Springtime is just around the corner and it’s time to plan for a perfect outdoor setting with fixtures from your favorite lighting store. With coronavirus restrictions being lifted around the country, we can begin to prepare for small gatherings with our family and friends once again. In this article, we’ll discuss some tips that will help you plan your outdoor lighting and how they can be used to make sure that your outdoor lighting is as comfortable and inviting as possible during the warmer months.   

Ambience

The first step in planning your outdoor area’s lighting is to figure out how you will be using the space. The way you will use this space will determine the best type of lighting hardware and layout to use. Will you have a cooking area? Will your space be strictly for entertaining guests? Do you have a pool in this area that needs to be lit? How big is the gathering area in ratio to the other areas? All of these questions should be considered when deciding on your outdoor lighting system. Different uses of areas will need different lighting schemes. You want to ultimately highlight the most important and focal points in your outdoor area so that it can be used as a place to relax, enjoy nature or just enjoy yourself.

Landscaping

The next step is to sketch out your landscaping area. Depending on the height of the shrubbery, tree locations, and other vital landscaping factors, you will decide whether to have hanging lights or run wires to provide other types of lights. Also, this will give you a chance to see if your landscaping provides any natural shade to areas that you may want to lighten up. Make sure you are looking at this area at different parts of the day to make the best, well-rounded, and knowledgeable decision.

Structures

A third step in planning your outdoor lighting is to select the specific lighting structures and lighting systems that you would like to install. This will depend on the planning you did in the prior two steps, as well as what inventory you may have on hand to use. This can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Path and area lighting
• Accent lights
• Wall wash lights
• In-ground lights
• Motion lights and sensors
• Indicator lights

Space

Once you have planned your space and selected your hardware, you need to decide what type of spacing you need between different light sources. If you have lights on a pathway in that area, the recommended spacing between each light is 10 inches. You want to provide enough space to guide guests, not necessarily light up the entire walkway. If you have accent lighting in certain outdoor areas, decide whether your area needs only one light or more than one. If you have wall wash lights, you will want to place those 1-2 feet from the wall you wish to wash with light, and space them 6-8 feet apart along the wall. Lastly, if you wish to have indicator lighting around a pool or other area you wish to border, place a perimeter of at least 2 feet.

Wiring

Lastly, you will need to run all of the wires that are necessary to complete your lighting systems.  You may want to base this setup on existing plugs and electricity supply lines. It is important to make sure that these cables are not damaged by electrical breakdowns, and that they are properly installed. In addition, you must also ensure that the wiring is correctly installed and maintained. One last tip regarding your wiring: hide wires where you can to clean up the space. Lighting can make all the difference in your outdoor area. If you are looking to revamp your lighting, look no further than Facets of Lafayette, one of the top lighting stores in Lafayette, LA. You will find a number of options for you to choose from that best suits your style and space. Contact us today!