If you are interested in getting outdoor lighting for your home, chances are that you will simply get some wiring and hook up a few lights. Of course, you will end up with outdoor lighting at a very low cost if you decided to do this. However, if you are interested in getting the best aesthetic effect and having the lights last as long as possible without costing you a lot, you would need to have a more detailed examination of your needs before putting such a plan in place. This is why a large number of people prefer to use specialized contractors to carry out such work; they are usually very effective in making sure that the outcome of such a project is the best there is.
There are many variables that usually need to be sorted out to ensure that you get the best outdoor lighting. Some of these include:
Figuring out the reason why you need the lighting
On the surface, it might seem like outdoor lighting is simply just that – lights that are put in your front and back yard. However, most people who decide to install them often want different things from them. Understanding this about yourself will make it easier to decide which types of lights to get. Examples of these include:
• If you regularly hold events: There are some people who tend to get outdoor lighting for the purposes of holding events such as parties. A good example of this is if you own a hotel or restaurant, and have a garden that many people would be interested in renting for parties and similar events. In such cases, you would need to focus on making the lighting functional as well as aesthetic. It would be a good idea to design it in such a manner that there will be no dark spots in the area, so that the entire space can be used for the event.
• For security purposes: A large number of people would want to get such lighting to make their homes and businesses more secure. In this case, you would need to install the lights in the most strategic manner possible. You need to assess the possible routes of entry to the compound, and then place lights there so that any potential burglars will have a hard time finding a dark route to use.
• For aesthetic purposes: Other people usually get the lights purely for aesthetic purposes. In such cases, you might not need to worry about issues such as spots where shadows will be cast; in fact, you can use them as an aesthetic tool. When using lighting for decoration, the most important factor to consider would be the placement of the lights in the correct locations to achieve the look that you desire.
Of course, there are many times when all these needs will overlap. However, figuring out what’s more important to you will help you get the correct lighting.
Energy considerations
Whenever you are interested in installing outdoor lighting, you also need to think about energy concerns. This is particularly so if you will need a large number of lights to illuminate a large area. Some of the strategies you can adopt to facilitate this include the use of energy saving lights, as well as minimizing the number of bulbs you buy. Doing the latter often requires a lot of experience in outdoor lighting, especially if you want to minimize the number of bulbs without affecting how well they light the area.
Your local regulations
In some parts of the world, there are regulations regarding the use of outdoor lighting. These can be for any number of things, from the quality of the lights you are allowed to use to how bright you are allowed to make the area. Before starting such a project, it would be wise for you to find out if you have such obligations, so that you don’t end up breaking any regulations. If you work with an established contractor, this is not something that would worry you, since they would guide you about this.
Cost considerations
If you are getting outdoor lighting for a small area such as a front yard in a small compound, the issue of cost might not be very significant. However, when dealing with larger spaces, this becomes increasingly important. Always try to find out how much it would cost you to run the lights during the initial stages of planning. This way, if it turns out that they will be too expensive to run, you can find ways of modifying the design to reduce the cost.
In summary, outdoor lighting is not something that should be done on a whim. Thinking about the details thoroughly before starting implementation is important to reduce the risk of ending up with outdoor lighting that you might not appreciate after a short time.
