Brighten your outdoor space with lighting

Outdoor lighting is a great way to add security, safety and style to your yard. Here’s some information on how to buy outdoor lighting that matches your needs and your space.

Path and walkway lights: These lights sit along sidewalks and driveways, delineating the areas so you can see where you’re going. There are many different styles to add a decorative flourish to your pathways.

Flood lights: Flood lights are designed to ward off intruders by illuminating large areas of your property. These lights are powerful and often require additional wiring to operate at full strength.

Outdoor wall lights: Mounted to an external wall, usually by the front door or over a garage, these lights illuminate entries so you can see locks and identify callers. Wall lights come in hundreds of different styles to match your home’s look and they often need professional installation.

Post lights: To give your home a traditional look, consider stylish lamp posts. These lights are more expensive but can help define your exterior décor, or provide light at the end of a driveway. Plug-in varieties exist, but you will need to install buried wiring for most lamp posts.

Deck lights: Deck lights are embedded into your deck and outdoor stairways so you can use the space after dark. Look for waterproof, low power lights so your deck is nicely illuminated rather than washed out with powerful lights.

Spot lights: Spot lights can add depth to landscaping by lighting up trees and other garden features. Look for spot lights with a gentle light that shows off the natural beauty of your garden.

Solar lights: Solar-powered lights soak up energy from the sun during the day and burn it at night to light your way. They aren’t as powerful as other lights, but they’re much cheaper to operate.

Low voltage lights: Low voltage lights work off exterior outlets and sacrifice brightness to save power. These lights are mostly decorative since they’re not very strong, but they give your backyard a calm, ethereal look on warm summer nights.

Line voltage lights: These run on the same voltage as your home, so you’ll need proper wiring for installation, but the benefits include stronger illumination and better visibility.

Timers: If you tend to leave or come home after dark, timers can make sure there’s always a light on when you need it. Timers turn lights on at specific times, so that you always come home to a well-lit driveway or pathway.

Motion detectors: Motion detectors automatically turn on when you move in front of them. They’re convenient and an effective security feature, alerting you to anyone approaching the house.

Outdoor lights can keep you safe and make your home and landscaping look its best. There are all sorts of light fixtures available to brighten and beautify your home.