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Landscape Lights - How to Design and Install a System of Landscape Lights by KurtZier1 Zier
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Landscape Lights - How to Design and Install a System of Landscape Lights |
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Home Business
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Using landscape lights is one of the best ways to add beauty, value, and safety to your property. Creative use of landscape lights can emphasize your property's strengths and is a great way to improve your home. Here are some basic planning steps to consider when designing and installing a system of landscape lights for your home. First, sketch the property and general features on paper. Your drawing does not have to be exactly to scale, but try to be accurate as possible, as this will help when planning for the number of landscape lights and length of cable you will need. Next, sketch in the proposed locations for the landscape lights. Remember to highlight elements such as the edges of the property, pathways, border, and special objects and features. For borders, pathways and property lines, try to evenly place the landscape lights about every six to eight feet (any farther apart would make the lighting appear too sparse and visually disjointed). For feature objects, place one or two spotlight-type landscape lights on each feature. If you will be using two landscape lights, place them so that the object will be lit on two sides giving it an illusion of three-dimensionality at night. After sketching in the locations for the landscape lights, decide on where and how to place the low voltage cable. Keep in mind, most landscape lighting transformers can only accommodate one low voltage cable, so try to connect all of the landscape lights with one continuous cable. If this is not possible, another transformer and cable for the other landscape lights may be necessary. As an alternative, you may want to consider solar powered landscape lights. Because they do not rely on low voltage cable for power, they can be placed virtually anywhere so long as they can draw sunlight in the daytime for power. Be sure the transformer for the landscape lights is placed on or near the house. If it is photoelectric, place it near an exterior electrical outlet with access to daylight. If it uses a timer, you can place it near an electrical outlet in a garage, shed, or basement. Also ensure the transformer has adequate wattage for the amount of lights you are placing; if not, the bulbs of the landscape lights will glow dimly. The next step is to place the landscape lights in the locations on the drawing. Measure the distance of the electrical cables you will need by either pacing the path to estimate the distance (a pace, or two strides, equals five to six feet) or using a measuring tape. Next, trace the proposed cable path in the lawn with an edger or trencher to create a narrow ditch to bury the low-voltage cable. Then connect the low-voltage cable to the transformer, lay the cable along the narrow ditch, and connect the landscape lights to the cable. That evening, turn on the transformer and landscape lights. Make sure the lights are working and placed where desired. If not, adjust the landscape lights and assemblies (be sure to take a flashlight so you can see what you are doing). If everything looks and functions as planned, bury the cable in the narrow ditch the next day and finish by closing or covering the ditch.
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