Outdoor Lighting for Walkways Around the Home

If your outdoor walkway is anything like mine, than it is raised from the grass with patio stones which can become a hazardous walk at night. Especially in those high heel shoes that we are all so fond of. There are many techniques that we can use to light the walkway without causing light pollution in our yard or in our neighborhood, and without even contributing to the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Walkway lights are great if you are coming home from an evening out, or if you are just letting the dog out in the middle of the night. They provide the perfect amount of light - and do very well in urban environments.

Solar powered walkway lights are perfect for your front yard. They are cordless, come in boxes of twelve to twenty four, and are available at most large scale local retailers. They screw right into the ground, and are weather proof too. They absorb the light of the sun during the day and begin to shine at dusk. I have found that the best quality lights will remain on throughout the night, and than recharge once the sun comes up. Solar power is a free resource, and therefore the lights will not cost the homeowner any more money on the power bill. These lights can be bright, but it is important to purchase a good brand, as the better the brand, the better quality the solar absorption and light output will be.

LED lights are the brightest of lights, and can either run from batteries, or can be connected to a power source within the home. The lights are small, and most are energy efficient - the homeowner will rarely see a large increase for the costs of power to run these small outdoor lights. These lights have a blueish tint, and look great on any walkway.

Now that you know which lights to choose, where should the lights be placed? Traditionally, walkway lights are placed along the walkway, on each side of the path leading towards the home. They are placed from the doorstep to the edge of the lawn, and are safe in most urban neighborhoods.

Another choice for the lights is to outline the lawn with the lights on the edge, be sure to check with your neighbors for the fact that this could create a lot of light.

My preference for the lights is along the pathway, they are low profile, and keep the light towards the ground. I also have some lights in the garden to outline the plants at night and it creates a glowing effect that looks great in the garden.

I live in a relatively safe neighborhood, but there has been known to be some disturbances and on two occasions, some of my lights have been stolen. They are cordless lights, and therefore, I fail to see a way that I can secure these lights. This is the only problem with solar paneled and cordless LED lights. Again, I fail to see what people would want with two or three lights from a set!