Outdoor Lighting Systems

Outdoor lighting can be an important part of your home when it comes to safety. It can make you safer in two ways, one is that it illuminates around your home and walkways so it is safe for guests to see up stairs safely without falling or tripping. The second way it makes you safer is by keeping good light around it will deter people from wanting to break into or vandalize your home. There are many different options when it comes to outdoor lighting such as fluorescent floodlight, low voltage systems, solar powered lights, and lights set on timers. All are good but one may suit you more than another so I will explain all the systems and let you decides what works best for you.

Fluorescent floodlights are a good option for those who want to save a little money on the electric bill, many people have thought that fluorescent bulbs wouldn't work in the cold, and that was true in the past but now with the technology we have these bulbs will work well below zero degrees. These also put out a considerable amount of light and are good for lighting walkways. These are best if used pointing slightly to the ground or away from people's line of sight because they are bright enough to cause problems if they shine right in someone's eyes. A good option for lighting a lot of ground area or up in the air.

The next option is a low voltage system, which is good for paths, decks, patios and they come in a nice kit that is fairly easy to install. Typically a kit will include fixtures, cable, and connectors along with a transformer that will lower 120 volt current to 12 volts. If you buy a higher end kit you will probably get a timer as well, I would recommend spending the extra money to get a timer; it will be worth it later. To install a low voltage system, first run the cable in shallow trenches along the path of where you want the lights to go. Next all you do is place the lights in the ground and link the wires to the lights usually with snap on connectors. Once you have all your lights in the ground mount the transformer somewhere convenient and simply plug it into a normal outlet. These kits are really easy and it's nice because you can use as many or few lights as you need. I like to use this system for longer runs of lights just because it is the easiest way to do it.

Solar powered light is nice because it costs you nothing to run them. In the past, solar powered lights have been extremely expensive and not bright enough to light a single porch. Well now we have the technology to make these things very user friendly. They are still a little expensive but well worth the money. I recently did an article on AC about the Xepa solar powered light that is amazing. I spent about $50-$60 and the thing works like a champ. You can get solar powered lights that are extremely bright and reasonably priced, just do a little research before going out and buying the most expensive one you can find. These solar powered lights are extremely easy to put up as well.

Last but not least are your lights set on timers. These are good if you have the right set up. My biggest complaint about these types of lights is the cords and mess you could have if you don't have the right application. The timer is handy and works well but you can get almost any of the other type of lights with timers too. This is my least favorite way of setting up outdoor lighting; it would suit you just as well to get a system with a motion sensor and a day and night sensor.

These are the most basic outdoor lighting systems and most work well, just decide what works best for you and your situation. Good luck.