Your property may have gorgeous architecture, a stunning garden, and a well-manicured lawn. However, no matter how visually enchanting it currently is, your home will never be complete without outdoor lighting. There are plenty of benefits to installing outdoor light fixtures, such as giving proper illumination to the pathway leading to the house, accentuating the garden at night, enforcing your property’s security, and many more.
Here are some ways on how you can keep your house bright at night:
1. Front Door Lighting
By placing one or two light fixtures above or near the front door, you can instantly increase the curb appeal of your home’s facade. Some of the lighting types that are best suited for your front door are the following:
- Symmetrical lighting
- Single lighting
- Singular pendant lights
You can also significantly boost your home’s security with front door lighting as it allows you to see who is ringing the doorbell at night or if there are burglars roaming around your property.
You can find many front door lighting options at services like Oregon Outdoor Lighting, such as lanterns, wall sconces, and hanging porch lights.
2. Pavement Lighting
Before family members and visitors can get to the front door, they may need to walk through a pathway. Having said that, it is highly important to properly illuminate this area to avoid accidents. Think of walking straight into a pond and taking an uncalled for a late-night dip. Fortunately, such an unfortunate situation can be avoided through pavement lighting.
There are different ways to light up your property’s pavement. For instance, you can opt for recessed lighting or post lighting. If you want to cut down electricity costs, you can use solar-powered lights or LED lights.
3. Garden Lighting
Just because the sun has already set and it is already dark, it doesn’t mean that you cannot show off your garden anymore. Choose plants that will highlight the beauty of your garden, then place soft lighting underneath. This type of lighting can also help people find their way through the garden.
If there are trees in your garden, you may have these installed with light fixtures that would shine down onto the beautiful flowers and structures below them. If the light is placed higher up through the leaves, the light shining down can create stunning contrasts of light and dark.
4. Garage Lighting
Garage lighting can add to the aesthetic appeal of your home, just like front door lighting. Moreover, it can help boost your property’s security. With garage lighting, you won’t have to worry about a burglar hiding behind the bushes while walking from your garage to your front door.
You may choose to install the lighting above the garage door, or on either side of the garage door. You also have the option of choosing between bright or medium bright lights. Furthermore, movement-activated lighting is also a great choice.
5. Security Lighting
There is no denying that homes that lack outdoor lighting have a higher chance of experiencing burglary than homes with security lighting.
Place lighting all around your home to eliminate any dark spots where a burglar can hide.
Some of the different types of security lighting to consider include:
- Floodlights – These are broad-beamed lights that generate extreme brightness and are mainly used to light up a large area.
- High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lights – HID lights are often more powerful than floodlights and are ideal when you have an even larger area to light up.
- Coach Lights – These light fixtures are ideal for driveways and walkthroughs and light up the path towards the house. If you want to reap the benefits of security lighting but don’t want to compromise the aesthetics of your house, then coach lights are a great option, thanks to their visual appeal.
- Soffit Lights – These are lights installed under the roof, arches, eaves or ceilings. They are worth considering when your porch lights don’t provide sufficient illumination to the front of your house.
Motion Activated Security Lights – These are outdoor lights that are programmed to turn on whenever a sensor detects movement. They are energy efficient in that they do not always have to be turned on and only do so when someone or something moves.
Additional Outdoor Lighting Tips
- Take A Look From Inside Your House
Before starting with your outdoor lighting project, take a look at your property’s outside premises from the inside of your house, and identify all dark areas and potential spots where someone could hide. Place light fixtures in these spots.
- Don’t Overdo It
It’s essential to illuminate all corners of your home to eliminate dark areas, but this doesn’t mean lighting up your home like a sports arena. Less is more when it comes to outdoor lighting. Pick the right spots around your house, as well as the best-suited lighting options for these locations, and you’ll realize you don’t need much.
- Outdoor Lighting Doesn’t Have To Be Costly
Many people have the wrong impression that outdoor lighting is going to translate to extra costs. However, there are many outdoor lighting options available in the market today that won’t break the bank as they could help cut down your electricity bill. Some great examples are LED and solar-powered lights.
- Choose Light Fixtures That Could Withstand Different Weather Conditions
Considering that outdoor lighting will be exposed to various weather elements, it is important to choose light fixtures that can handle different seasons and temperatures. Whether it is in the dead of winter or the height of summer, your outdoor lighting should be durable enough to take the constant battering of the elements.
Final Thoughts
Outdoor lighting will not only enhance the aesthetics of your home, but it will also boost security. External lighting can be installed in the front door, garage, pavement and garden.
When choosing outdoor lighting make sure that it complements the aesthetics and architectural design of your home, and can withstand different weather conditions.
Furthermore, ensure you understand the regulations in your city or town and work within them.
