Now that your custom house is almost finished, exterior lighting will come to complete the picture, “throwing light” upon your brand new home and enhancing its functionality. Once the major construction stages are covered, the electricians simply install the outdoor lighting system. However, choosing the fixtures related to this part should occur way earlier in the project, even before starting the actual build. The optimal moment to do this is when you and your architect create the detailed list of materials that are going to be used throughout the project.
This phase is one of the simplest because it involves no “magic tricks”, but the simple intervention of an electrician. Since it is quite an easy task, the persons with a “do-it-yourself” impulse might get engaged in carrying out this work. Before participating in this installation process, just ask permission from the expert hired to do the job and observe the commonsensical safety rules when handling electricity. Thus, make sure that you are not in the vicinity of any standing water so that you don’t get shocked. Furthermore, use gloves or plastic if you install halogen lighting. This way, you avoid direct contact with it and prevent the natural oil from your skin from reducing the life of the bulb.
When designing the plans for your future residence, you definitely have to take into consideration the matter of lighting as well. This aspect is part of the landscape work you will be doing to confer something special to your home. Therefore, make sure that your electrical contractor adds a few electrical and light sockets to the house’s exterior when the construction process reaches the stage of installing the utility systems.
Exterior Lighting Choices
You can be the happy beneficiary of a wide range of exterior lighting effects and turn your residence into a more beautiful and safer place if your contractor takes care of installing the proper wiring. Consider the following options in this respect, but bear in mind that moderation is the key to a successful outcome. You don’t want neighbors to complain about being kept awake by your outdoor lights, do you?
The first alternative you might take advantage of is uplighting, which implies placing a light at the base of a structure or a tree within your property. This enables one to create interesting shadows.
A second possibility in terms of outdoor illumination is downlighting. Sometimes referred to as moonlighting as well, it brightens things from above because the fixture is placed in a tree or any other high location.
Thirdly, feature lighting allows you to put certain objects or items in the “limelight” within your outdoor show. A favorite tree, your doorway, a backyard pond or fountain, an outdoor art object, or another architectural feature of your new home can become the object of attention. This option is quite fun because it stimulates your imagination in randomly spotlighting various “points” of interest.
A forth illumination technique consists of grazing, which requires you to install a light close to an interesting surface, such as a brick or stone wall or the bark of a tree. By doing so, you allow the beam of light to shine across the surface, which accentuates the texture of the item.
If you aim for both a romantic look and safety, low-voltage lighting fixtures are the thing you need. Available in a broad spectrum of styles to match the aspect of your home, they are also useful in revealing the boundaries of a yard or lining a walkway.
Utility lighting is the solution to the case when you want to shed bright light on a particular outdoor area, such as near the grill, a set pf steps, the garage, where you will be unloading your car.
Last but not least, you can give your home a festive look with the occasion of a special holiday by means of specific lighting systems. Consult your landscape designer in this respect and ask for some suggestions on placing outlets, camouflaging cords and hanging fixtures.
Light is a valuable “instrument” in highlighting the beauty of your new home, so why not take advantage of it by means of the exterior lighting?