Days are shorter and many Arizona homeowners love being outside this time of year to entertain and enjoy the coolness of a desert evening. Lighting the night is a good way to ensure that outdoor evenings are enjoyable.
Question: Should you light up the front yard or the backyard or both?
Answer: Because Arizonans love to use their backyards, thatβs often done first. But lighting front yards can improve security, particularly if you leave lights on from dusk to dawn.
Out front, you want your address lighted for visitors, deliveries and service people, but also so that someone can find your house in case of an emergency. Walkways can be lighted for guests. Doorways can be turned into a grand entranceway. The front of your house can become a spectacular focal point.
Be sure to check with your neighbors to make sure your plans to light your yard will not interfere with their evenings. Tucson is a dark sky city and many homeowners enjoy being able to gaze at the stars. If you are in an HOA there may be regulations as well.
Q: Are there specific plants or areas you should provide lighting for?
A: You can have the major trees and plants lighted. You can also light up the fireplace or fire pit to draw guests to seating around those areas. Lighting can bring your water features and fountains to life. Many homeowners want special lights in and around swimming pools.
Q: What will happen to my power bill?
A: Todayβs landscape lighting is primarily done with LED (light emitting diode) bulbs that have extremely low-voltage and burn fewer watts than halogen bulbs. Because of that, the size and resulting cost of a transformer can be less and power bills can be much less expensive. LED systems also use simpler wiring methods. Installing a new LED system might also provide great savings for older homes that have less up-to-date lighting on site.
Q: Does a professional designer need to draw up the plan for your system?
A: That might have been true in the past, but generally, todayβs lighting systems can be done using a basic sketch that marks where fixtures will go. You can simply walk through a yard and put in flags where you want lights installed.
Q: Can I use solar fixtures instead of LEDs?
A: If youβve ever driven through a neighborhood at night and seen homes with very pale, weak-looking lights, theyβre probably solar fixtures. Unfortunately, solar landscape lighting has yet to achieve the same kind of performance that electric-powered lights can give.
Q: Will my yard be torn up in the process of doing the landscape lighting?
A: Youβll need to have a transformer mounted on a wall near an outlet. You might also want a weatherproof outlet box to keep rain out. A 6-inch trench will be needed to run wiring to all fixtures. Fixtures will be installed in their locations using connectors and tape. Some fixtures will be staked into the ground; some will be hung on walls or even underwater. Fixtures will be attached to the transformer using wires. After testing, the wires will be buried.
Q: Can I install a lighting system myself?
A: Do-it-yourself kits that you can buy at big box stores do not have lights and wiring with the same quality and will not perform as well as those installed by a qualified lighting professional.
