Light
Up The Night! Quick Facts About Outdoor Lighting.
When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may drive us inside from our porches, patios or decks. Don’t despair – outdoor lighting can lengthen the day and dramatically extend the potential of our outdoor living spaces.
The first step, as with any project, is to plan. How do you want to use this space after dark, and what lighting will you need? Lighting can be summarized in four categories:
Security lighting
is needed in highly vulnerable areas of your
property. Because it is bright and often motion
activated, keep it away from the living areas so
that it’s not distracting. Alternatively, have your
security lighting on a manual on/off switch so that
you can override automatic illumination.
Task lighting is
for performing specific activities such as grilling
or walking safely up and down steps and along paths.
You should place task lighting between your eyes and
the object that needs to be lighted and should take
care that it does not glare. An overly bright light
will blind rather than guide.
