a gentle background for the more specific highlights of the spot lighting.

Carefully Aiming Yard Lighting

When you use wall lighting—or any other method, really—it is essential to carefully check and recheck landscape light positioning. Precisely aiming yard lighting and adjusting the positioning as necessary can help to ensure that you gain the maximum benefit from your outdoor lighting. Working with experienced professionals who specialize in low-voltage lighting or LED lighting is typically the best option. While homeowners can do this type of work on their own, it is often best to consult with experts in the field. It is also worth checking on your lighting every few months. Weather, animals, and people can knock lights out of alignment, robbing you of that perfect look. If something looks off, contact Night Vision Outdoor Lighting, and we’ll check the alignment of your lights.

Concentrate Bursts Of Light

Adjusting your lighting to shine only where you intend will save you money, time, and trouble over the long run. When you plan your outdoor lighting, it is crucial to always properly shield light bulbs. Making full use of fixtures that have integrated reflectors and adequate shielding is a smart move. This helps to concentrate bursts of light in a more controlled and sustained fashion. Shielding your lights also helps prevent light pollution and light trespass. The last thing you want your lights to do is to disturb the view of the night sky or illuminate a neighbor’s house. Shielded bulbs also help to ensure the children do not become burned or injured.

Safe and Efficient Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Make sure you have a strategy for lessening the energy and environmental impact of your outdoor landscape lighting. Whenever you can, use low wattage bulbs. Choose fixtures that make use of low wattage light bulbs to provide just the right amount of illumination for safety and good decorative effects. It is always more aesthetically pleasing to incorporate soft, low wattage lighting for deck lights, post lights, and even pendant lighting. Contact Night Vision Outdoor Lighting today for the best in Atlanta yard lighting services.