Outdoor lighting may seem like an afterthought, but it does have its benefits, namely increased security and a better-looking house from the outside.
If you’re embarking on a quest to add better lighting in your yard or garden, here are 3 tips to get you started.
Table of Contents
Determine the Purpose
Outdoor led lighting serves a purpose, which is to highlight a specific area such as a walkway, a landscape or a fixture. If you’re thinking of adding outdoor lighting then at one point you must pick a subject.
If the purpose is security then you’ll want to light up entry points such as the backdoor or the patio. If you want better visibility then you should put up ground lighting along traffic paths.
Which Outdoor Lights are the Best?
Primarily, outdoor lights can be path lights, spotlight or flood lights with each one having a specific purpose. Path lights are for illuminating walkways, while flood lights are for showing off a relatively large area, such as a fixture or a bed of roses, for example.
Once you pick the right one, it’s time to determine the technology of light. You can go with halogen, fluorescent or LED, but currently the best choice is to go with LED outdoor lighting. It’s energy efficient, has a higher watt-to-brightness ratio and costs less compared to its halogen and fluorescent counterparts.
Effects and Color Temperature
Color temperature is important in order for the light to produce the desired effect. For greens, it’s recommended that you get 4200K light for greenery, while 2700K is recommended for stone. For dark hues such as gray or black, 4200K is the suggested lighting temp as it makes the color more vibrant.
You can concentrate on producing effects to really make the most of your outdoor lighting, such as moonlighting, downlighting, silhouetting and more.
