Lighting for Your Backyard

Providing garden lights to your backyard is both a functional and decorative idea for the home that just about anyone can do. You could ask around, especially landscape artists, do a Google search or just visit the hardware or lighting shops to learn what types of outdoor lights and fixtures you can use.

Outdoor lighting might seem decadent at first glance, but it isn’t. It is economical and easy. Use low voltage fixtures to give your home an air of elegance and its occupants a feeling of security.

Here are some starter tips when planning to install outdoor lights

* Prepare your budget and game plan. Make this task easier on yourself by learning what your options are and deciding how to proceed. Map out your course of action and make sure your plans fit into your budget. A landscape consultant can help you if you make these decisions if you find yourself overwhelmed.

* Low voltage is always better. Low voltage lamps conserve energy and provide just enough lighting to give your lawn a pleasant glow. These lights come in sets at many hardware and department stores, and they include built-in transformers and usually timers that will turn your outdoor lights on or off at specified times.

* Pick your lighting fixtures carefully. Many homeowners like to light up their shrubbery or other decorative plants. The best lights for this are 5-7 watts, which will softly illuminate a rose bush or tree without being overpowering. It’s important that your transformer can handle that much electricity, so make sure you have plenty of capacity before installing lots of lights.

* Draw a diagram of your lighting project and store it in a safe place. Not only will this help you during the installation, it will come in handy if you need to do repairs or make changes in the future. Don’t forget to write down the power specs, light bulb wattage, and the precise location of all your components.

* Know what you need before you go shopping. Write down which bulbs you need and how many. Know how much cable you need and how much power it should be able to handle.

* Prepare the Backyard. Outdoor lights typically come in kits with a pole meant to be driven into the ground. You may want to soften the ground by watering it first. Install the light GFCI receptacles and lay out the cables runs connecting these to your transformer. Have enough excess cable runs at the transformer end.

* Use technology to turn your system on and off. If you aren’t home to turn you lights on at night, or you would just rather leave it up to technology, then install a transformer that can detect changes in the light. It will automatically sense that night has fallen and switch on your lights in the evening. When dawn comes, it will turn them off as well.