How to Have Great Lighting for Your Outdoor

Outdoor lighting, also known as landscape lighting, has known an unexpected boost in the last ten years. This is no longer solely the burden if the local administrations and city halls. Domestic users do approach outdoor lighting and enhance the vista of the domestic residences with various light sources. And no, we don't mean solely Christmas lights!

Outdoor lighting is not only used to create and deliver an emotional aura around a home, or in a private garden, but also for safety and orientation purposes. Customers choose their lighting sources carefully and place them in strategic places to insure safety and to provide for an aesthetic landscape lighting scenario. The light sources for outdoor use should not be too bright, yet bright enough to provide enough light along walkways and prevent trespassing. Bright lights need higher levels of electricity, therefore consume more and increase energy costs. Solar garden lamps are there to solve such difficulties. However, the problem with such lamps is that most of them are of inferior quality or the solar batteries are not strong enough to last the whole night, especially not in winter when they don't even charge enough.

There are some outdoor lighting techniques that might help you create the optimal effects using traditional energy sources.

Spot lighting may be used to highlight statues or central architectural elements. As spots emanate pretty powerful light beams, you should always try to position them higher than the human eyes or in places where people don't usually walk or look directly.

Another method to highlight interesting shapes is called in lighting design terms "shadowing". This is achieved by placing a light spot directly in front of the element you want to create an interesting effect for and point the light towards a vertical surface, to form a shadow.

Wherever you have stairs you might want to employ a technique called step lighting. For this purpose LED fixtures powered by solar cells are ideal, as you don't need too much light on each step, but you need a "contour", a light accent or a light path.

Walkway lighting is pretty important to define landscape pathways and add safety. Solar garden lamps are pretty convenient for this purpose too, but if you prefer having your path lights on for a longer time, you could opt for traditional lamps. Although they consume more electricity and increase energy costs, they are brighter and provide for more safety.

If you have a residence with exclusive architectural traits, you might want to accentuate its beauty with uplighters. The technique is not new and it's already used to enhance many corporate and official buildings.

Underwater illumination is great for artesian fountains, pools and ponds, but underwater lights are generally expensive and difficult to install.

No matter what you choose, just remember that each light should be used carefully to enhance the natural beauty of the scenery and not to add undesired glance and glare. Just stay away from too much if you don't want to fall in the kitsch trap!

15 Tips for Low Voltage Lighting

The use of low voltage lighting systems has become increasingly popular over the past several years. Low voltage halogen and low voltage xenon lighting systems can be found in almost any setting – restaurants, hotels, bars, retail stores, museums, art galleries, offices, and the home. We have all seen these types of lighting systems in the form of cabinet lighting, cove lighting, landscape lighting, picture lights, regular track lighting, flexible track lighting (sometimes referred to as monorail lighting), cable lighting, and under cabinet lighting. Here are 15 things that you should know about these low voltage lighting systems.

