Landscape Company

Feb 06

7 Reasons to Install Driveway Lighting

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Acworth GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design, Outdoor LED Lighting, Outdoor Lighting | No Comments

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth shares 7 advantages of featuring the driveway lighting design.

The driveway is a significant hardscape feature of most homes and has been for over a hundred years. Historically, most houses built before 1850 were reached by way of dirt paths, which were direct and narrow rather than meandering and broad. They were for people, not carriages or motor vehicles which would only become commonplace in the early 20th century. Prior to the invention of motor vehicles, only the wealthy and landed had long, winding driveways with sophisticated entrances. The word “driveway” came into usage around 1871 and was originally a dirt path that a horse or carriages used to access the front of a home. During the second half of the 19th century, more creative driveways began to appear with nicer homes. Semi-circular drives, curving walks, and curbing also came into usage.

By design or by default, the driveway is a prominent hardscape feature for most homes, and it deserves attention because of its inescapable prominence. It is a serious error to neglect or ignore the driveway when considering a landscape lighting design. The design significance of the driveway cannot be overstated. The driveway with its attendant borders, curbing, vegetation, gates, fencing, entrance columns, decorative stones, and other features create a lasting first impression of a property.

A well-designed lighting plan for the driveway can make a powerful statement after the sun goes down. It could be argued that the lighting design for the driveway may very well be the most important aspect of lighting design. Having a professional lighting design specialist feature the driveway and entrance in a way that is complementary to the rest of the residence or estate is highly recommended.

There are many reasons to consider installing driveway lights, including aesthetics, pragmatism, beauty, and functionality. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth has completed many lighting installations over the years and is sharing reasons why homeowners may want to invest in driveway lighting.

1. Delineates Driveway Entrance and Borders

Driveway lights are often used to illuminate and clarify the entrance and boundaries of a driveway, helping drivers find the entryway and make their way to the parking area. It also protects landscaping adjacent to the driveway and provides overall lighting for the area.

2. Strengthens Security

A well-lit driveway, yard, and home can dissuade potential intruders. If the homeowner has a security camera, the lighting will better illuminate video footage.

3. Elevates Safety

Landscape lighting provides the necessary brightness to make driving and walking at a residence safer. It reduces the likelihood of tripping in dimly lit areas and can be a critical safety component for some driveways. For example, if the driveway has a narrow entrance, bridge, large trees, or a drop off along the borders, driveway lighting can be positioned to mark boundaries and alert drivers to potential hazards.

4. Impresses Guests

For a home that sits back from the road, the driveway may be the first landscape feature guests see as they arrive. For that reason, the driveway will be a foundational part of the impression that visitors have of the home. Even for homes with short driveways, lighting can increase curb appeal and enhance a home’s appearance.

5. Illuminates Parking Areas

This reason could be included under safety. However, outdoor lighting can also be used to clearly mark parking areas so that guests are aware of exactly where it is appropriate to park.

6. Protects Structures and Landscape Features

This can include carports, posts, walls, garage doors, or landscaping features that drivers may find difficult to see.

7. Enhances the Ambiance

In cases where the driveway is particularly long, a well-designed driveway lighting system can transcend merely illuminating for the sake of safety. The road to the home can be more interesting and impactful. For example, outdoor lighting can be used to highlight interesting trees or landscaping features along the driveway. If the driveway has a unique pattern or stamping, lighting can be positioned to highlight these artistic aspects.

When considering a landscape lighting installation, the beautiful need not eschew the practical and functional. Instead, the practical and functional can embrace the upper limits of the most sublime aesthetic.

For more information about the Acworth landscape lighting company, visit Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth on the web at https://www.southernlls.com/locations/acworth-georgia.

Jan 30

Nine Tips for Winter Maintenance of Landscape Lighting Systems in Acworth, GA

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Acworth GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design | No Comments

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems helps homeowners keep their landscape lighting systems in top shape through the winter months.

Landscape lighting highlights a residence in its various parts such as a garden area, a water feature, a walkway, or a deck. A system artfully designed by a landscape lighting contractor unifies the entire property much as a painter blends thousands of strokes to create a painting. Each lighting fixture and its positioning is essential to the beauty of the whole.

Due to shorter days, the winter months are when a lighting system is used most frequently. With the vegetation absent from plants, it is much easier to spot system issues such as bulb outages, exposed wires, and misaligned fixtures. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, GA offers nine landscape lighting maintenance tips for this winter.

1. Be safe

Be sure to turn off the power to the lights before handling and cleaning any fixtures.

2. Stay safe and secure

When all lights are functioning and bright, walkways, stairs, paths, and outdoor living spaces are safer. A well-lit residence or business is a much less likely target for intruders. When performing winter maintenance, consider these more mundane but vital matters.

3. Remove fallen leaves and other lawn debris

Fallen leaves and other lawn and garden debris can conceal fixtures and obstruct their light, creating safety and security hazards. Halogen bulbs can become so hot that they can scorch leaves and become a fire hazard.

4. Inspect the system for exposed cables and re-bury them

It is not uncommon for cables to work their way to the surface and become exposed, especially in high traffic areas, near lighting fixtures, or at sites where the weather has been particularly unkind. Making sure everything is back underground will reduce trip hazards around a property.

