Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Design

Outdoor lighting can be incorporated into your landscape not only to highlight interesting features but to provide your home with additional beauty and security. The key to outdoor lighting is knowing exactly what features you would like to emphasize and how you want to do it. For example, do you want to accentuate a flower bed, highlight a sculpture or fountain, or are you more interested in lighting up a walkway for easier access at night?

Take a good look around your home, beforehand, so you can see what you have to work with. You need to take note of whether or not there are any electrical outlets nearby; otherwise, you might need to reconsider your lighting options. If there are no outlets within the area that you want to highlight, you can still provide low-key lighting. This type of light provides subtle hints of illumination wherever you need it through the use of lanterns, candles, and strings of light. You could also consider using solar-powered lighting in these areas.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to your lighting needs. Low-voltage lighting is probably one of the more commonly used. Low-voltage lighting is safe, easy to install, and relatively inexpensive depending on what your needs are. Lighting kits are widely available in most home and garden centers. These come in a variety of styles that offer different lighting techniques for whichever lighting effect you wish to achieve. With low-voltage lighting, you can achieve special effects through downlighting or uplighting methods.

Downlighting is generally used for security purposes and produces a more natural effect as it comes from above, like the sun or moon. You can easily mimic moonlight within the landscape by placing the fixtures in one or more large trees. Careful placement at different angles should provide you with a good balance of light. Downlighting is an effective way to highlight both walkways and driveways. The fixtures can easily be concealed within plants or those which resemble lamp posts can be implemented. Just make sure that the lights are shielded to reduce glare.

If you're looking to add drama to a specific part of the landscape, then uplighting is the way to go. This type of lighting produces the opposite effect from natural light as it comes from below. Uplighting is often used to create dramatic effects for highlighting focal points, such as plants or other objects. Placing the fixtures near a wall and pointing upward creates a subtle effect. The object will be lit up enough to notice; yet, no details can be made out. If you want to create a silhouette of an object, simply place the fixture behind it. Moving the fixture towards the front of an object will have the opposite effect and produce shadows.

Low-voltage lighting is acceptable for most of your outdoor lighting needs. If you're installing this type of lighting for the first time, be sure to follow the step-by-step directions, included with kits, carefully. The transformer should be mounted off the ground and near an electrical outlet. Fixtures can be placed wherever you want, according to your lighting needs. Cables can be clamped into a suitable connector and easily concealed in shallow trenches anywhere from 3-6 inches deep. Mulch or some type of groundcover can also be used to help conceal these areas as well. Low-voltage lighting requires little attention, other than routine maintenance. This includes the regular cleaning of fixtures and replacement of blown or damaged bulbs. Regular pruning of nearby plants will also keep any future problems down to a minimum.

Landscape lighting creates an inviting and safe environment for yourself and others within your home. It's an easy and effective way to spruce up your surroundings as well.