Free Advice and Quotation Service to Illuminate the Garden
Designing the Lighting of Steps and Paths
The lighting in our garden is important and is an essential part in the creation and design. Designing the Garden is a long and complex process that normally may continue for a long time because they always tend to vary its shape and change the site elements as time passes.
However, one of the key steps in this process of decoration of your garden is the design and implementation of a lighting plan, one that will complement the beauty of the landscape while providing visibility for anyone who may be enjoying the landscape at night.
The innumerable options in the light of your garden can be infinite, but being patient and careful, even with a bit of creativity, you will be able to illuminate the steps and paths of your garden in a way that corresponds to the practical needs and desires that you had at the time of your design, making these paths a source of beauty to your garden.
In this article I would like to give you some advice on the planning and installation of lighting for gardens and paths.
You can find the way to design where to place the point to illuminate the rooms, the shape of the sources of power, the development of a sketch to help you with the placement of the light points, the description of the main types of lighting (including lights, fiber optic lights, solar lights, LED lights, electric lights, and flames), so that you can choose the system that best adapts and suits your needs.
The Energy Needs in Garden Lighting
Most of the types of lighting for garden paths require a power source. The only exceptions to this rule are the lighting of the living flame or solar light bulbs.
Solar technology has come a long way since its inception, but still below the electric lights in many aspects.
To meet the need for energy for the lights in the garden, you will need to ensure the presence of an outdoor electrical outlet at a convenient location and a series of cables installed securely and with sufficient length.
This type of work is preferable performed by a professional electrician and connect the lights in your garden.
A garden lighting system installed could allow rain or irrigation water or other sources as it could enter into the connectors or cables causing damage to all the electrical installation. A professional can determine and monitor these types of potential risks and take measures to prevent them. You can also install a transformer to help with the problems of security and energy needs.
Draws and Designs the Lighting in your Garden
Before you go shopping or choose the type of lighting that you want to install, as always, I say to you, draw and design a sketch of your garden.
Include in this sketch all roads and trails, as well as the main characteristics of your garden, even the lights that you have currently installed.
This outline should accurately describe the banks you have, ladders, trees, plants and flowers, garden statues and other decoration objects. It also includes the decoration of your garden that use water as your swimming pool, water fountain, waterfall or ponds.
You can, in this sketch, mark areas that you know are particularly dark at night or that represent a specific risk for those people who do not know the garden well.
With this type of integrated scheme, you can see the points throughout your garden, even your steps and paths that need lighter and take the appropriate measures to remedy these shortcomings.
Diverse Types of Lighting
As I mentioned before, there are different types of lighting among which you can decant. Your choice will depend on the needs of your garden, the boundaries of your budget and your likes and preferences.
Spectacle of Light
A spectacle of light is a system of fluorescent tubes, which usually comes together to create assorted colors of light.
The tubes can also be designed to create different patterns of light, as well as shadows on the plants or the grass in your garden. The overall effect is a liquid and ethereal glow. If you are planning to continue with this option, you must make sure that this spectacle of lights will provide enough visibility for those who can walk through your garden.
If the light show is not enough, you may need to supplement with a little additional lighting, especially around the problem areas, such as steps and trails, as these areas are the busiest.
LED Lights
The LED lights are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. It is a type of energy efficient and are very bright.
If a LED light is too bright for a particular area of the garden, you can add a diffuser to soften the light output and adjust accordingly. If you would like to intensify its light, it would be sufficient to install a casing, getting to focus the beam of light on a particular point you want to highlight.
The LED lights are sometimes implemented as the twinkling lights, recessed lights, lights for the pool or hot spots.
To be more expensive this type of lighting with respect to the traditional, perhaps to make us think to opt for this solution of lighting. However, keep in mind the fact that the LED lights have a much longer life and use less energy than other types of conventional lights, thus maintaining the invoice of the light. This type of lights do not have any type of problem at the time of your installation and are just as easy as the traditional ones.
Live Flames, Candles and Flashlights
The use of this type of natural light, is one of the most beautiful and natural resources of all the available options.
The fire and the light that gives, as well as the movement, are especially spectacular with respect to the rest of the lights that we can use in our garden. However, you should take extra precautions when it comes to place this type of lights as it poses additional risks of fire, unless you place them and keep them functioning correctly.
If you want to illuminate this way your ways in the garden, you can use flashlights or oil lamps hanging from trees or in the curbs that you use for the delimitation of tiny paths in the garden. You can use candles on the tables of your garden, in the cornices or place them in chandeliers.
Make sure that each candle or lantern put them on a surface that is safe, stable and non-flammable.
This type of lighting does not provide a very intense light. Its soft glow is more appropriate for the creation of a warm and romantic to meet the practical needs of the visibility. While the candles and oil lamps may be cheaper than other types of lighting, they need to be changed much more frequently.
