Adding landscaping lighting to your patio or backyard is a great way to add enjoyment to your outdoor living spaces and boost the value of your home too. Before you start installing these illuminating landscape accessories, you should become familiar with some of the basics of outdoor lighting.

Where to put landscaping lighting

As you plan your outdoor lighting set-up, there are two things you should keep in mind:

• Areas which need to be lit (such as walkways)
• Places you’d like to illuminate (like a landscaping rock garden)

While there are many fixture to choose from the majority of professional outdoor landscape lighting is 12V-15V, which is considered low voltage lighting.

Wait until it’s dark, and then…

When nightfall hits, take a drive around your neighbourhood and note the houses which are well-lit. What do they have? What type of lights are they using? Where did they place them? After you get home, grab a flashlight and walk around your own property. It’ll give you a sense of what things will look like when they’re illuminated.

You can also position your flashlight at certain angles, such as:

• Downward
• Upward
• Straight-on
• Off-centre

To mimic the lighting effect you’d like to achieve.

What type of landscape lights to choose?

Grand River Natural Stone carries a wide range of In-Lite landscape lighting styles for you to choose from, including:

• Wall accent lights: To be mounted on vertical surfaces such as; partitions, fences, walls or front entry ways. Just make sure they’re not too blinding when you or visitors approach or pass by.

• Pathway lighting: These are low-voltage lights designed to brighten up a walkway by throwing pools of light downward.

• Spotlights: If you have a small, specific area you want to showcase (like a birdbath or water feature), use a narrow-beam spotlight.

• In-ground lights: Just as their name implies, these lights are inset into the ground and provide an accent to walkways or driveways.

Questions you should ask any landscaping lighting contractor

You’ve selected the lighting you want. You know what areas you want to brighten (such as flagstone walkways, interlocking paver paths or stone steps).

Now it’s time to hire a contractor for installing the low voltage lighting system.

As you do your research, make sure you ask the following questions.

1. Do you use a multi-tap transformer?

A majority of outdoor lighting projects used LED bulbs. Using a multi-tap transformer is the best way to maximize their performance because:

• They can control voltage drop (that’s when some lights burn brighter than others)
• It extends the lifespan of your outdoor light system
• Multi-tap transformers are designed for long wire run installations

While asking about multi-tap transformers, don’t forget to ask about what fuse protection system your contractor will install to protect your outdoor lights from shortages, outages or power surges

2. Are your fixtures and transformers UL listed?

The industry standard is to use products which are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) listed. Products which don’t feature the UL logo mean they haven’t been tested for safety.

You (and your contractor) won’t know how they’ll perform in the rain, heat, snow, wind and other weather conditions they’ll eventually be exposed to. Non-UL products may cost you less in the short-term, but here’s something to consider:

If they cause an electrical fire, your home insurance policy may not cover the cost of the resulting damage. Should you have any doubts about the products your contractor plans on using, ask to see their catalogue and UL certification stamps beforehand.

3. How will you bury the wiring?

Two things you don’t want with your landscape lighting wires:

• Your lawn, topsoil and aggregates to be torn up during burial
• Exposed wires sitting above ground

A skilled landscape lighting contractor will be mindful of regular lawn & garden activities (like cutting the grass or kids playing on it) when installing your system.

If necessary, they’ll create a very small trench in which to bury the wires. Once they’re inserted, that trench is closed up. And if the wire is buried near a very sensitive area (like, say a children’s playset), the contractor will use a conduit to protect the line.

Need help brightening up your property? Come to Grand River Natural Stone

You have beautiful outdoor living spaces which look great in the day. Now it’s time to bring out that beauty at night with a custom outdoor lighting system.

Whether you need products, design advice or technical information, Grand River Natural Stone is your source for all things landscape lighting.

You can start by asking for a FREE quote (or anything else you want to know). Our in-house landscape lighting experts will get back to you quickly to discuss your particular needs.

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Outdoor lighting improves your home’s aesthetic and monetary value and, above all, keeps the party going when you are hosting your friends for dinner alfresco. Enhancing your entryway, driveway, deck, and garden with proper lighting creates the effect of a first-rate home.  

A little light goes a long way when it comes to outdoor lighting. We have curated this outdoor lighting guide to help you get the most out of lighting your exterior. 

How to Select Landscape Lighting? 

Most outdoor lighting guides focus on the economic aspect of outdoor lighting. But we believe in combining artistry and economy lighting to bring your outdoor space to life. 

You will want to focus on the lighting function, which is overall lighting that provides general illumination. You also have task lighting that serves a specific purpose and accent lighting to draw attention to a particular art piece, flower, fountain, or tree. 

There are numerous options to achieve the type of lighting you want. But you can be safe with the following: 

• Inground lighting is ideal for task lighting for a pathway. Aim for 100-200 lumens of light. You can also opt for porch, post, and outdoor beam angle lights. 
• You can achieve accent lighting using many lights, ranging from spotlights to hanging lights ideal for silhouetting and shadow effects. 
• You can achieve general lighting through all types of light fixtures, from hanging, wall-mounted, string, and more. 

