Self-installation: What a bright idea

Landscape lighting has become easier for the average do-it-yourselfer in recent years, thanks in large part to the advent of low-voltage and LED lights. These lights allow homeowners and landscapers to install outdoor lighting without the fear of electrocution. They also allow more lights to be placed on a single transformer without blowing a breaker or compromising light quality.

The average LED low-voltage light system requires a magnetic or electromagnetic transformer to take 120-volt line voltage down to 12 volts, a timer and a photo cell to determine when the lights come on, lights of all shapes and sizes depending on where the lights are going to be placed, some 12-gauge wire and a plan.

Have a plan. Ask yourself these questions, says Stephen Gilbert with Green Republic Design Group. "Do you know what you need to have lit?" he says. "How do you want to accent your home? How do you want to light areas that might be safety concerns?" A good plan goes a long way.

Create a hierarchy of lighting. "You don't want to use the same light with the same output throughout the yard," Gilbert says. "You want to have a more powerful up light on the corner of the house to highlight an architectural detail or on a larger tree, and you want to have softer light on an outdoor entertainment area to create ambience."

Don't overdo it. "A little light can go a long way," says Sarah Burr with Ozark Design Studio LLC in Jacksonville. "Decide what's important to light and why."

Don't get overly enamored of the fixtures. "Many times, the homeowner gets wrapped up in how the light fixture looks, but does not consider what the fixture is lighting or how the fixture is directing light to the object," Burr says. In fact, Burr and Gilbert recommend hiding light fixtures or making them blend in as much as possible so that the features being lighted are the central focus.

Buy the same color lights. Lighting comes in varying degrees of white, according to Larry Ward with Lights Plus Electric. Light color is measured in Kelvins. A 2700 K rating is a warm, almost amber-colored light. A 3000 K light is a bright white, and lights in the 4000-6000 range are blue white. The color of the light will change the way your outdoor spaces look, Ward says. Blue light, for example, doesn't look good on dark brick.

Choose your features in advance. LED and low-voltage lights can dim, change colors and even work on sensors so they light up with movement. It's important to choose what features the outdoor lights will have prior to installation since most cannot be reprogrammed after they're installed. There are also new iPhone and Android apps that allow residents to control their lights remotely. This requires a motherboard and wireless access, Gilbert says. Also, be sure to buy an LED dimmer rather than a regular dimmer for LED lights. Often, regular dimmers won't work properly with LEDs, Ward says.

Look for sturdy light fixtures. Light fixtures range from cheap plastic to solid metal and everything in between. It's important to look for fixtures that have metal casings, waterproof seals and no cracks, Gilbert says. When in doubt, ask a lighting expert at an electrical supply or lighting outlet such as Light Innovations or TEC Electric in North Little Rock and Jonesboro.

Hire an electrician for anything over 50 volts. Line voltage -- the typical voltage running from a home -- measures 120 volts. Working with any electricity that measures more than 50 volts requires an electrical contractor, Ward says.

HomeStyle on 07/26/2014

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