Planning always determines the success of any project, and landscape lighting installation is no exception. A well-planned lighting design scheme will bring your outdoors to life after sunset and enhance the safety and extension of your living space. As a landscape lighting expert in Toronto, we have compiled this guide to help you achieve beautiful and functional outdoors.
Things You Should Know to Plan for Your Landscape Lighting Project
Start with Planning
The key to creating a perfect outdoor landscape design is proper planning. It helps to have a basic knowledge of lighting before hiring a professional, so you are confident about the questions you need to ask them. You should know the spots where you want to install lights and ensure you have electricity at the right place.
Decide the Look and Feel
Do you wish to add drama, depth, or excitement? What kind of atmosphere would you like to create in your backyard? Or do you wish to prioritize safety above all? Answering these questions will help you select the correct type of lighting, as suggested by landscape designers. This helps create a smooth and seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.
Understand IP Ratings
The IP rating will give you a clear understanding of how well light can cope with elements such as water and penetration of solids such as dust.
The IP rating of a light fitting has two digits. The first shows the degree of protection from solid objects such as dust or fine soil particles. Landscape designers recommend choosing a fitting with the highest rating of six, which offers complete protection from solids.
The second digit shows the protection against water ingress. Opt for a rating of six, so your lights perform well even in the heaviest rainfall. However, if you live in a location with chances of lights getting submerged in water, you need to score eight.
Choose LEDs
Today LEDs are the standard for almost every lighting application because of their high energy efficiency, durability, and low heat output. But when choosing lights, remember that yellow lights are more relaxing than white lights, which can spoil the tone and texture of your outdoor surfaces.
Identify the Ideal Fixture for the Spot
It is vital to create a balanced and comforting landscape lighting design rather than something that makes you feel overwhelmed. So, ensure you get answers to some important questions, including:
- Do you need light to guide visitors along the pathway?
- Does your gate need good lighting?
- Would you like to create a sense of privacy or glorify the outdoors?
Knowing this will help determine whether you need horizontal or vertical lighting design. The former will help see obstacles or trip hazards on the ground, while the latter will help recognize the facial features of approaching people.
Prioritize Safety
It is crucial to put all unsafe areas in your garden in light, including stairs, retaining walls, slopes, and pathways. You don’t want to create a design that keeps safety in the dark. So, ensure you plan to illuminate all pathways without them being extremely glaring. As suggested by landscape lighting experts, a light with 300 to 400 lumens is enough for safety.
Highlight the Best Features
Identify the best features in your backyard and areas that deserve focus, such as a tree or sculpture. Go for light tones that enhance the features you want to highlight. It always helps to consult expert landscape designers, as they know how to begin lighting layer by layer, carefully identifying every outdoor element that needs enhancement.
Avoid Overemphasis
Many homeowners overemphasize their landscape with lights spoiling the entire look and feel. Landscape lighting is about creating an inviting feel while focusing on safety. It is vital to keep some areas dark in your garden to create a contrast and balance, which also helps curb light pollution and power usage at night. The thoughtful placing of lighting will also allow you to enjoy the night sky while sitting in a relatively dark section of your backyard.
Tips to Reduce Light Pollution
Installing too many lights or choosing the wrong places can create unwanted light pollution that washes out the beautiful view of the stars, wastes energy, and money, and causes temporary blindness due to direct reflection into the eyes. So, here are some tips to achieve a balanced, beautiful, and soothing ambiance for your outdoors at night:
- Check the position of the lights at night to ensure that they are aimed at the right spot
- Shield bulbs to concentrate light where you want
- Use fixtures with reflectors
- Avoid using high-wattage bulbs as it will create harsh brightness that will neither improve aesthetics nor safety
- Opt for low-wattage bulbs with adequate illumination for a specific spot
- Choose to install smart lights with timers, dimmers, and motion sensors so you can schedule the turn-on time when needed.
Why Choose LandCon for Complete Landscape Design in Toronto
Land-Con is a leading name in the industry of landscape design in Toronto. Our team of landscape designers, architects, craftsmen, and tradesmen have been together providing excellent service and customer experience for over two decades.
When it comes to landscape design, we are committed to creating a well-designed landscape lighting system that adds value to your outdoor space. We use energy-efficient LED lighting solutions to provide an eco-friendly system that consumes less energy and lasts many years.
Every product we introduce in your landscape is high quality and durable enough to withstand extreme weather conditions. We create personalized landscape solutions according to your desires and the unique requirements of your outdoors. To learn more about Land-Con, contact us today.