Selecting the best landscape lighting and general outdoor lighting can be daunting. However, keeping in mind the intention of lighting will ease the landscape lighting selection process.  

In your selection process, avoid too much bright light, creating a light bomb. A light bomb won’t raze your home, but it will cause ill effects on your eyes. Instead, focus on single colour schemes for the same type of lights, i.e. when you choose blue-white for pier-mounted lights, go with blue-white for other lighting features. 

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How to Space Landscape Lighting 

Wide-angle lighting is suitable for large buildings. Spotlights are ideal for landscape lighting. But how do you get the proper illumination when the lights have varied lighting wattage? 

The answer is spacing. A well-spaced landscape can achieve security lighting and beauty. Ideally, you don’t want your garden lights to form intersecting diameters with other lights.  

Keep pier-mounted lights and larger light fixtures no closer than 20 feet apart. For a subtle garden wash, fix circular inground lights 12-24 inches apart.  

Beam Spread Lighting 

When you decide to install beam lights, you must know at what angle to fit them. Beam lights provide an overall lighting effect and glow. Ideally, 20 degrees outwards fills the bill for most homeowners. But you can opt for adjustable beams to vary the degree for different lighting patterns. 

Spotlight Lighting 

Spotlights illuminate landscape features best. When you want to achieve a shadowing effect, place the spotlight at an elevated angle of 45 degrees facing the adjacent wall. The result is a shadowy effect ideal for wide-leaved foliage. 

Uplighting is an emerging trend similar to downlighting but differing in direction only. You can achieve that by directly placing the light facing up.  

Need Help? 

There are diverse light fixtures to choose from, and we understand if you are overwhelmed. We help you determine the best lighting for your outdoor space. Contact us to get a customer-centric approach to your home. We treat your home like we treat ours. 

The post Outdoor Lighting Guide: Colors, Types, Spread & Angle appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

Winter allows you to make the most of your outdoor lighting with longer nights and the added drama of shimmery snow and ice. However, your outdoor lighting also provides practical use by keeping you safer in the early hours when you leave for work and in the evening when you get home.

Also, the addition of snow on your property can pose challenges that can interfere with the effectiveness of your outdoor lighting, or even cause damage. Here are seven things you need to know about outdoor lighting in winter.

1. Keep the Lens Clean

Clean the lens of your outdoor lights in the late fall to remove things such as dead bugs, cobwebs, and dirt that can really dim bulb brightness. Use a non-abrasive damp cloth to gently wipe away dirt and grime. If you have halogen lights, they heat up enough to melt snow away. However, LED bulbs stay cooler, so they occasionally require clearing after a heavy snowfall.

2. Check for Exposed Wires

Do a safety check in the fall to look for exposed copper or damaged wires that can be dangerous in the winter months. Since the ground will be frozen once temperatures drop, you want wires repaired and reburied while the ground is still workable. You can also check the wires once the snow melts after major snowfalls to look for exposed or damaged wires.

3. Update Your Bulbs to LED

Keep an eye out for burned out winter outdoor lights. This is important because when one bulb dies, it places more demand on the remaining bulbs which receive more voltage. As a result, they burn out faster. A good idea is to update all your outdoor lights to LED blubs in the early winter. They last from three to 10 years and work better in cold temperatures.

4. Mark Your Lights

Snow removal can damage your ground and pathway exterior lights. Even a hit with a snow shovel can knock them out of position or expose wires. In hand with damage from high winds and heavy snow and ice accumulation, your outdoor lights can be put to the test. Marking your lights with indicator flags shows where they are buried under the snow. If you use a snow removal service, make sure you point out all your light fixtures so they can avoid them.

Keep your family and neighbours safe with landscape lighting this winter. Contact our experts at Grand River Natural Stone today to learn more.

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5. Dim and Adjust the Lights

Landscape lighting that highlight the trees on your property requires dimmer bulbs or frosted lenses in the winter months. This reduces the severity of the shadows and effect of the lights on the stark, bare branches. Adjusting the angle of the lights or repositioning them to highlight winter garden features, such as evergreens or holly bushes, also works well. You can even consider simply turning off the lights focused on the trees in the winter to save money and reduce the eerie light they cast.

6. Reset Light Timers

If you use a light timer, make sure you adjust it to daylight savings time.

7. Increase Safety and Security

Last but not least, improve winter safety and security by using exterior lighting for pathways, doors, and other areas. You can make your home safer and help people navigate through unexpected snowbanks and drifts that might pop up following a snowfall or high winds. Well placed exterior lights also help you avoid slips and falls.

We Carry the Landscape Lighting You Need this Winter

Your exterior lights provide a warm welcome when you arrive home on a cold winter night. They also provide guidance in the dark of winter, keeping your family and guests safe. Light up your house this winter with some landscape lighting. To learn more about outdoor lighting, give us a call today!

The post Outdoor Lighting in the Winter: 7 Things to Know appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.