When considering your lighting for the outdoors, your main consideration is your intended use. Will your lighting be used to enhance security? Will you use lighting to enhance the architectural details of your home? Will you choose lighting that will let you enjoy your garden and patio after the sun goes down or do you have a fountain or pond that you would like to highlight? Your outdoor lighting needs may include all or parts of these considerations. The choices may seem daunting. Not only do you have to figure out your lighting scheme, but you will also have a choice in power sources, bulbs used and voltages. Lucky for you, lighting professionals and home decorators are out there to help you with your choices.
When considering security lights, you have many great choices. You have flood lights that can provide bright illumination to wide areas, lighting up even the darkest corners of your yard. Mounted on garage areas, backs of homes or the peak in the front, this is the outdoor light workhorse that can provide peace of mind. Most floodlights come in motion detector models that will automatically turn on the light if any motion is detected in the range of the sensor. Some outdoor flood lights can even be set to go on at dusk and off at dawn.
Other considerations for outdoor lighting for security are the post lamp and pathway lights. Post lamps are traditionally used in the front yard area to provide illumination for safety and security but nothing precludes you from using a post lamp in the back or side area of your property. Post lamps traditionally come with a sensor which switches the lamp on and off at dusk and dawn. Some post lamps even come with an outlet for plugging in outdoor power tools and other electrical devices. Make sure that this outlet is on a GFCI protected circuit. If you do not know how to do this yourself, consult an electrical professional.
Walkway lights are a great way to use outdoor lighting to enhance your property and provide a safe walkway for you and your family. Walkway lighting comes in various styles, bulb usage and voltage. Some neat ones are solar powered which will also automatically light at dusk. Others are of the low voltage variety which provides a soft, even lighting. You can even consider LED pathway lights. LED lighting provides crisp, even lighting with low energy usage. LED lighting is the perfect choice for the consumer who is thinking green.
No matter your outdoor lighting needs, your lighting professional or home decor expert can help you make the choice.