With the extra hours of daylight and warm nights, summer is a great time to enjoy your pools, porches, patios and even outdoor lighting. Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood whether you want an intimate evening watching the stars or a festive celebration with your friends and family.
However, outdoor lighting is not just about illuminating your gatherings but also about highlighting your property’s most attractive areas, keeping it secure and boosting its curb appeal.
The right type of lighting can turn an average backyard into a spectacular one that’s perfect for entertaining guests or relaxing after a long day at work. In this article, we’ll show you 7 ways to light up your outdoor space at night with ease and at minimum cost. Read on!
1. Pathway Lighting
If you have a path that leads to your front or back door, you’ll want to consider adding pathway lighting for safety and aesthetics. Pathway lighting is a must-have for every outdoor space, so you can see where you’re walking at night. But it’s also a way to add curb appeal and make your home look more inviting and welcoming to guests.
Pathway lights are usually low-maintenance, weatherproof fixtures that are installed along walkways to create a soft, even glow. These lights are generally low-wattage and emit a soft white light (or colors if you want to add a festive touch). Choose low-profile fixtures to emit a soft glow or decorative lanterns for a touch of elegance.
PRO TIP: Place outdoor lighting so that tripping hazards such as steps, stones, or uneven terrain are illuminated.
2. Outdoor Ceiling Fans with LED Lights
If you want to add a decorative and functional element to your gazebo, patio or pergola consider adding an outdoor ceiling fan with LED lights. The fan provides a quiet breeze on hot days and the lighting lets you enjoy your space well into the night.
The energy costs are minimal—a typical outdoor fan uses about 84 watts of energy, while an LED light uses only 7 watts! Plus, high-quality LED lights last longer than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs and produce less heat. This is great when you’re already battling a heat wave.
PRO TIP: Choose a wet-rated or damp-rated fan for rainy areas where humidity is high like the Tampa Bay area.
3. Motion-Sensing Lights
Outdoor lighting is a beautiful way to welcome guests but leaving these lights on constantly can run up your energy bill. Consider installing motion-sensing lights. These lights are great because they only come on when they detect motion outdoors, saving you money on electricity. Or, you can override them to stay on while you entertain. There are also a variety of different looks and styles to choose from, so you can find one that best suits your style and outdoor space.
PRO TIP: A common complaint with motion-sensing lights is that they can be triggered by pets or wildlife. To avoid this problem, look for lights that can be adjusted for sensitivity.
4. Outdoor Security Lighting
We’ve mentioned various types of outdoor lighting that can make your home beautiful and inviting. But let’s take a moment to discuss lighting designed to deter unwanted guests: security lighting.
Security lighting scares off intruders by illuminating the shadows and leaving no place for them to hide. When an area is well-lit, burglars can be more easily spotted by homeowners, neighbors, and security cameras. You can install a standalone light for security purposes or integrate it with your regular outdoor lighting system.
There are many advantages to installing security lights. Most importantly, they help keep people off your property, which is particularly important if you live in a high-crime neighborhood. But, they can also increase your home’s overall value since potential buyers tend to favor properties with good, strong security systems.
PRO TIP: Look for programmable security lights that turn on and off automatically even when you are not home. You can also install motion-sensitive outdoor lighting that will illuminate an intruder as soon as they step foot on your property.
5. Spotlights
One of the easiest ways to brighten up your outdoor space is by using spotlights to highlight built-in features. You can choose from a variety of different types, including roof, garden, and fence-mounted spotlights.
Spotlights are great for highlighting architectural features such as a patio, water fountain, gazebo, built-in barbecue, or hot tub. You can illuminate trees, a garden wall, or even a beautiful hedge and create a whole new outdoor living area.
This outdoor lighting is great for creating different atmospheres and moods. For example, if you have a garden party planned and you want to create a festive, celebratory feel, you can use spotlights to create a magical setting.
PRO TIP: Aim your spotlights carefully, you don’t want to accidentally angle your lighting into a neighbor’s window or oncoming traffic.
6. Colored Lighting
Colored lights can add a festive atmosphere to any outdoor space. You can use them to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that’s perfect for parties or you can use them to create a fun, whimsical look to delight children.
To create a warm, inviting space, try using red, orange, or yellow lights. On the other hand, blue, purple and pink are wonderful for summer because they’re colors of celebration and festivity.
Select colors to celebrate a holiday like red, white and blue for the 4th of July or red and green for Christmas. Use school colors for a personal touch at a backyard graduation party. The possibilities are endless!
PRO TIP: Look for smart lighting that lets you customize your lighting colors with a remote control or through your smartphone with a push of a button.
7. Deck and Pool Outdoor Lighting
If you have a pool in your backyard, you’ll want to consider deck or pool lighting. Not only will it make your pool area beautiful and inviting but it’s an important safety feature for night swims.
Consider adding lighting:
- On outdoor walls and along deck railing for an overall glow.
- Along paths and up stairways to illuminate potential tripping hazards
- Underwater and in-water features such as waterfalls. This provides a beautiful glow and to make it easy to keep an eye on swimmers.
- Under trees and shrubs to highlight beautiful landscaping.
The lighting you choose doesn’t have to be boring and predictable. For example, try hard-wired tiki-torches, the flameless grown-up version of your favorite tropical outdoor lighting.
PRO TIP: When one light leaves odd shadows along the bottom of your pool, try adding another light directly across from it. This eliminates shadowing and makes the bottom of your pool appear cleaner and smoother.
Hire an Experienced Electrician to Install Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting is a versatile way to add a decorative and functional element to your backyard retreat. Whether you are setting mood lighting for a party, keeping pathways illuminated for safety, or deterring burglars from your home. Outdoor lighting makes your home more beautiful and increases your property value.
While temporary string lighting or solar-powered stakes are an easy DIY project, more complicated hard-wired jobs should only be handled by experienced electricians.
If you are ready to upgrade your outdoor space call R.E. Long Services. Our experienced electricians can safely make all of your outdoor lighting dreams a reality. Call today to schedule an appointment.