4 COMMON LANDSCAPE LIGHTING MISTAKES

SPRUCE UP YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BY AVOIDING THESE LIGHTING BLUNDERS 

Whether you need landscape lighting or not is no longer a question. Most people understand how lighting can enhance their outdoor spaces. However, for many, it’s a simple DIY project that only requires mounting a few lights in the outdoor areas to illuminate the space. This is where they go wrong.

To the trained eye, there are several design considerations to remember and pitfalls to avoid during a lighting installation. Let’s look at some of the most common landscape lighting mistakes in Hawaii. 

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• TOO MUCH LIGHTING 

You may love how your outdoor space looks drenched in light, but you also have to think about your neighbors. No one likes bright light blazing through their windows in the middle of the night. So be a little courteous, and don’t over-illuminate.

Too much light will also wash out the yard and unnecessarily spike up your electricity bills. Illuminate only as required to capture the real essence of landscape lighting.

• WRONG FIXTURES 

The wide variety of landscape lights available on the market these days can be confusing. As a result, many people end up using the wrong types of fixtures in the wrong place, making their outdoor areas look like an unappealing mess instead of having lights improve the curb appeal of their home.

Use floodlights only where you need to illuminate wider areas. Accent the best features with spotlights and leave path lights only for pathways. Multi-purposing isn’t a great idea with lights. Each type of lighting fixture is created for a specific purpose, so use it for that only.

• INCORRECT PLACEMENT 

Placement is critical in lighting design. You can’t just mount lights anywhere and call it done. If your landscape lights aren’t positioned right, your outdoor areas will either remain poorly illuminated, or worse, the lights will shine directly into people’s eyes, obscuring their vision. This is frustrating and kills the whole purpose of directing guests safely in the dark.

• POOR CONTROLS 

Far too many people overlook the ‘control’ aspect of landscape lighting when drafting the plan, only to have trouble managing the dozens of lights installed all around their outdoor areas. Automating the landscape lighting control can save you from the hassle of manual operation, along with providing an array of advanced features to further enhance your yard and your house’s curb appeal. 

For example, sensors and timers can help reduce power consumption while also taking the responsibility of management off your shoulders. The mood lighting feature can help you get your outdoors ready for a party in no time, and the remote control enables homeowners to regulate lighting from anywhere.

ELIMINATE THE CHANCE OF MISTAKES BY HIRING A PROFESSIONAL 

Outdoor lighting requires knowledge of lighting design and careful planning for each home. Hire professionals for the job to eliminate the chances of mistakes and let lighting spruce up your great outdoors. 

We at Control Freaks Hawaii have a team of experts dedicated to landscape lighting. Dial (808) 874-8019 or complete the online contact form to have our pros help you with this technical home improvement task.