Sunday, November 1, 2009

Choosing the Right Outdoor Lighting Ideas

By Jennifer Perkins

You can utilize any number of outdoor lighting ideas in order to boost the feel and look of your home and yard. You could own the best looking house in the neighborhood, but it will look all that much better when shown off with well-thought out light fixtures at night. Well planned outdoor lighting can give your house with a whole new appearance and help your family feel more secure from possible thieves when evening comes.

Choosing Between Solar or Electrical

Before you decide on which outdoor lighting ideas will work best with your property, you should also take into consideration whether you want to go with solar or electrical lighting outside. Solar lighting components are usually the cheapest, and are certainly so when it comes to using the lights because they draw their power from the sun during the day and then use the power when night comes.

Electrical lighting is more pricey but puts out a brighter quality of light than solar lighting does in most instances. Electrical lighting can be quite costly to install outdoors because of the necessity for homeowners to run wiring from the light to the home's electrical system. Also, electrical lighting will likely cause you to use more energy, which means higher electricity bills, whereas the solar powered light will harness the power of the sun, which is a renewable energy source.

Outdoor Lighting Idea Pertaining to Ground Stakes and Ropes Very helpful when trimming the sidewalk while lighting a path for you to see by at night, the ground stakes or rope are functional and decorative. Many people will use these to work out a pathway from the garage to the home or from the driveway to the home.

Lamp Post Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Lamp posts, either at the end of the drive or strategically placed around the home can give your property a regal look. Additionally, this added lighting can help you to see clearly around the areas of the home that can be typically prone to burglars, which makes them a deterrent to crime, even while you're away.

Landscape Accenting for Outdoor Lighting Ideas

If you have sizable flower beds or other ornaments that you want to show off, outdoor lighting is a great way to do so. Small spot lights on a fountain or other ornamental in a flower garden can have a big effect.

More Outdoor Lighting Ideas

These additional tidbits for your outdoor lighting ideas may help you get the very most out of your lighting:

1. Think about using timers on your outdoor lighting to streamline turning the lighting on or off. Timers are also fantastic for leaving the lights on whenever you travel or take a vacation. It makes your home look lived in while you're gone.

2.Brighter is not always better, so the goal when it comes to outdoor lighting ideas is to brighten up your yard with fewer fixtures. This can be tricky, but it is possible with a little well thought out placement.

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