1. Low Voltage A low voltage lighting system usually operates on 12 or 24 volts.
2. Transformer A transformer is generally used with low voltage lighting systems to “transform” the standard voltage that is normally available (usually 120 volts or 277 volts) to either 12 volts or 24 volts.
3. Type of Transformer The transformer used in a low voltage lighting system may be either electronic or magnetic.
4. Maximum Transformer Wattage The wattage rating of the transformer should always be equal to or greater than the total wattage of the lighting system. If an electronic transformer is used, then the maximum wattage of the lighting system may be equal to but not greater than the wattage rating of the electronic transformer. If a toroidal magnetic transformer is used, then the maximum wattage of the lighting system may be equal to but not greater than the wattage rating of the toroidal magnetic transformer. If, however, a conventional EI magnetic transformer is used, then the maximum wattage of the lighting system may be equal to but not greater than 80% of the wattage rating of the conventional EI magnetic transformer.
5. Minimum Transformer Wattage Transformers usually have a minimum wattage that they must power before they work. For example, it is not uncommon for 60-watt electronic transformer to require that there be at least 10 watts of lighting load and if there is only 5 watts of lighting load connected to this 60W electronic transformer, the lighting system will not work.
6. Electronic Transformers An electronic transformer is generally lighter in weight, smaller in size, cooler to operate, and quieter than a magnetic transformer. However, electronic transformers cannot provide more than 300 watts of power whereas some magnetic transformers can provide as much as 1200 watts of power.
7. Voltmeter Readings Because an electronic transformer provides its power at very high frequencies (usually greater than 20,000 Hertz) a standard voltmeter cannot be used to accurately measure the output voltage. Instead, a “true RMS” voltmeter must be used to measure the secondary voltage of an electronic transformer.
8. AC Electronic Transformer An AC (alternating current) electronic transformer should not be placed any farther than 10 feet from the lighting system. If it should be placed farther away than 10 feet from the lighting system, part or all of the lighting system will experience a lower voltage (known as voltage drop) and have dimmer lamps. Also, the longer the distance from the AC electronic transformer and the lighting system, the greater the chance that it might create radio frequency interference (RFI) with other electronic components in the area.
9. DC Electronic Transformer A DC (direct current) electronic transformer may be placed as far as 50 feet from the lighting system. The DC output significantly reduces radio frequency interference (RFI) and virtually eliminates the possibility of any voltage drop (the drop in voltage over a long circuit).
10. Toroidal Magnetic Transformer If a magnetic transformer is used to power a low voltage lighting system, a toroidal magnetic transformer should be considered. This type of magnetic transformer is more efficient, lighter in weight, smaller in size, cooler to operate, and quieter than a conventional EI magnetic transformer.
11. Wiring a Dimmer A low voltage lighting system can be dimmed whether it is powered by an electronic or a magnetic transformer. When using a dimmer with a low voltage lighting system the dimmer should always be installed so that it is controlling the line voltage side of the transformer, which is also called the primary side or the side connected to 120 volts or 277 volts.
12. Type of Dimmer The dimmer selected to control an electronic transformer should be specifically designed to control that type of transformer whereas a dimmer selected to control a magnetic transformer should be specifically designed to control that type of transformer.
13. Electrical Connections All of the electrical connections for a low voltage lighting system must be very tight and secure. If an electrical splice is not very tight and secure, the wires may arc, cause a great deal of heat, cause the entire lighting system to fail, and possibly become a fire hazard.
14. 24-Volt Lamps When using a 24-volt transformer make certain that the lamps are rated for 24 volts - not 12 volts. If 12-volt lamps are used with a 24-volt transformer the lamps will burn out immediately and possibly become a fire hazard.
15. Thicker Wires Low voltage lighting systems require thicker wires (lower gauge) since more electricity is being conducted by those wires. For example, a 300-watt lighting system operating at 12 volts uses 25 amps of electricity on the low-voltage side of the transformer whereas this same transformer may be powered by 120 volts and 2.5 amps of electricity on the line voltage side of the transformer.

Beautiful Landscape Lighting: The Complete Short Guide

Have you ever been downtown at night, maybe attending a concert or sporting event and were impressed with the lighting along a park walk or on a fancy office building? Most of us, at one time or another, have experienced awe, comfort, serenity or relaxation at the sight of well-designed landscape lighting. Sometimes lights pointing up at the side of a tall building or low profile lights under plants along a downtown walkway can have a very powerful effect on you. Beautiful lighting can completely changing your mood and experience of events around you.

As far as our homes are concerned we tend to think about outdoor lighting in strictly practical terms. We have a light outside at the front and back doors and maybe a motion detector triggered light above the garage door. They are attached to the house or garage and are there just so you can safely see where you are going when outdoors at night.

But your homes outdoor lighting can be so much more than that. It doesn't need to be just for seeing things at night. Properly done outdoor lighting can have a beauty and charm all its own and at the same time provide nighttime safety for your walkways and garden.

