Installing an outdoor landscape lighting system offers tremendous value to homeowners. That’s because a landscape lighting system can substantially increase both the value and salability of a home. An outdoor lighting system also adds intangible value by enhancing a family’s enjoyment of their home. And just as importantly, a landscape lighting system makes a home safer and less likely to be targeted by criminals.
But in spite of all the benefits that landscape lighting systems offer, it’s important that lighting systems be designed and installed correctly. Unfortunately, though, many ‘professional’ lighting installers aren’t exactly at the top of the game in their field. The many lighting systems that have been installed with these four amateurish mistakes makes that evident:
- Improper spacing of fixtures. This is a mistake that we see all too frequently – typically with fixtures placed too closely together. This mistake is very often made with pathway lighting. The pathway lights are placed very closely together, creating a harsh, glaring and overpowering effect.
- Improper focusing of lights. Light pollution is becoming more and more of a concern these days. And improperly installed landscape lighting can contribute to the problem. This can occur when the installer allows the focusing of the lights to become problematical – allowing lights to shine into the street, for example, or into a neighbor’s yard. With a properly designed system, you should be able to stand back and view the entire landscape without a single light creating a glare that impedes your view of the whole.
- Overusing a fixture design. Is every light and lamp fixture inside your home of exactly the same design and style? Of course not. Neither should all your outdoor lights be identical in style. And yet that’s a mistake that’s commonly made with outdoor lighting systems. The result is a cookie-cutter-looking system that is bland, boring and inelegant.
- Overstated lighting. The term “less is more” certainly applies to the design of landscape lighting systems. Landscape lighting should compliment your home’s landscape by gently highlighting its best features. All too commonly, though, lighting systems are installed with the apparent objective of flooding every square inch of the property with light. Instead, the goal should be a balanced nightscape of gently muted areas flowing into softly highlighted areas.
Installing a Lighting System Isn’t All About Nuts, Bolts and Wiring…
The mistakes listed above are all mistakes of design. They’re mistakes made by installers who don’t understand (or care) about the importance of properly designing a landscape lighting system. A shame, because the design of a system is just as important as stringing wires, installing lights and making electrical connections.
If you’ve decided to add an outdoor lighting system to your property, you’ve made a wise decision. Don’t negate the wisdom of that decision by choosing an inexperienced or incompetent installer. Because choosing an experienced installer like TLC Inc. is the best way to ensure that you get full value from the money you invest in your landscape lighting system.