Landscape lighting is used to illuminate aspects of a building’s exterior and surrounding gardening during nighttime. Most modern landscape lighting is low voltage, which is safer and less costly to install. Although low-voltage lights, operating at 12 volts, receive one-tenth the voltage that a 120-volt system would, landscape lighting does not always require powerful light sources to achieve the goal effect. Landscape lighting systems are relatively easy to implement, and can be safely achieved by a homeowner without professional help. However, if a homeowner would like to achieve a specific aesthetic design rather than just a functional lighting source, professional landscape lighting specialists will be most familiar with the various lighting options and ways to arrange them.
There are infinite designs of landscape lighting fixtures. However, there are some commonly used shapes and functional designs in landscape lighting:
Landscape lighting typically relies on second-hand power from the main building. In the light fixture, there is a transformer, bulb, fixture hardware, stake, and cable. The transformer reduces the 120 volt current coming from the household or building to 12 volts before sending the current through the cable to power the light fixture and bulb. The hardware protects the bulb from the elements, including wind and rain, as well as guides the direction and shape of the light beam. The type of bulb used in each light fixture determines color, brightness, beam width, and electricity usage, among many other factors that can change the landscape lighting effect. Finally, the stake keeps the lighting fixture safely placed in the ground.
Individual landscape lighting fixtures can start at $20. To power the lighting fixtures, transformers can run around $200, and cables may cost around 70 cents per foot. Professional installment can cost $2,000 to $2,500 or more, depending on the intricacy and complexity of the design. Landscape lighting is generally easy maintenance. However, homeowners should make sure to remove leaves and debris from bulbs, in order to prevent overheating and potential fires. Burned-out bulbs should be promptly replaced in order to prevent voltage overloads.
Works Consulted
Gorman, Jim. "All About Landscape Lighting." This Old House Magazine. This Old House
Ventures LLC, 11 Apr. 2017. Web. 21 June 2017.
"Standards for Outdoor Lighting Professionals." Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals.
Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals, 2007. Web. 20 June 2017.
<http://www.aolponline.org/pdf/aolp_standards_of_installation.pdf>.
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