Use the fire and flames for lighting of your steps and paths, as well as for the garden, requires more observation and more maintenance than other types of lighting. The wicks that use this type of lighting you must cut to maintain a controlled burn, and a level of efficient lighting. At the end of the night, when the lights are no longer necessary, you will have to walk around your garden to extinguish all the flames.
The Electric Lighting
The electric lights outdoors can include low voltage systems fluorescent or halogen lamps. They are available in the form of spotlights, wall mounted to the wall, floor lamps, lanterns and a variety of other accessories. This type of lighting can also be of any color you want and even include color shades with the light in your garden.
These lights are relatively inexpensive compared to other types of illumination, but the bulbs melt much faster than the LED-type. Also, they use a large amount of energy, and if you use them frequently, you can significantly increase the electricity bill for your home.
Fiber-Optic Lighting
The fiber optic cable offers a starry effect, brilliant! It is often used to emphasize some architectural elements of the garden and to improve the appearance of fountains in the garden.
Some kits of fiber-optic lighting you can install without any type of complication, as they are very simple and very basic instructions that do not require great knowledge. It is also highly recommended to ask an electrician to complete the installation and make sure that all components are installed safely and with the correct power source. The lighting systems fiber optic cables do not create a lot of heat or UV radiation. You only have to clean the lights once in a while with a little bit of mild soap to maintain its full effect.
Lighting Powered by Solar Energy
Solar lights should be placed in open places where they can absorb the energy of the sun.
Some ideal places to place this type of lights are along a wall, next to lower floors, along the paths of the garden, or around the garden to delimit spaces. The solar lights are generally not very bright, but some modern types already include LEDs that increase its intensity.
This type of solar lighting systems requiring virtually no maintenance other than occasional cleaning of the photovoltaic cells to ensure maximum absorption of energy.
Installation is as simple as taking them out of the wrapping, locate the site where you are going to install them and wait for the night, so the light comes on as the solar cells have absorbed to provide the energy they need to illuminate the room in which you have installed.
Think about the purpose of the lighting in your garden!
Yes, the purpose for which you install your lights on the steps and garden paths are important in determining this lighting.
It is possible that you want a soft ambient lighting and you are going to create a romantic atmosphere for you and your partner.
Possibly prefer a bold and modern lighting in assorted colors in order to create an effect more alive in the meetings in your garden.
In some cases, a simple set of lights that delineate the roads in the garden can be enough, with the possible inclusion of one or two main foci for ornaments of the garden, like a statue or figure, a mirador, a seating corner, a pond or a source of garden.
Varies the Styles of Enlightenment
Using the same lighting system can be tiring, too many lights that look exactly the same can cause a feeling of monotony.
To overcome this situation, use assorted styles in the type of lighting that you use. You could include small lights to the lining of the way of your garden, spotlights to highlight the beauty of a freshly cut lawn, recessed lights for the steps you may have in the garden, soft lights for the attention of a statue or a fountain and colored lights to add dimension and richness to the night landscape.
If you put lights along the path of your garden, remember that these should not illuminate directly in the eyes of your visitors.
Prevents Light Pollution
The pollution is an excessive use of bright light that can disturb the environment, either at night and/or to other people.
A great way to avoid light pollution is to use the targeting of the beam of the light against the ground. This provides the light where it is needed, by paths and steps, but also preserves the darkness of the night sky.
The lighting that goes against the ground is also more attractive aesthetically, because it creates variety and dimension in the landscape of your garden.
The subtle placement of the lights is also a key feature to avoid pollution. The lights can hide behind some rocks in the bushes, or on the side of the limits of your ways. Then take caution and change their angle position, so its light beam does not shine on any street or in any window of your home or your neighbors.
Determine the Time Investment
Some lighting systems take much more time and effort to install than others.
If you are looking for a simple installation, easy and very functional, you may want to opt with the solar lighting. Although it does not have the power light of other solutions, no wiring is required, and this situation makes it extremely easy and a simple installation.
In addition, absorbing all the energy from the sun, it has no impact on the invoice of the light of your home and usually pays for itself in energy savings over time.
It generally provides for what we like to enjoy our gardens after sunset. We like to party in the evening, dinner, or just enjoy the night in our garden.
Illuminate your garden and the steps your garden has in the various areas:
- Gives beauty to your garden
- Makes the transit more comfortable
- Provides your garden with additional security
Any kind of light that you choose for your garden must comply with these purposes.
The lights should be strong enough to illuminate the danger areas, such as steps in your garden, but soft enough so as not to detract from the garden itself and not dazzle.
These should also be placed in such a subtle way and angled down to minimize light pollution and glare.
The lights that are placed close to feature objects such as statues or other sources should provide a soft glow around the item instead of having lack of lighting.
In short, the lighting system as a whole must be keeping with the style and ambience of your garden, either romantic or avant-garde. Once you have investigated some of the types of lighting for the garden and have collected some tips for the design of the lighting, you should be prepared for the selection of the right purchase.
Placing the appropriate outdoor lights will improve the nocturnal atmosphere in your garden and make it a place where family members and friends can relax and enjoy the nature beauty.
