Ask a Professional: Do I Need Outdoor Residential Lighting?

Outdoor lighting is essential at commercial locations, but whether you need outdoor residential lighting can depend on a variety of factors. Most people want their homes to have at least some exterior lighting. The most common outdoor lighting is a porch light. You can quickly turn it on when someone comes to their door, or leave it on if you aren’t going to be home until after dark. Another common outdoor light for residences is a floodlight, with or without a motion sensor. These lights are most common above the garage door and in the backyard. With a floodlight, residents can quickly and easily see what’s going on in the front or back of their home.

Outdoor Residential Lighting For Entertaining

If you entertain a lot (or even a little), you might want to consider several outdoor residential lighting applications. Floodlights and porch lights can only go so far when it comes to lighting up your backyard and deck. Setting the mood for entertaining is important, and floodlights can be much too bright. Instead, you should consider more subdued lights that still illuminate the area well.

Many people choose LED rope lights, hanging chandeliers, and wall-mounted lights for their decks. Rope lights are easy to install along a railing. Chandeliers and other pendant lights work well above covered tables or seating areas. Wall-mounted lights can be placed along the side of your house. It is also crucial to install lights along the edges of stairs so people can safely get up and down.

Lighting Up Your Landscaping

In addition to the floodlights used for front and backyards, there are also smaller types of floodlights for landscaping. These less obtrusive lights can be placed in bushes or around trees or other plants to illuminate them. The main applications are downlighting and uplighting, depending on where the fixtures are placed. These lamps aren’t as bright as the larger floodlights placed on the outside of a house. They can shine down to light up the ground or point upward to light a large bush or a tree canopy. Despite their small size, they can still produce enough light to ensure that people can see your beautiful landscaping. Even if you have a fire pit, tiki torches, or other outdoor lighting, they are no substitute for professional outdoor residential lighting applications.

Why You Need NightVision Outdoor Lighting

When you’re not sure what lighting options will be right for you, consulting with a professional can help. Just like interior design and remodeling, outdoor lighting design takes years to learn and perfect. It’s best to create plans and lay out an outdoor space ahead of time, complete with a number of different lighting options. There are so many outdoor residential lighting styles that it can be hard to choose. You certainly don’t want your lighting to be too busy. But you still need enough light that visitors can easily see tripping hazards or other obstacles around your yard.

Fortunately, the multitude of choices in outdoor residential lighting applications also gives you creative freedom. It makes it possible to focus on the mood you want for your outdoor spaces without technical limitations. From casual to elegant, modern to timeless, and everything in between, you have choices. Ultimately, only you can decide how much residential outdoor lighting you want or need. But it’s often better to err on the side of having too much, rather than not enough. Take the first steps towards lighting up your home’s exterior space and contact us, the landscape lighting professionals at NightVision Outdoor Lighting.