When it comes to your home, outdoor landscape lighting is essential. Whether you want to show off your landscaping at night or need light for safety reasons, there are plenty of options when it comes to outdoor lighting systems. When planning out your outdoor lighting needs, there are many factors to consider, including the style and size of light fixtures and if you want to hire an experienced company for your outdoor lighting installation job or if you prefer to DIY. If you are considering outdoor lighting installation in Burlington County, NJ, here’s what you should know before making a final decision.
Types of Outdoor Lighting Systems Available in New Jersey
When it comes to outdoor and landscape lighting in New Jersey, you have plenty of options to choose from. The main types of lighting used for exterior purposes include:
Wall Lights
This type of lighting is typically hardwired and installed on the walls around your home’s entrance or driveway. They are not overly bright but work well as a security measure in the evenings to protect your home from potential intruders. When looking for wall lights, search for low voltage lighting to save money on your energy bills.
Path Lights
Ideal for illuminating pathways leading up to your door, path lights can either be wired or wireless. Most path lighting will be solar-powered, which means no wiring is required at all. This makes them good choices for backyard decks or around a pool where there isn’t any electricity present or when you need a light without cords running across walkways. Solar panel pathway lighting also tends to be smaller and more decorative than larger light options like post lights or spotlights.
Outdoor Post Lights
Outdoor post lights are the most popular outdoor lighting choice for homes in Burlington County, New Jersey, because they come in various options, including modern, traditional, or classic styles that suit any home’s exterior design. They are also easy to install, with no wiring required. Post lights shine a light down onto your path and work well as security lighting at night. However, if used alone, they may not provide enough illumination for pathways leading up to your front door. You will likely need to purchase additional spotlights or pathway lighting to achieve the desired effect, depending on the size of the area that needs coverage from these taller fixtures.
Spotlights
Spotlights are ideal for highlighting landscaping features like trees, bushes, flowers, or an outdoor fountain. Spotlights are higher wattage flood lamps that need additional wiring, but they work well in larger areas like a front yard. Spotlights may provide the best value if you need to cover a large space since you won’t need too many. Spotlights are also a popular option to illuminate a driveway.
Wall-Mounted Flood Lights
Like wall-mount path lights, wall-mount floodlights are hardwired into your home’s exterior walls and shine down onto walkways or stairs leading up to the entrance of your home. They are particularly convenient at night when you’re trying to get inside safely without fumbling with key locks in the dark. You can also use them in garages or other exterior spaces where you need additional lighting without using a lamp post.
Choosing the Right Fixtures First
Before you begin the process of outdoor lighting installation, be sure that you have all your fixtures planned out. It may be beneficial to draw a map of your property and write down where you plan to place each fixture. When choosing outdoor lighting fixtures in Burlington County, New Jersey, you will have plenty of options. Here are some things to consider when choosing the right lights for your home’s exterior:
Determine What Needs Coverage
You can determine how many spotlights, landscape lights, or pathway lights you need by mapping out how much area needs to be illuminated. If you have a large driveway, for example, some fixtures may not be enough on their own to create sufficient lighting conditions around your home’s exterior when it’s dark outside. Creating a visual representation of your property will help you determine where all the lights should go and how many you will need for your project.
Consider Light Fixture Styles
Do you want landscape lighting that matches your existing outdoor lights? Or would modern or traditional options fit better into your home’s exterior design? Consider the type of home you own and choose a style of landscape lighting that will complement your home. If you have a traditional-style home, modern or contemporary lighting solutions may not fit well with your aesthetic.
Think About Energy Efficiency
When you think about the value that outdoor lighting will provide for your home, remember that energy-efficient options can help save money on your electric bill. Solar panel pathway lighting or landscape lighting is a low voltage option that you can install in areas where they won’t get much direct sunlight, so they don’t have to work too hard. For brighter outdoor light, you may want floodlights or spotlights, which require more electricity but shine brightly. You can also go with LED lighting to cut down on energy costs even more.
Consider the Color of the Lights
Choose warm white or yellow bulbs for fixtures that shine onto pathways to give your outdoor space a nice warm feel at night. Lights that have too much blue tint feel clinical and maybe too bright for your nighttime needs. If you are beginning to determine your outdoor lighting needs, consider discussing your options with a professional who can recommend the right bulb colors for your space.
Place floodlights near the front door.
Install wall-mounted floodlights near the front door of your house, especially when there is not a lamppost nearby. You can even set some lights on a schedule, so they turn on at a specific time of night as your family makes their way home.
Common Mistakes People Make When Installing Their Outdoor Lights
- Placing the lights incorrectly. Do not install lights where they will shine directly into other people’s homes or windows. This can be unpleasant for your neighbors.
- Installing too much lighting. Avoid lighting up the sky with your outdoor landscape lighting. Too might lighting can take away from the beauty of the night sky.
- Placing solar panel lights in the wrong location. Solar panel lights won’t work properly if they are installed in the wrong spot. When building out your lighting plan, consider whether using solar-powered lights is a suitable option for your particular situation. Solar panel fixtures are only as effective as the amount of exposure from sunlight during the daytime. If your landscape lighting doesn’t get enough sun during the day, it won’t illuminate at night.
Outdoor and landscape lighting is a great way to create an inviting, comfortable space around your home. If you are interested in outdoor light fixtures for your yard or garden, talk with the experts at Premier Outdoor Lighting in New Jersey. We offer many services and can help with the planning, installation, and maintenance of any lighting job in the New Jersey area. Whether you are looking for outdoor lighting for security reasons or you want to spruce up the look of your home or business, we can help! We offer an affordable price, and our professional team is one of the most trusted in the industry. So contact us today to get started!
