Landscape lighting is a design problem before it is a shopping problem
Where roofline lighting works on the building, landscape lighting takes care of the yard: paths, garden beds, trees and stairs. The goal is light you see the effect of, not fixtures you count. Done badly, it looks like an airport runway down the driveway.
What goes in a typical plan
Most plans start with the walk, which is the piece that earns its cost every single evening. A light aimed up into a tree keeps the yard from going
https://judahigop518.lumenforgex.com/posts/permanent-lighting-installation-what-to-expect-start-to-finish-what-goes-into-a-permanent-lighting-installation-from-first-call-to-first-night flat and black at nine at night. Beds, stairs, retaining walls and the drive fill in the rest, and the step lighting is safety more than looks.
The other outdoor lighting people ask about
Homeowners usually want more than one thing. Patio lighting is what turns a patio into somewhere you sit in the evening. Security lighting covers the dark corners, the side yard, the area behind the garage. Accent lighting highlights the parts of the house or yard worth a second look.
Where landscape lighting usually goes wrong
The most common mistake is too much of it. Even light everywhere removes the shadow that gives a yard shape. The second mistake is aiming fixtures where people walk, so every guest gets a light in the eye on the way to the door. The third is forgetting that plants grow, when the shrub in front of the uplight has doubled.
Commercial landscape lighting
On commercial property the brief changes. A restaurant patio has to be comfortable to sit in after dark. Parking and walkways are a footing and visibility question. A neighborhood entrance is about the first impression of the whole community, which is why entrances get lit carefully.
Combining the two
The two do different jobs and look better together. The house has an outline; the yard reads as space. One without the other looks unfinished.A single design keeps the brightness and the color consistent, which is what happens when two companies work the same property in different years. If the budget only covers one this year, ask which half does more for your property, and it is not always the roofline.Landscape lighting needs a look now and then. Mowers, growing shrubs and time nudge fixtures out of position. An annual adjustment keeps it looking the way it was designed.
Where to go from here
A landscape lighting installation is worth planning on site, at night if you can. EverCrest Lighting installs landscape lighting as well as patio, accent, security and permanent LED roofline lighting for homes and businesses. Working out of Greenville, South Carolina, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Consultations are free, and the design gets built around your yard. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].