Great outdoor lighting makes it safer and a lot more fun to enjoy the outdoors and protect your home long after the sun goes down. Now is the perfect time to update your home’s outdoor lighting so it’s ready for family get-togethers and late-night outdoor activities by the time summer rolls around. As a homeowner, you want your porch, patio, and yard to be well-lit to provide ambience and atmosphere as well as extra security. Outdoor lighting can also improve your property — including its value.
Here, the pros at PowerTech share their expert advice on ways to update your outdoor lighting so that it enhances your home’s outdoor space, just in time for summer evenings with family and friends.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Summer 2021
- Make sure your project includes the three basic lighting types — task, accent, and ambient. You can use hanging lights or post lights for ambient lights. Security lighting and pathway lights address task lighting. Your landscape lights and spotlights, meanwhile, take care of accent lighting needs.
- Sit down and determine how much lighting you need. Measure the square footage you want to light and multiply it by 1.5 to come up with the total wattage for your project. It’s best to calculate these figures before you go shopping for light fixtures.
- Study different options before you shop. Do a little research. Set a budget. Carefully inspect your space and make sure you choose the right size and style of lighting. You can use paper templates to determine the placement and to make sure you do not end up buying fixtures that are too large scale for your setting.
- Choose LED bulbs. They use less energy, so you’ll see lower utility bills. LED lights are extremely low maintenance as well; you don’t have to change bulbs as often. They also provide you with clean, bright lighting.
- Look at the area you are planning on lighting from inside your house. You should stand inside and look out, determine where you should put lights, what kind you need and where, and how you want the various areas to look from inside your home. As an example: Think about how you want gardens, paths, patios, shrubbery, and so forth to appear when someone looks out a window. When you light areas that can be seen from your dining room or living room, it can give the illusion of expanding the room at night.
- When you’re planning to entertain, go for subtle lighting. Guests don’t want to be blinded by a spotlight — they’re at a social gathering, not being interrogated — so choose wisely. Make sure your lighting makes others comfortable, and that the lighting puts off a softer glow. Pendants, ceiling fans, and outdoor lanterns are excellent choices for such areas.
Outdoor Lighting Installation in Omaha and Council Bluffs
If you’re ready to overhaul the lighting system outside your home, seek the help of a professional, licensed electrician. That way, you can be sure to choose the right fixtures and the proper layout so it makes sense for the needs of your home. The residential electrical services team at PowerTech are experienced lighting professionals, with affordable electricians who take the time to assess your needs so you understand your options.
Get in touch before summer sneaks up!
About PowerTech
PowerTech has the power to provide all of your residential electrician and commercial electrical needs, whether it’s a home remodel or repair, an electrical issue at your business, a generator service or purchase, or emergency electrical help. Let us show you why we are the top choice for service in Council Bluffs, Omaha, and beyond.
Ready to get started? Give us a call at 712.256.8702. You also can fill out our contact form and a representative will contact you as soon as possible.
