How to Begin Planning Landscape Lighting

When starting to plan your landscape, lighting should be considered at the beginning. What, where, and how the fixtures are placed will help achieve the overall scene. By using LED Technology can be a cost saving option.

When starting to plan your landscape lighting, begin by standing inside your home looking out into your gardens and lawn areas. To create a dramatic statement for your garden or landscape, pick out one or two focal points. More can be to confusing. Fill in around the focal point with a layering of soft illumination that will complete the overall scene, giving depth and dimension to the surrounding areas.

A good illumination scheme doesn't call attention to itself, rather it should mimic the effects of a beautiful moonlit night. Creating romatic shadows or by making entertainment areas come alive. Landscape illumination helps give direction to people sending them where you want them to go. People tend to stay out of the darkness and congegate in spots that are lit.

Look for blind spots, uneven walkways, protuding walls and areas that are obstructed from view. Walk from the street to the front of your home. Walk up and down the stairways.

Some light will spill from the accent areas. Work outward from these accent points to fill in areas with spread or path illumination. Try different techniques, have fun discovering the beauty of your gardens.

Consider motion sensors at key entry points starting at the beginning of your driveway. Use similiar plans to your front door. If you have a big lawn area, stategically place sheilded fixtures at a spot that are farthest away. A well lit yard will discourage prowlers who prefer darkness. Plan some security fixtures for enlighting your sheds or barns. Powerful floodlights attached to the side of your house can have motion sensors. Be sure to use sheilded or directional fixtures so as not to disturb the neighbors.

Key strategies for arranging the landscaping fixtures and minimize voltage drops is by laying out your cable runs to maximize their potential. Using straight line is the easiest. Start with a transformer and run the cable out and around.

Loop installation is connecting both ends of cable to the transformer, running out and back. Then install the wire leads to the proper terminals. Cable can run in what ever pattern you choose.

To split the load installation, run your maximum cable length in two or more directions from the transformer.

The "T" formation will give you equal distribution of power to center of a run. Place transformer at bottom of the "T" then branch off in two directions, in any pattern. Be careful cable run is not to long or has to many lights for the transformer to handle. A general rule of thumb is 100 watts per 100 foot of cable.

Cable running from transformer should be heavier 8 to 10 gauge wire if cable run is too long or too many fixtures being powered by a single transformer. Sometimes it better to split the load between two transformers.

Be sure to check out LED technology great for energy efficiency and long life.

Search the web on more answers to the

New LED Technology For more answers on

Landscape Lighting

check here.