solar motion sensor outdoor light

solar motion sensor outdoor light

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Outdoor Lighting: Be Prepared to Make the Right Decisions for You and Your Home

Outdoor lighting is a practical way to add more value to your home, and make it a more inviting place to be. It's also a great way to deter intruders, or brighten up your lawn for nighttime gatherings with friends.

There are many advantages to investing in brightening up your property. Whatever your needs and your budget, there is a wide variety of options to choose from. The most important thing is to be prepared when meeting with your lighting specialist. He or she will be able to serve you most effectively if you've already given some thought to what you're looking for.

Here are some things you will need to know and be aware of in order to find the right lighting package for your home:

What is your budget? You'll want to consider how much you want to spend upfront, but also how much you can afford to have added to your monthly utility bill. For instance, LED lights are more expensive initially, but they use up to 60 percent less energy than halogen lights, and the bulbs won't need to be replaced. They pay for themselves in the long run.

Similarly, solar lighting tends to be more expensive upfront, but they are even more cost effective than LED lights in the long run because they'll add exactly zero dollars to your electric bill. They run on rechargeable batteries that rely on the sun for 100 percent of their energy. The battery will seldom need to be replaced, and it's easy to do and isn't very expensive.

Are you going to do the whole project all at once? Your budget may necessitate that you complete the project over time, meaning you'll complete the entire outdoor lighting project in a series of installments. If you know this ahead of time, let your specialist know so you can still plan the entire project now.

The advantage of mapping out the whole thing now is that you can make sure that you're buying complementary light units. In the end, you want to make sure your flood lights look good with your accent lights, and your accent lights look good with your mounted lights, etc. Buying something on clearance that's being discontinued might seem like a good idea now, but if you're going to be adding to the project later, this means you won't be able to find the same style again.

What do you need the lighting for? The aesthetics are important, but utility needs to be your first priority. Every light is not going to meet the requirements of every job. If you are worried about coming home to a dark house for security reasons, you'll be shopping for an entirely different unit than if you're looking for something to illuminate your prized sculpture on the front lawn.

Even if you know what you want the lighting for, there are still other things to be considered. For instance, if you know you're concerned about security, you'll still need to decide if you want a motion sensored light, or one that will simply stay on through the night. Or maybe you know you want pathway lights, but you're not sure if you want to go with solar powered lights or not. This isn't just a budget question. Your lighting specialist isn't going to know if your pathway sits in full sunlight during the day. Only you can answer that. 

The more prepared you are before talking to a specialist, the more he or she will be able to assist you. If you're still not sure where to begin with your outdoor lighting needs, take a drive through your neighborhood after dark and get some ideas from your neighbors. This is always a good place to start.

About the Author

Sandy Winslow is a writer on many topics, including home improvement and landscaping. Know the right questions to ask before talking with an outdoor lighting specialist.