For many years savvy homeowners have tried to duplicate this beauty with landscape lighting in the yard around their homes and in their gardens. For the most part it has not worked out very well for the average homeowner. In the past most dependable landscape lighting systems were powered by standard household electricity (120 volt). It had to meet a strict electrical code and you had to have an electrician do all the installation and hookup. The connectors, fittings and bulbs all had to be heavy duty, waterproof and weatherproof. It was too expensive and outside the budget for the average homeowner. Those homeowners that followed through with all of that often ended up with a system that didn't look right. A common mistake is to use too many lights, or put them in the wrong place. You don't want your sidewalk or garden path to look like an airport runway. So doing it properly often meant hiring a landscape architect or a contractor who specialized in landscape lighting. Of course, that pushed the price up even further; and usually outside the reach of all but the wealthy.

Low voltage landscape lighting (12 to 18 volt), however, has several distinct advantages. Electrical codes are much less strict and because it is low voltage you don't need an electrician to install it. You can buy an inexpensive kit and often install it over the weekend. Because it is easy to install and setup you can spend more time working on the light locations and lighting design and not worry so much about hiring a landscape architect to do all that for you. If you don't like the light locations, you can change it yourself without too much trouble. You don't need an electrician or designer to move it. One common problem with low voltage systems 20 or 30 years ago was the durability of the components. Back then low voltage outdoor lighting systems were often little more than toys. But today all of that has changed. The do it yourself low voltage lighting system you buy at your local hardware store is usually not only affordable, but durable as well.

Glow and Behold: Bright Ideas for Your Home

Accent lighting is a new trend. It started, as a luxury mean of enhancing the interiors and exteriors of hotels, high-class restaurants or corporate buildings and it is now an affordable home design technique. There are enough lighting fixtures you could use for interior design, but the ones that could provide for the most spectacular accents are the LED light sources. These come in different shapes, sizes, viewing angles, effects and colors. You could even ask a manufacturer to create a LED luminary of your design (but take care: development costs are high and any non-standard product is expensive). The LED lights contain no harmful UV rays. Take that and their low power consumption and you've got a highly reliable lighting fixture to replace other conventional lights and create unexpected lighting accents and designs.

Let's take a look at what LED light sources you could use (and where) to create spectacular accents that will mesmerize your visitors.

LED spots are perfect for bathroom vanities, cupboards and lockers. They make nice accent lights especially when they come in their RGB option. A quality RGB LED spot not only saves energy and can be programmed to create special light and color effects, but emits a uniform, consistent lighting, with no shadow or glare, far superior to what has up to now been possible with halogen or neon lights. Yes, LEDs can replace traditional halogen and other conventional lamps. So if you have such lighting fixtures you might consider buying some MR16 or GU10 LED bulbs that will emanate enough light (for accent and not for illumination purposes).

LED stripes - either flexible or standard - are perfect to create trails on the floors, walls or ceilings. The best part about such lighting fixtures is that they are really slim and you could insert them in tiny niches, behind different pieces of furniture for instance, to create "hidden lights". You could also use these stripes to mark outdoors paths or for edge lighting. For indoor applications, where you don't want to make holes in the walls or floors, you could always choose LED stripes with adhesive tapes (these are extremely easy to mount and provide for increased flexibility, as you can always change their place if you look for new accents). If you are looking to replace neon tubes, LEDs are the best alternative. Modern LED tubes or ropes have a viewing angle of 360° (due to a special positioning of the LEDs inside the plastic or Plexiglas composite profile), are flexible and safe.

But the most popular accent lighting source so far is the LED tile. You probably know it as "Mood light" a Traxon brand. However, Traxon is not the only manufacturer. If you cannot afford a Traxon product, you could always perform a search for "LED tiles" in Google and you'll find other manufacturers that will sell you similar products, made of high quality materials, for half the price. With a few LED tiles, you could create a "wellness wall" or place them randomly around the room and control the light effects, color and intensity to create a special atmosphere in your home.

