What Landscape Lighting is Best for Your Home?

Is there anything more beautiful than an artfully designed, well-illuminated landscape? Landscaping lighting is the process of adding outdoor lighting to a garden, lawn, patio, walkway, deck, or any other area of your property. There are many different types of lighting available, and each has its own unique benefits.

Outdoor lighting can be used to highlight all types of features of a given property, provide security, and improve the overall appearance of the home. That’s why more homeowners are investing time and energy into selecting from a range of styles and products. If you entertain after sundown, the proper landscaping lighting can be just as important as the landscaping itself.

Become Familiar with Common Types of Outdoor Lights

Selecting landscape lighting for your home can be a little overwhelming, to say the least. For one thing, the market has grown exponentially in recent years, and the viability of LEDs and their use for different applications has only accelerated this trend. If you set out to design even a simple lighting solution, there are a lot of choices. To give a sense of some of what you’ll be choosing from, today’s options can cover a whole spectrum of needs:

• Spotlights
• Uplights and downlights
• Step lights
• Garden lights
• Flood lights
• Bollard lights

An outdoor lighting specialist may be needed to point you toward the right solution for your home – and provide all of the necessary equipment and expertise so you can sit back and enjoy your view. But first, it will help to do a bit of research and determine what you’re hoping to accomplish in each area of your space.

Select from Different Types of Landscape Techniques

When properly illuminated, a landscape should take on a special nighttime beauty. However, each solution has advantages that should be considered before making a decision. To determine what feature will provide the best form of illumination in a given space, you may need to address questions such as:

1. Are you trying to provide safe passage along walks and paths?
2. Do you want a solution that extends to your outdoor entertainment environment?
3. Do you hope to deter potential intruders?
4. Are you interested in environmental alternatives?

A growing array of products are becoming available for outdoor use, from solar to line voltage. Each has its own unique benefits that make them more suited to a specific task. For instance, low-voltage lights are among the most commonly used types of lights for landscaping because they are easy to install and maintain, and – good news – are relatively inexpensive. This category may include solar, LEDs and halogen lighting. Solar lighting is popular because it is environmentally friendly and does not require wiring. Low-voltage LED options are also popular because they use less energy and have a longer lifespan than many other alternatives.

In order to choose the right type of lighting for your landscape, it is important to understand the different types of lighting techniques and products that are available. You may want to mix and match – for instance, adding string lights along the patio where outdoor guests tend to gather. Or you may choose to add accent lighting to highlight a fountain or outdoor artwork, as well as path lighting throughout your garden. Indoor technologies are available for environmental needs, as well.

Talk to Lighting Experts at an Experienced, Full-Service Landscaping Company

Lighting is an integral part of just about any outdoor environment. If you love your home and want to maximize its visual appeal as well as its resale value, then some consideration should go into what lighting solution is best for your space. At Schmechtig, our Illinois-based lighting specialists can walk you through the process from design to installation to make your home look amazing both day and night. We offer a range of services throughout the year, including:

• Holiday lights installation
• Greener alternatives
• Most updated lighting features

Our experts are happy to help homeowners understand the various techniques and types of lighting that can be used for the desired landscaping purposes. Our full-service solution can help you design and install the optimal lighting system – and maintain it as your landscape changes. From focal points to entertainment areas to traffic zones, our experts know how lighting will enrich, enhance, and shape the exterior spaces at night.

Contact Schmechtig Landscapes to get help designing a superior lighting solution for your property. We bring a broad range of knowledge to ensure each unique outdoor space gets just what it needs. Visit Schmechtig Landscapes online to find out more, or call us today!