What landscape lighting is for
Where roofline lighting works on the building, landscape lighting takes care of the yard: paths, garden beds, trees and stairs. Done well, it looks like the yard is lit and not like a row of lamps. Done badly, it looks like an airport runway down the driveway.
The pieces of a plan
Most plans start with the path to the door, because that is the part you use whether or not anybody is looking. A light aimed up
https://andyegti397.wordcanopy.com/posts/lighting-for-curb-appeal-how-light-changes-the-view-from-the-road-how-does-outdoor-lighting-affect-curb-appeal-curb-appeal-after-dark into a tree gives the yard depth after sunset. Beds, steps, retaining walls and the driveway round it out, 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 lights the places that stay dark, which is a different goal from the pretty work. Accent lighting highlights the parts of the house or yard worth a second look.
Where landscape lighting goes wrong
The most common mistake is too much of it. Even light across the whole yard kills the contrast that makes it look good. 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.
Businesses and communities
Businesses light the grounds for other reasons. A restaurant patio has to be comfortable to sit in after dark. A parking area is about people getting to their cars. A neighborhood entrance is about the first impression of the whole community, which is why entrances get lit carefully.
How they work as one design
Roofline lighting works on the house. The yard is a separate job. Most properties want both. Roofline light gives the house a shape after dark, and the yard lighting gives the front of the property depth.A single design keeps the brightness and the color consistent, which is the usual problem when a second company adds to a first company's work. If the budget has to be split, a good designer will tell you which half to do first, and the answer is not always the house.Landscape lighting is not entirely hands off. Mowers, mulch and time nudge fixtures out of position. Once a year somebody should re aim what has drifted, which takes very little time and makes an obvious difference.
Getting it planned properly
The plan should be made standing in the yard, not chosen off a menu. EverCrest Lighting does landscape lighting installation along with patio, accent, security and permanent roofline lighting for homes and businesses. Working out of Greenville, South Carolina, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. The consultation is free and the design is drawn for your property. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].