Landscaping Your Backyard? Hire An Electrician To Install Landscape Lighting For You
If you are landscaping your backyard, you should consider adding landscape lighting. This can brighten your backyard at night, and it can look beautiful. This is something you should never do on your own, however, Hire an electrician to do this. Below is some information on what residential electrician services can install for you.
Line Voltage vs Lower Voltage
When it comes to landscape lighting, you have the option to use line voltage or lower voltage. If you plan to use a variety of bulbs with your landscape lighting, then line voltage would be your best option. Line voltage allows you to use bulbs at a higher wattage also. Some of the bulbs this type can power includes fluorescent, incandescent, and halide.
With a line voltage system, the electrician must run a conduit to the location of each fixture installed. The electrician will dig a trench to place the conduit in and then cover it with soil. The electrician that installs the line voltage system will ensure that all codes are followed.
Low voltage systems are what most people use, as this is lower cost. A lower voltage is used, which saves on energy costs, the lower wattage bulbs are less expensive, and you can easily move the lights if needed. You need to have an outdoor electrical outlet to use a low voltage system. The electrician that you hire can install the outlet for you, if needed. The electrician could also add a timer to automatically turn the lights on and off to make things easier for you.
Types of Landscape Lighting
There are different types of landscape lighting available for you to install for your yard. For example, you can use spotlights to highlight one feature. Spotlights point in only one direction, which is generally pointing up. They come in different brightness levels. You can use spotlights to highlight things like a statue, water fountain, plants, patios, walls, and more.
Then, there are uplights, which can be placed near a wall, in front of a statue, or between your hedges. Uplights offer a great way to create light on a front walkway for safety purposes if you have hedges in front of your home.
String lights are beautiful and can be put in trees, much like lights on a Christmas tree. You can string the lights around a deck, porch railing, and much more. If you have a flower garden, install garden landscape lighting. These lights point downward and outward to cover a certain area. This will highlight a wide area of beautiful flowers and plants.
The electrician that you hire can give you some tips on the best areas of your yard to place the lights.