We often focus on the lighting in our home but in recent years gardens have become an integral part of our relaxing and entertainment space and we are seeing lots of clients wanting help to light their garden.
Outdoor lighting can transform any external space creating practical illumination for safety and security as well as creating a beautiful ambience and highlighting existing garden features.
When planning your garden lighting it is important to identify where you will need lighting and what type of lighting you will need. For example, are you looking to create a warm welcoming environment in a dedicated seating area or do you wish to flood light over passageway or driveway for security?
All outdoor lighting solutions should be Ingress Protection (IP) rated. This means the fittings have been designed and manufactured with protection to stop penetration of solid objects or water entering the fitting. IP Rating is two numbers which tell us how well protected the fitting. Digit one represents the protection against solids and runs on a scale of 0-6, zero being no protection and six being dust tight. The second digit is important for our garden lighting as is shows how water tight the fitting is and runs from a scale of 0-8. Zero indicates there is no protection at all and 8 means the light is suitable for continuous immersion in water (ideal for pools and ponds).
Outdoor lighting must be installed by a Part P qualified electrician. Cables buried underground must be covered in a buried warning tape according to regulations, preferably using steel wire armoured (SWA) cable. All outdoor cables, wires, sockets, appliance and lights have to be protected by residual current device which instantly cuts off power in the event of an emergency.
Security lights are positioned to cover dark areas to deter unwanted intruders, increase visibility and improve ease of access and exit. The the most common type of security light is the LED Flood Light.
Festoon lighting is a stylish way to add light to a patio or BBQ area. They add a warm source of light and are easily moved. LED tapes provide low level lighting and colour wash – adding interest to your seating areas.
Driveway and Path Lighting – Bollard, Post or Pedestal lights are a stylish choice for lighting pathways.Simply position the lights at regular intervals along the edges of your path and they will provide you with the angled down-lighting you need to illuminate the way.
Low level Lighting and Ground Lights – Install them at regular intervals to provide ambient up-lighting that will guide you while providing a beautiful and striking image. These can be mounted in open areas or the the base of a guiding wall to provide a lovely ‘V’ of light washing the wall.
Wall lights – If space is limited on the ground then exterior wall-mounted lights are a great alternative. We would install one – or a series of them -along a wall to provide guiding light from above or low level. When positioning these lights take care with the mounting height to ensure they are not mounted at eye-level to avoid any unnecessary glare. If mounting at a low level (.5m high and below) perhaps consider angled down lights to create a decorative beam effect on the pathway.
Lighting Control – you may want a simple on off switch or you may want to set ‘scenes’ with your lighting and have more control of timers and security settings if away from home.