Need some Ideas For
Your Exterior Lighting
Scheme?
Take a look
at our guides:
General Garden Lighting
Techniques
Outdoor Lighting
Techniques
In The
Garden For Entertaining
Outside Lighting
Techniques to Create Space In The Garden
Outdoor Lighting With A Sensor - Economic Outdoor Lighting
Exterior Lighting Techniques For Statues, Fountains and Plants
Frequently Asked
Outdoor
Lighting Questions (FAQ's)
Can I install garden and
outdoor lighting myself?
In some cases yes, the plug and
play outdoor lighting
systems we supply are
normally just a case of
plugging into a mains socket
but we always recommend
that an NIC registered
electrician signs your work off
before turning on.
How do I keep my
stainless
steel outdoor lights maintained?
Stainless
steel outdoor lighting
is one of the more popular
garden lighting solutions. All
manufacturers advise against
installing stainless steel
exterior lighting in areas
exposed directly to salty
conditions.
We have two
recommendations on keeping
your stainless steel outdoor
lighting looking in tip top
condition wherever you
live.
Option 1: Buy some
good
quality boat deck varnish and
paint your stainless steel
outside lights with this prior to
installation this will give them
a hard clear outer skin that
cannot be attack by moisture
or salt.
Option 2: Once
every three
months wipe the lights over
with cooking oil and put dabs
of Vaseline in the screw holes,
this will prevent the moisture
attacking the stainless steel
outer casing of the lights the
Vaseline will prevent water
gathering in the screw holes
leading to rusty water runs
down the light.
Will my copper outdoor
lighting
go green?
Some will yes, we have a
number of different copper outdoor
lights
in our
range.
Some, particularly the more
traditional types are designed
to get that well worn green
effect but this will take time
so be patient. Our more
modern design garden light
fittings come with a clear
lacquer to prevent the aging
process keeping the outside
of your exterior lights bright.
What cable should I use
when
installing outdoor lighting that
needs cabling to be run
through the garden?
We always recommend that
you use armoured cable for
outdoor lighting that uses a
240 volt supply. The
armoured cable has a very
tough outer coating that
protects the cable from
impact ensuring that you
remain safe.
When running cabling for
my
outdoor lighting how deep
should I bury cables in the
ground?
For 240 volt outdoor lighting
installations that use
armoured cabling it is
recommended that the
armoured cable is buried at
least 18 inches underground
and uses marker tape should
you one day forget where the
cable is buried and plunge a
garden fork into this
area.
Why do some outdoor
lights
need a transformer or LED
driver?
The main reason some
outdoor lighting requires a
transformer is safety, 12 volts
is obviously much safer than
240 volts and therefore can
be a preferred option for
certain outdoor lighting
installations.
How many outdoor lights
will
one 12 volt transformer run?
We supply a 105va outside
lighting transformer this
will supply
either 2 x 50 watt lamps or 5
x 20 watt lamps. Basically
divide the wattage of the
lights you want to use into the
VA rating for the transformer.
Do the outdoor lights in
our
range get hot?
The halogen and incandescent
light bulbs will get hot but
these types of outdoor lights
are normally mounted away
from or have a heat
absorbent casing to prevent
them from being a danger to
little fingers, the LED garden
lights we supply remain cool
to the touch making them
ideal for decking
or spike
lighting
applications.
What does IP rating mean
in
relation to my outdoor lighting?
IP rating means ingress
protection. The IP rating will
have 2 numbers after it the
first number indicates the
protection against solid
objects entering the light
fixture and the second
number indicates the level of
protection against moisture
entering the light fitting.
For other great tips and
garden lighting advice take a
look at our blog
Consider outdoor lighting a
key
part of the landscape plan,
designed to enhance the
appearance of a garden while
contributing to the safety and
security of the home. When
planning for outside lights,
include garden lighting in the
form of wall
, pillar top or pathway
lights.
Be more creative
with
outdoor illumination and
coordinate garden lighting
with
the planting, growing and
harvesting seasons. It?s a
perfect way to give the
working area of a garden
some
added beauty and style.
As you design
garden
lighting on your own or with a
landscape professional, be
sure to include the plants in
the
design. But make sure you
plan your illumination to
accommodate the trees and
shrubs as they mature.
Select plants that
work with the lighting by
providing full foliage or
interesting leaf patterns. It
isn't
necessary to be a horticulture
expert when planning to
illuminate a garden area, but
input from a professional will
go a long way toward
enhancing this important
area. In addition,
quality
exterior lighting is an
inexpensive way to add
appeal
to any landscape. Many
homes
focus on driveways, walking
paths and steps but don?t
give
garden lighting the attention it
deserves.
With careful
selection it is possible to
provide low-voltage light for a
flower or vegetable garden.
This type of external lighting
isn?t difficult to install. Use
specially designed pond
fixtures to illuminate the
water
areas, LED
lights to direct push
chairs in the evening hours or
post top
lights lights to
provide the garden a more
sophisticated
appearance.
|