Light the Way
By David Starr
Lighting creates ambiance and showcases your home and landscaping.
Photo courtesy of Nightscaping.
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The days are getting shorter and from now through Super Bowl Sunday you may be playing host
to evening guests. Start their experience off right by providing the right ambiance even
before they get to your door. Create enchantment with outdoor lighting.
Before You Begin
"Before you begin the project, ask yourself why you want to light up the area," says Pat
Attkisson of Nightscaping, an outdoor lighting manufacturer in Redlands, California. "Do a
needs-analysis. Do you want to showcase a favorite tree, rosebush or a vintage statue? Or
would you simply like a lamppost to see the driveway or some light near the keyhole?"
Low voltage outdoor lighting is economical and easy to install. All you need is a
transformer, light fixtures and lamps (bulbs), cable and imagination.
Lighting fixtures come in designs that add beauty to the setting in daytime also.
Photo courtesy of Hadco Lighting.
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Plan Ahead
Planning is primary. You won't know what to get if you don't know what and how to light.
And plan ahead - first assume that your needs are going to change. Trees grow, landscaping
varies by season and you may acquire a beautiful sculpture you want to highlight.
To stay flexible, get a flexible system, starting with the all-important transformer. Don't
scrimp on this item: get what you think you'll want even if you don't need it now. Features
to consider include a photo cell (turns on automatically at dusk), a timer (to turn the
system off), dimmers (lowers light when you put up your holiday lights) and extra wattage
(California Landscape Lighting recommends 25 percent more than what you currently need.)
Lighting Techniques
Think of what you want lit and how best to light it. Consider these basic lighting techniques:
- Uplighting: Good for highlighting a tree - a bare tree in winter can be dramatic. Also
called wall-washing when you light up a wall.
- Downlighting or Moonlighting: Casts a smooth glow and is perfect for entry courtyards
and in landscaping.
- Spread or Path lighting: Used to create pools of light along a walkway or driveway or
in a planter bed for visual appeal. Best when staggered; avoid that landing-strip look.
- Backlighting or Silhouette lighting: A special effect that lights a background, such as
a wall, and causes the object in front to appear as a silhouette.
- Shadowing: An effect that lights the front of an object and casts its shadow onto a
wall behind it.
Uplighting draws attention to a beautiful tree while hidden downlighting casts a moonlit glow.
Photo courtesy of Nightscaping.
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Take care when using certain special effects: "Special effects lighting used carelessly
looks eeriewhich may be a good technique for a Halloween party but hardly any other time,"
says lighting designer James Callahan of Palm Springs, California. "Start with a theme
inside the home and continue it outside."
Choosing the Right Lamp or Bulb
"Some bulbs, like sodium, brown out objects and discolor flowerbeds, while fluorescent
lights remind you of supermarkets and parking lots," says Callahan.
Lamps that are too white or too bright produce a cold or unnatural look. Halogen lamps
generate a white light that clearly defines any edges of the subject but is more apt to
show true color. Incandescent lamps have amber tones and provide diffused, softer light.
"If you want to light a wooden door or a gate but not make it the focal point, incandescent
is the way to go," says Attkisson. "If you want to light a blue spruce and have it look
blue, go halogen."
What Kind of Light Fixture to Use
There are three basic styles each of which are accessorized by different lenses or shields.
They range from budget-minded composition-fiberglass or aluminum to expensive works of art
in copper or polished brass.
- Bullets: easy to aim for uplighting, downlighting and backlighting. Surface mount
or place on a stake in the ground.
- Well-Lights: a direct bury-in-the-ground fixture, used for uplighting, wall-washing
or backlighting. Use a different lens cover for softening effects.
- Spread lights: used along pathways and in garden beds to highlight color - sometimes
called mushroom or tiered lights.
The Dreaded Voltage Drop
Cable runs the power from the transformer to the fixture. Rule number one: The lower the
gauge of the cable the farther it can run from the transformer. If you get this part wrong,
you may get "voltage drop" - not enough power at more distant fixtures resulting in uneven
or dim light. Aqua 'N' Lite has an entire table of what works and what doesn't.