What landscape lighting is for
Where roofline lighting works on the building, landscape lighting handles everything below it: paths, garden beds, trees and stairs. The goal is light you see the effect of, not fixtures you count. Done badly, it looks like an airport runway down the driveway.
What goes in a typical plan
Path lighting is usually the starting point, since walking to the door in the dark is the daily problem. Uplighting on the trees worth showing changes the whole front of a property after dark. Beds, steps, walls and the drive fill in the rest, and the step lighting is safety more than looks.
Landscape, patio and security lighting are related jobs
Homeowners usually want more than one thing. Patio lighting is what turns a patio into somewhere you sit in the evening. Security lighting handles the parts of the property nobody can see from the street. Accent lighting picks out the details worth picking out.
Where landscape lighting usually goes wrong
The most common mistake is volume. Even light everywhere removes the shadow that gives a yard shape. Badly aimed fixtures put light in your guests' eyes instead of on the ground. The third is forgetting that plants grow, when the shrub in front of the uplight has doubled.
Commercial landscape lighting
Businesses light the grounds for other reasons. Outdoor seating only gets used after dark if the light is right. A parking area is a safety question first. A neighborhood entrance is about the first impression of the whole community, which is why entry lighting gets attention in planned developments.
How they work as one design
The two solve different problems, and most properties want both. Roofline light outlines the building, and the yard lighting gives the front of the property depth.A single design avoids a mismatched result, which is the usual problem when
https://evercrestlighting.com/ a second company adds to a first company's work. If the budget only covers one this year, ask which half does more for your property, and it is not always the roofline.Landscape lighting is not entirely hands off. Fixtures shift over time, plantings grow up in front of them, and the aim wanders. Once a year somebody should re aim what has drifted, which is a short job with a visible result.
Getting it planned properly
A landscape lighting installation should be designed at the property, preferably with somebody who has seen it after dark. EverCrest Lighting does landscape lighting installation along with patio, accent, security and permanent roofline lighting for residential and commercial properties. They are based in Greenville, South Carolina and serve Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Consultations are free, and the design gets built around your yard. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].