As if it wasn’t difficult enough to get a DIY landscaping project underway; many homeowners are learning about new concepts in outdoor lighting. If you are considering completing a landscape lighting project in your yard, you’ll have choose the type of outdoor lights you want to use and where to place them. However, due to the modern lighting industry, homeowners can no longer rely on the age-old concept of wattage. New LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology has thrown a wrench into the decisions you’ll need to make because you are literally in foreign territory. It’s like learning to speak a whole new language. To make it easier for you, here is what you should know when within your landscaping project.
Why Do You Need Light?
Before even thinking about the type and amount of light you’ll need, you may want to consider the purpose of your lighting. There are differences between functional and decorative lighting for outdoor use. Are you looking for decorative landscape lighting or are you looking for functional lighting? Perhaps you are seeking better security and safety. Once you have determined the purpose of your outdoor lighting, it’s time to look at what type of lighting meets your needs.
Various Types of Landscaping Lighting
Just as you have various types of lighting in your home, there is also to consider. Inside your home, you can choose hardwired lighting on ceilings, walls, under cupboards and so forth or you can add better or more localized lighting with floor and table lamps. The same holds true for outdoor lighting. Are you looking for in-ground hardwired lights or solar lights? Do you want bright overhead lighting or are you simply looking to line walkways and paths to avoid slips and falls on dark nights? Do you want lights for effect such as up-lights and silhouetting? These are all questions you’ll need to answer so that you can choose the best type of fixture for your outdoor lighting.
Ending the Wattage to Lumens Confusion Once and For All – Almost!
With so much emphasis placed on energy-efficient and cost-effective LED lighting, little information is offered about how to determine the LED wattage you need to get the same amount of brightness as with the older incandescent lights. The information you’ll need is best described in this article: . A thorough explanation is given on how to convert from conventional incandescent wattage to LED wattage in terms of energy consumption.
The above-mentioned article also contains a handy chart for quick reference so that you won’t need to open the calculator app on your mobile device every time you go bulb shopping. Be patient with yourself in the beginning. It’s a new concept to understand, but over time you’ll be able to quickly determine how many lumens you will achieve with any given LED wattage. It’s a new era in lighting, so pace with the lighting trends or stay in the dark, literally as well as figuratively.
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