With modern LED lighting systems, a full outdoor lighting package for all-night security and added ambiance operates at a fraction of traditional outdoors lights
DENVER, CO – Outdoor lighting on a home, once restricted to porch lights and the occasional backyard or garage spot light, is fast becoming the standard for both the aesthetic illumination of the home and to enhance security.
Here at Allstar Electrical Services we see it all the time in new-home construction and we are called upon to install sometimes elaborate outdoor lighting solutions along with the standard whole-home electrical services we provide. And more and more owners of existing homes are requesting outdoor lighting systems as well as they see the new homes in their neighborhoods beautifully illuminated.
The aesthetic value of outdoor lighting is so important that we often get called in by real estate agents eager for the enhancement to “curb appeal” that it offers in the sales process. And, of course, in addition to adding value to the home’s “showing,” potential buyers are also swayed by the increase in security offered in an illuminated house; intruders are much less likely to attempt a break-in or commit vandalism at a fully lit property. Indeed, many Neighborhood Watch programs encourage people in the neighborhood to at least keep their porch lights on all night, and full-home illumination only enhances this security value.
Modern outdoor lighting solutions take many forms. The most popular are spot or flood lights mounted in ground-level fixtures that point up an illuminate the full exterior of the home. Also a favorite are garden lights that brightly display the dark corners of the yard or landscape features of particular interest, garage lighting that illuminates the alley or the driveway, walkway lighting that outlines the paths of sidewalks leading to the home in both the back and front, and enhanced lighting for front and back porches as well as patio and outdoor meeting and barbeque areas. We have even designed and installed outdoor lighting under the eaves of homes and garages, and for additional illumination of windows and doors, particularly patio doors.
Popular types of lighting include incandescent flood and spot lights, as well as solar-powered walkway and landscape lighting. But what with the coming changes mandated for incandescent light bulbs in favor of LED lighting, we at Allstar Electrical Services recommend a full LED solution for all outdoor lighting requirements.
LED, or light-emitting diode, solutions represent an emerging technology that actually can be traced back more than 100 years, although real-world applications didn’t actually begin until the early 1960s when early versions of the lighting systems began to be used in electronic devices like electronic test equipment, clocks, televisions, radios, telephones, calculators and watches. Today most consumers are aware of the latest versions as those squiggly light bulbs that are rapidly replacing incandescent light bulbs – in fact, incandescent bulbs for home use will be phased out of use beginning at the end of 2012 and will disappear from store shelves by the end of 2014.
Many people have been unhappy with the color and the quality of the light emitted by LED bulbs over the last few years, but rapid advancements in design and technology are eliminating those concerns. While more costly than standard incandescent light bulbs initially, LED offer many advantages, including much longer life, lower emission of heat, and much lower use of electricity. For instance, the replacement LED bulb for a standard 100-watt light bulb is rated at a mere 26 watts, which drastically slashes electricity use on a per-bulb basis.
The added advantage of LED lighting for outdoor lighting solutions is that the technology allows for a multitude of uses. LED bulbs can be used for flood and spot light purposes and porch lamps, and can be designed to illuminate a single spot, like a mural, or light a whole yard or driveway. Other types, similar to Christmas tree lights, are extremely low users of power and offer lighting solutions in a variety of colors for eave, walkway and patio lighting, adding an often romantic touch to lighting solutions.
As an added advantage, we regularly design LED outdoor lighting systems where the lights can be operated manually by the flip of a switch, made to activate automatically at dusk, or a combination of both. Imagine the security of automatic outdoor lighting in the winter when night falls before work ends or for those periods of time when the home’s occupants are away on a business trip or vacation.
Outdoor lighting systems are quickly becoming the new normal for every home to add to the property’s aesthetic appeal and to enhance the security, and now with modern LED solutions the operational costs of such solutions is a fraction of the standards of just a few years ago.
For all of your outdoor lighting solutions, and for electrical services throughout the home, call on Allstar Electrical Services, serving the Denver metro area for more than 10 years with fully licensed electricians. Call (303) 399-7420 for complete information and to schedule an appointment.