DIY types understand the value of rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done yourself. While this attitude helps to reinforce the American Spirit, it isn’t always a surefire way to guarantee quality.
Dream • Design • Create
Outdoor Lighting Tips From Your Shelby Lighting Store Part 3
One area that can prove beneficial when supplemented with expert advice and quality products is outdoor lighting. Illuminating your home can prove to be a dynamic way to optimize the house’s beauty and your family’s overall safety. When done right, you’ll have a vibrant display that is sure to impress guests and neighbors alike. The Shelby Design Center is proud to be your go-to lighting store in Michigan. Our co-op lighting company in Shelby boasts a 20,000 square foot showroom and a full team of courteous, professional representatives that are here to help you illuminate your place with pride.
Today, we’ll discuss more outdoor lighting tips that may prove beneficial for your home lighting project. When you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get started, be sure to stop by our lighting showroom first!
Location, Location, Location
While this phrase may remind you of the old saying that many real estate agents are fond of utilizing, the mantra can be equally helpful in outdoor lighting. Where you place your fixtures is entirely up to you, yet there are several locations that can benefit exponentially from lighting upgrades:
Avoiding Runway Appearances
Our need for patterns and repetition make this issue a very common problem. Many homeowners will install walkway lights in the daytime without checking the spacing of each fixture. Once night falls, the perfectly aligned lights will shine brightly, and evenly, creating a runway effect. Unless you are guiding aircraft onto your property for a nighttime landing, this effect will have a negative impact on the overall appearance. The symmetrical lineup will create a visual distraction for guests, taking away from the aesthetic qualities of your landscaping. An additional concern comes from the coverage that your outdoor lighting fixtures will provide at night. By staggering the lights, you’ll ensure a visually pleasing setup that offers more illumination. Better aesthetics and improved safety? It’s a winning combination in our book!
Investing In Quality
Anyone new to lighting their home’s exterior can benefit from purchasing a landscape lighting kit from their local lighting showroom. These convenience packages provide everything you need to get started on the wiring component surrounding your lighting. It’s important to note, though, that many kits come with a transformer that is too weak to take on moderate illumination needs. Our modern lighting experts will be able to help you find the perfect product to get started!
When considering your budget, it’s important to think about the cost versus quality tradeoff. Outdoor lighting kits, for example, may come with convenient connectors that make joining wires easier than ever. If made cheaply, these components can wear out rather quickly, as being buried exposes the inexpensive parts to numerous damaging elements. As with all products, it’s typically recommended to invest in higher quality products to optimize your satisfaction. As always, our retail lighting connoisseurs are here to find the perfect solutions to match your unique needs and budget.
Transformer Tactics
Your new lighting will need a consistent supply source, and this is where a transformer comes into the picture. Transformers are black boxes that are plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet with the purpose of converting your home’s 120-volt current into a manageable 12- or 24-volt structure to work amiably with your lighting fixtures. It’s important to purchase the right transformer for your outdoor project, as there are many choices and styles available. One important decision is the type of transformer you want to use.
- Electronic transformers are commonly used for residential lighting that include an inverter, enabling them to be smaller and easier to hide. They also tend to be less expensive across the board.
- Magnetic transformers are bigger, more durable devices that are typically used for commercial settings. While larger in size and more costly, magnetic transformers have a longer lifespan and are built to handle larger workloads.
Your transformer’s capacity is also vitally important. The maximum wattage load is how many watts your device can supply at one time. With the use of high-efficiency light bulbs, modern transformers are smaller than ever, typically ranging from 45 to 300 watts for most applications. Worried about choosing the right wattage? Don’t be! Homeowners can simply add up all of the wattage from their outdoor lights to find the total demand. If you plan on using four 60-watt light bulbs on your property, be sure to invest in a transformer that is rated for at least 240 watts. Planning ahead makes this process much easier, as choosing the wrong transformer can result in either money wasted or fixtures not working properly
Solar Options
One convenient and eco-friendly method of lighting your pathways and patios comes from solar lighting. These popular fixtures boast energy efficiency, requiring only the Michigan sunshine to charge during daylight hours. Homeowners can install these devices in one easy step, negating the need for pesky wiring installations. You won’t have to worry about monitoring the light’s hours or energy costs as well. It’s important to remember, though, that solar lights will not produce as much illumination as their corded counterparts. As the project leader, it is important to consider the lessened lumens rating before stocking up on solar lights.
Illuminating your landscape with quality lighting can create a stunning display that is both visually pleasing and a major contributor to the safety of your property. From the lighting plan to installing the fixtures, this process can be very involved for most homeowners. It’s important to seek out quality help to ensure that you have the best outcome possible. The Shelby Design Center is your quality lighting company in Shelby, boasting a massive inventory, affordable prices, and quality assistance every step of the way. For 20 years, our expansive lighting showroom has provided homeowners with the perfect solutions for their lighting projects. Contact us today to see how we can help or stop by our store to get started!
