Landscape lighting tips from an expert

Faris visited Nova Scotia recently and I took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the importance of lighting. “If people don’t get enough power to it, enough lumens, enough punch, enough wattage, then it just becomes like a flashlight that’s been stuck on the lawn,” he said.

Many homeowners view landscape lighting as a luxury item and it’s often one of the last things that are considered. However, there are some easy-to-install lighting system kits available at hardware stores that can be set up.

Faris says these systems are fine to place around walkways and to light up trees.

Stores are beginning to carry a wider selection of solar lights for landscaping purposes, but these lights don’t have enough punch, he says, although they might be okay for a walkway. He also believes LED lights have a long way to go out yet. “They just don’t have enough output to make them really viable for lighting a large area,” said Faris.

For those with a limited budget he recommends a kit that uses 20-watt MR16 bulbs. “You’re going to get the greatest amount of light from that fixture. Being outside in the dark with the foliage, you’re going to need something that’s really going to project light,” he said.

For esthetics, spotlights can be cleverly hidden amongst the plants in the garden.

Faris described how he placed bulbs around the perimeter of a property so light would bounce off the undercarriage of leaves to provide a nice glow and give some definition to the yard. “If people have definite plants - trees - with good branch structure, they may want to highlight those,” he said.

Faris lit the base of a house in a recent job to “pull out” architectural accents that were built into the structure, and created “soft washing” on the building as well by placing one bulb further back on an angle.

He recommends waiting to dark to analyze the installation, then adjusting it several times afterward. “Always make sure you have enough slack and extra wire to move things around a little bit. Don’t be overanxious to bury the cable right away until you’re happy with it,” he said.

Adding landscape lighting makes a huge difference to a house, says Faris. “When you come down the street at night it stands right out,” he said.