Low-Voltage Lights in Different Settings
Many homeowners have discovered that their front and back yards can be used as outdoor rooms, before and after dark. It follows, then, that a homeowner should take outdoor lighting design as seriously as their interior design.
Low-voltage landscape lighting has become very popular. Jim and Tracy Landsiedel own NiteLites of Cincinnati, OH, which puts them in a good position to tell us why this trend is taking off.
Advantages of Low-Voltage Landscape Lights
Low-voltage lighting, says Tracy, “is very energy efficient to operate, extremely low maintenance, and falls in line with the green industry.” Very few outdoor lighting products are “green” in themselves, which means that, among other things, they are made from recyclable or renewable materials. However, any option that saves energy and doesn’t require constant replacement parts could be considered environmentally responsible.
Tracy’s lights are also dark-sky approved, which may initially seem counter-intuitive. The International Dark-Sky Association educates lighting designers and others about public light pollution and how to reduce it. This association also favorably certifies lighting fixtures that minimize glare, reduce light trespass, and don’t pollute the night sky. In more concrete terms, NiteLites systems and other dark-sky approved fixtures allow you to admire both your rose bushes and the stars at the same time.
In addition to being a responsible option, low-voltage lights are also user-friendly. The individual lights are connected by wires to a single transformer in your yard. Because the wires only carry a 12-volt charge, they don’t have to be buried in a conduit. Consequently, when you want to rearrange your lights or add a few more, you won’t need to tear up the landscaping or call an electrician.
Designing your Landscape Lighting
If you are having your outdoor landscape lights professionally installed, you should still be a part of the design process. Any lighting design company you choose should begin the process with a long conversation with you, the homeowner. “Even though we are in the business of designing outdoor lighting systems, we assist our customer in understanding the design process,” says Tracy. After all, you’re the one who will be living with it.
The great thing about being a co-designer is that you learn a lot along the way. One misconception Tracy encounters regularly is that too many lights are a bad thing. Again, lighting a yard isn’t much different from lighting your home. Lighting your yard with many small but strategically placed lights is far more attractive than blasting a yard full of light from one or two overpowered light sources.
When correctly used, outdoor landscape lighting will throw a soft but defining glow on trees, flagpoles and architectural details, while providing ambient lighting for the rest of the yard. You shouldn’t be overly concerned with lighting paths or walkways, either, says Tracy, “A home will receive residual lighting from the lights placed on the architecture. There are more interesting points of architectural interest than illuminating a walkway.”
Living With Your Landscaping Lights
Once installed, low-voltage lights are incredibly easy to maintain, though they still need some occasional attention. A good maintenance program should include changing all the bulbs as well as cleaning, straightening and tightening the fixtures as needed. At least once a year, you should either trim your plants away from the fixtures, or move the fixtures to accommodate your growing plants. If you are having your landscape lights professionally installed, you may want to find an installer that also offers this kind of maintenance as well.
NiteLites is a featured exhibitor at the Dayton Home & Garden Show. For more tips, read about these green building products.
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