Professional outdoor lighting for your home can provide several benefits. It offers curb appeal and enhanced safety for pathways, walkways and steps. Outdoor lighting allows you to extend the enjoyment of your outdoor living spaces long after the sun goes down and adds a layer of security against unwanted visitors.
When considering outdoor lighting there are several options to choose from. DIY products are available in big box stores and online. Solar lights are everywhere, but don’t provide a sufficient amount of light output to light a pathway properly. Line voltage lighting is an option, but a licensed electrician must install it and bulbs tend to burn out quickly.
(Not to mention a higher electricity bill.)
The Basics
A legitimate professional outdoor lighting system installation will include:
• A custom design plan
• Quality products (fixtures, transformer, cable, etc.)
• Thorough, meticulous installation
• Ongoing service to ensure that the system always performs in perfect condition
Outdoor Lighting Design Elements
Less is more with landscape lighting. Over lamping and poor placement of fixtures can wash out landscaping and create unnecessary glare for the homeowner. When working with a professional designer a needs analysis should be developed to determine the goals for the homeowner.
Pathway Lighting
Energy efficient path lights direct light downward to showcase pathways and highlight low flowerbeds. Avoid placing the fixtures in a straight line and be sure to choose quality fixtures that have a large light spread.
Up-Lighting and Grazing
Create that welcome home feeling in the evening hours by evenly up-lighting your home. Be sure to highlight those special architectural details that set your home apart. Extend the look of your home and add a pop of color by highlighting some specimen trees in the front yard.
Lighting for Outdoor Living Spaces
Daylight savings may be around the corner but a well-designed lighting plan will help extend your outdoor living into all four seasons of the year. Don’t forget the perimeter trees to create some depth in your backyard. You will most likely find that the evening hours are soon to be your most cherished!
Deck and Step Lighting
There are great options for under mount deck lights that don’t show much by day, but certainly give off a great deal of light at night. Rope lighting almost completely disappears by day when installed properly underneath a deck rail. It gives off a soft glow in the evening hours. Step lighting is an ideal way to keep your stairs safe by placing lights in the stairs themselves.
Festive and Holiday Lighting
What a great way to spice up your patio or pergola to create the perfect space to entertain. Your local lighting professionals have just the lighting solutions for you to get the party started whether you are shopping for temporary or permanent lighting solutions.
Choosing A Provider
Now that you have a basic understanding of what’s involved and what to expect relative to lighting solutions, do your homework. Come to the 5th Annual Collin County Home & Garden Show, Sept. 15-17 to talk to pros like And trust the pros, like Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Dallas, America’s most trusted source for professional outdoor lighting.
Tag: collin county
4 Things Every Homeowner Should Check in Their Attic
Most people don’t spend a ton of time in their attic space — believe it or not! It’s not a fun place to work. It’s not a fun place to go into. In Plano, Texas your attic could be 160 degrees! Who wants to go up there in that heat? But even so, it’s important to know your attic. Here are the types of things you can check out in your attic:
1. Insulation:
You should know how much insulation, and what type of insulation is in your attic. Is it settling? If so, you’re losing value there. Is it moving away from a certain part of the house, or being blown around?
2. Rodents:
If you go into your attic and look around, you will be able to see if you have any rodent activity. Feces from rodents can lead to unhealthy air quality.
3. Leaks:
Go up into your attic and take a look at the roof. Is it leaking anywhere? Catching a leak early can save thousands of dollars!
4. Fans:
Are your fans working? If any of them are stuck, you might have airflow problems.
As you can see, there are a ton of systems in your attic space! In addition to everything we just listed, you probably have your air conditioner and heating units up there, too. There’s a lot going on in your attic! We recommend going up there 3-4 times a year. If you need to go up into the attic to chance your A/C filter, that’s a great time to walk around and check on things. Be careful not to step through your ceiling, but walk around as far as you can and check: Does my insulation look different than it did a few months ago? Do I have fans that aren’t working right now that should be, or that were working last quarter? When you have us come out, we check your airflow, your insulation levels and your heat reduction opportunities using a radiant barrier. We check to see if your electric fans are working. We’ll check to see what type of insulation you have and whether it’s settling if it’s been moved around or tunneled through by rodents, all those types of things. So as you can see, your attic is important, and it’s filled with important systems and products! If you put a little effort into maintaining that space and making sure that everything is working properly, it can lower your bills and help with the overall performance level and comfort of your home.
So check your attic out today! If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, come to the Collin County Home & Garden Show and talk with the knowledgeable folks at Energy Attic!
Landscaping Can Change Your Life & Health… No, Really… Here's How
There are many environmentally sound reasons to landscape.
Professionally designed and well-maintained landscapes protect water quality, reduce soil erosion, improve air quality and lower air temperatures in the summer, which is a huge perk here in Texas!
There are many personal health reasons to landscape.
What we hear most from prospective landscaping clients is that they want to create an outdoor friendly space for themselves, family and friends. Having access to a beautiful environment for relaxing and entertaining will improve your quality of life and decrease your stress level.
There are many economic reasons to landscape.
A professionally designed and installed landscape does more than just make your home look great and cause your neighbors to stare. It increases the value of your home. By a lot. Depending on factors such as starting value, neighborhood and season, study after study shows that landscaping is a much better return on your investment than other home remodeling projects such as kitchens and bathrooms.
“First impressions are as important for houses as they are for people.
If you are considering selling, good landscape design can add up to 20% of value to your home.” Bob Villa
“Forget wiring your new home for audio, video and data. Pass on the upgraded kitchen cabinets. Say no to thicker carpets. If you really want to add lasting value, opt for landscaping.”
LEW SICHELMAN, Herald Tribune
Landscaping. Worth every penny… and then some!
THIS WEEKEND! Come to the Collin County Home & Garden Show & talk with the folks at Flowers’ Garden & Landscapes to learn more!
Take Your Garage Back with SafeRacks!
Come to the Collin County Home & Garden Show and stop by the SafeRacks booth to see how you can get your garage back!
It has been said that the garage is the “final frontier” in home improvement. The ever-changing world of home building and remodeling brings unique challenges every year. The garage is no exception. In 2015 alone 1 in 8 homes leased a storage unit to supplement their household needs (NAPO). Eagle Industrial Group Inc. is leading the way in solving the dilemma of home storage capacity. We have designed a creative way to utilize previously unused space in the garage and increase your storage square-footage. Since 2006 our patented overhead storage racks have been trusted by builders, architects and end-users. Our engineered capacities combined with a sleek look and finish provides incredible value to your projects. SafeRacks is a proven, cost effective way to increase storage space within new and existing homes.
SafeRacks is globally available and has proven results in the US, Canada and Mexico. We can quick ship our best-selling racks in two colors from one of seven US and international distribution centers. With an eight week lead time, we can customize the color to fit your needs. SafeRacks are all steel and powder-coated for lasting durability. Beyond that we provide your end-users with a limited lifetime warranty.
Notable cities are allowing overhead storage racks to fulfill cubic storage requirements. SafeRacks is specified by architects and engineers for its ability to fit in tight spaces while meeting cubic space needs. Builders trust SafeRacks for its ease of installation and onsite customization. Installation is less than one hour per rack with one technician. Additionally, Eagle Industrial provides design, distribution and onsite installation services in 33 major US metropolitan areas. Come see us at the show, we would love the opportunity to earn your business.
www.allenhomeandgardenshow.com