Trendy Home Lighting Design

You should ignore all the rules and advice that has been advocated by the interior designers regarding the latest styles in home lighting and design. Just follow your heart and aim beyond what they had lined out. This is the best way for you to keep abreast with the trendy style of lighting since it is the latest fashion: break the design rules!

People find it more liberating to choose for their own personal taste when it boils down to designing their home, because nowadays they have a lot of choices, comes in every single shapes and sizes. Or at least with the options for lighting fixtures. Lighting is simply not only for the sake of illumination of home spaces, it goes well beyond that. It serves as a self expression whether in architectural lighting, accent lighting, mood lighting or even outdoor lighting.
The choice of lamps is increasing also because the various lighting technologies that bring different advantages to the consumers and are used in different applications. If light fixtures designers are living a moment of glory, lighting designers are facing a real dilemma; clients prefer to choose the lighting fixtures alone and employ light technicians to mount them. This doesn't mean that lighting design is a profession doomed to be outshone! It's probably just a phase until consumers realize that only a professional designer can create a interrelated structure between illumination, structural design and interior decoration.

But most consumers still opt for the lighting fixtures alone and their choices vary between three "root-styles": elegant, traditional and contemporary. The average consumers choose their light sources based on price (cheaper are winning), but some take into consideration other factors as well and the most important is energy efficiency. Although energy efficient luminaries are more expensive, they help cut back electricity consumption. You probably already have in your home a reading lamp with dimmer switch or other light sources of the kind. Dimming the light is one way to cut back costs but it also saves energy and extends lamp life. Compact-fluorescent lamps and light emitting diodes (LEDs) are also very popular choices.

Lighting is not used solely overhead, as it used to be. Today light sources can be used to create a mysterious atmosphere, to enhance the mood of a room or to spotlight an artwork. When it comes to mood lighting, there's nothing better than concealed light sources to highlight a painting or backlights to generate a warm glow behind curtains or pieces of furniture. When it comes to mounting the lights in their homes people become more and more creative. Nowadays it's almost usual to see special lighting effects on the walls of the living room, as usual as it is to see dimmers and solar garden lamps.

Consumers react in a different way to lighting and lights objects. There are some people that buys based on "I like it" more than on "I need it". Let's face it: do you exceedingly need a LED cube with a wooden frame to excite your guests or a mood light panel to calm down? Not especially. But this type of light products sells like zany these days and a trend will undoubtedly grow.

The Secret of Great Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting or outdoor lighting is the perfect way to dress up the outside of your home. If you are thinking of investing in outdoor lighting there are several options that you have to choose from. Landscape lighting includes path lighting, up/down lighting, deck/step lighting and other accessories. Imagine your pool, an outdoor oasis, surrounded by the warm glow of outdoor lighting late on a summer night or imagine hoisting a gathering for friends and family on your deck area and as night falls your timed lights turn on casting a beautiful glow into the dark night. Outdoor lighting products can be used in a number of different ways.

There is a variety of different kinds of lights that can be categorized as landscape lighting or outdoor lighting. Basic outdoor lighting products may refer to a directional flood light or a well light. Both of these types of outdoor lighting products come with timers and motion sensors. This is perfect for you because now you do not even have to flip a switch in order to work your outdoor lighting. Landscape lighting usually refers to more decorative lighting that may be used top showcase a poor or backyard or deck area. Landscape lighting is both beautiful and practical. Many people use landscape lighting to light up a certain area of the house.

There are several landscape lighting specialists that can assist you in choosing the perfect lights for your home. Outdoor lighting is more functional then landscape lighting. Outdoor lighting may include lights that are along the walkway of your house or a light at the end of driveway. There are so many practical reasons to invest in outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting makes your home safer in many ways. Both outdoor lighting and landscape lighting are necessities that light up the outside of your home in a functional, warm glow.