When you’re about to invest in a professional outdoor lighting system, it’s wise to ask lots of questions. You want to know what to expect, consider all the options, and make sure you’re getting a good value. Here are some of the top questions we answer for our customers. As we design and install custom outdoor lighting systems for their homes and businesses, our goal is to match their vision and bring the perfect lighting to life.
What if I change my mind after the lighting is installed?
Short answer: it’s no problem. We can make adjustments even after the lighting is installed.
Here’s the longer answer: It’s rare that we need to make big adjustments after installation. We start with a custom design, and provide a demo so customers can see what the system will look like. Fixture placement is extremely customizable, and during the demo we can fine-tune to get it just right. Then we schedule the installation.
We also design our lighting systems to be doable in projects. Most of the time people will start with one area and add another area the following year until the lighting system is complete. The installation is made for permanent placement, but there is no conduit used, so adding or relocating fixtures is not too involved. Our outdoor lighting systems are designed for alterations to be made, if ever desired.
How is the outdoor lighting system wired?
The lighting is powered via a low-voltage landscape lighting transformer. The transformer plugs into a standard 110 Volt outlet, usually on the outside of the home on the back or sides of the house. We often install them in garages or basements. We’ll recommend a transformer with the correct output to handle all your lighting combined, as well as planned additions you may intend to make to your system.
How are the fixtures installed?
Most of the fixtures are attached to an 8-inch ground stake and are placed about a foot away from the home. We’ll work out the spacing and the angle of fixtures to produce uniform light coverage and highlight features, without creating shadowy or dim areas. We’ll also adjust the intensity and spread of the beam as needed for a welcoming glow and appropriate brightness, without intense or overwhelming lights.
For fixtures attached to trees, we have special hardware to install the lights without damaging trees. For string lights such as bistro lights, if there are not adequate supports for mounting the lights we will cut and install custom support poles for the area.
Do you have fixtures for different budgets?
We choose lighting brands that provide light fixtures and light output that meet our quality standards and provide options for our customers.
Here’s a quick highlight of the brands we use:
- Kichler has been around for a very long time and is the leading brand in the industry. They have the widest variety of pathway light styles, fixture finishes, and options for different lighting needs. Kichler is our high-end price point option.
- Sterling has a single uplighting fixture with variable light intensity settings that allows the fixtures to grow with the trees they are lighting up. They also offer the most substantial pathway light fixture on the market, in our opinion. Durability is almost always the number one concern with pathway lighting. Sterling is our mid-level price point option.
- Dauer is a relatively new addition to our options. We have been using them for almost 5 years and they have the best price point among our options, but we are selective about the fixtures we use from Dauer, as some do not offer the quality that we stand behind. Dauer is our low-end price point option.
What kind of warranty coverage comes with an outdoor lighting system?
All equipment comes with their manufacturer’s warranty; we can direct you to the appropriate website for more specific info when you choose fixtures. The warranty start period for fixtures begins when the installation is completed.
Typically, the light fixtures we offer (from Kichler, Sterling & Dauer) hold a 10-year warranty for electrical failure and/or water damage but NOT for physical damage.
Our installation has a 1-Year Workmanship Warranty. This warranty covers any return trips needed for the first year. Why would we need to come back? We usually don’t, but if we do it is usually for damaged wires from critters underground. Also, we’ve found that when fixtures last all four seasons in their first year, we will not see them go bad for the next 10 years. Occasionally, there’s a fixture which goes bad within the first year due to overheating or bad seals. You’ll never have to pay to replace a dud fixture that is less than a year old.
How do I control when the lights turn on and off?
Our outdoor lighting system installations come with two timing options:
- A digital timer that self-adjusts for DST to operate the lights from dusk till dawn. This is a great option if you want things to work and don’t want to mess with the system at all. We will program it and you should never need to interact with it. No wi-fi needed, and it has a battery back-up to protect the memory in case of short-term power outage.
- For those who want options and some hands-on control, we offer a Smart Wi-Fi Timer. You can set up different programs (e.g, dusk – dawn, specific times) and control these through your smartphone. We will assist in setting this up as well.
What type of maintenance is needed for an outdoor lighting system?
There are no bulbs to replace, as the LED is integrated into the fixtures. If the light goes bad, we can replace it with a service call, but there is no service fee during the 1-year workmanship warranty period. And we rarely see lights go bad after one full year of use.
For other aspects of maintenance, you’ll want to keep fixtures clear of debris and may need to straighten placement. After storms, ice, and heavy winds, it’s a good idea to walk through and pick up branches, remove leaves and dirt, straighten fixtures, and check for any damage. We also offer an annual maintenance plan to make things even easier for you.
See what our clients have to say, and get in touch to schedule your custom outdoor lighting design and installation!