5. Replace bulb burnouts or LED lights that are burning dimly

Homeowners who have not converted to LED lights should consider making the switch this winter. When a halogen bulb burns out, more current flows to the other lights, which reduces their lifespan. LED bulbs require less maintenance and can last up to 75,000 hours.

6. Perform landscape maintenance

Cutting back foliage around fixtures will keep lights unobstructed until next spring. Homeowners can trim bushes, shrubs, and other plant foliage, and prune small, accessible low-hanging limbs. To stay safe, a property owner should not prune any foliage above their head since limbs could fall and cause injury.

7. Re-position shifted lights

Lights can shift due to high winds, heavy flooding, or impact. If vegetation conceals fixtures from view, lawn maintenance crews can unwittingly dislodge lights with a mower, weed eater, or high-velocity blower.

8. Adjust the timer

With the shortened winter days, the homeowner must ensure that the lighting system activates before dark. Working with the system timer can require a measure of the facility with technology that some homeowners may not possess. Landscape lighting experts, such as the team at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, can set the timer up properly.

9. Schedule an annual check-up for the system and for a review of the overall design

Winter is a good time to move things around, to address landscaping issues, to plan for future building projects, or to add hardscapes. Homeowners may want additional landscape lighting installation if their property has recently had a landscape redesign. On the other hand, a lighting system may need significant repairs that are beyond the scope of the homeowner’s abilities. Whether a property owner wants a new design, a simple landscape lighting addition, a conversion to LED from halogen lights, or a new architectural lighting installation, winter is a great time to discuss lighting system updates with one of the professionals from Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth is well-known for its design and installation of quality outdoor lighting that is uniquely customized to the needs of clients. The landscape lighting company’s bespoke lighting installations are designed to accentuate the unique features of each client’s outdoor area while keeping a focus on the area’s security needs.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems has a strong track record of offering professional design and installation solutions using only the highest quality products. The team’s commitment to customer service is exemplary, and they have distinguished themselves as a leading outdoor lighting company.

For more information, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems by phone at (678) 324-6842. Visit their website at https://southernlls.com/locations/acworth-georgia.

Dec 10

A Guide to Selecting Spotlights for Your Landscape Lighting Installation

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Marietta GA, Outdoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting Company, Outdoor Lighting System | No Comments

There are many different types of lighting – from floodlights to spotlights, path lights, and area lights. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems shares their tips on selecting spotlights for a landscape lighting installation as they play an integral role in transforming the exterior of a house and property.

Spotlights have their origins in theatre and show business and were used to light up the main actors on the stage. Today, in landscape lighting designs, they perform a similar function drawing emphasis on a landscape or architectural feature. Different from floodlights that give light to a wide area, spotlights have a much narrower focus with a beam that highlights one feature at a time.

Outdoor lighting isn’t designed to flood the exterior of your home with light. Rather, it is the interplay of light and shadow that adds depth to a garden landscape after dark. The selective application of spotlights creates visual accents on a home’s walls or sidings.

There are different ways to add spotlights to your property, such as:

Exterior Walls

The spacing and positioning of spotlights that shine on a wall is key to creating a visually appealing exterior. Where the siding or wall is plain without windows, spotlights should be positioned so that the beams overlap about halfway up the wall.

Columns

If your home has columns, these provide an ideal architectural feature for spotlighting. With columns there is usually a white section between the columns under the eaves; this is where the beam from each column should meet the next (halfway along). Using this design, a popular choice of spotlight is a well-type flush set fixture which presents the column in its best light with the illumination starting at the bottom of the column.

Second Story

Outdoor architectural lighting aims to reveal the shape of the most important structures on the property so they can be seen even on a dark night. This requires that the upper story of a building is also illuminated along with the lower story. This represents a challenge for the landscape lighting company during the installation process as the spotlights will need to be mounted either under the eaves or in gutters. An alternative to this is to use narrow beam spotlights that are positioned from the ground and aimed to shine at the underside of the upper eaves while avoiding shining the lights into second-story windows.

Trees

Whether during the day or at night, trees are an integral part of your property’s landscape and are impressive features in their own right. When it comes to shining a spotlight on them, you will need to consider their size and shape to determine the best way to showcase them.

Tall, Expansive Trees

Large, wide trees will need more than one spotlight. An effective strategy is to use at least two 60-degree beams to illuminate the trunk and the outer edge of the canopy. The number of fixtures you use will depend on the size of the tree and the extent to which you want it to be a focal point in the design of your landscape.

Large, Narrow Trees

These trees will usually only need a single spotlight (although two will give better coverage) positioned at the base with a beam that is wide enough to light up the tree’s canopy.

Small to Medium-Sized Trees

Young or ornamental trees will need one spotlight. A 24-degree spotlight will work well for a short, narrow tree, while a short, wise tree can benefit from two 60-degree spotlights.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Marietta, GA, offers engaging landscape lighting installations for their clients. With many years of experience in the industry, they consistently offer the best quality LED lighting and excellent customer service to the clients.

Oct 31

3 Reasons to work with a landscape lighting installer when building an outdoor living area in the backyard

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design | No Comments

Creating a beautiful outdoor space for entertaining is a fun home improvement project that enhances the value of your property as well as offering additional living space and a way to make the most of your backyard.

For homeowners in Atlanta, the prospect of an outdoor entertainment area is particularly attractive as the long, warm summer months mean that there are many opportunities to invite friends and family.

Creating an outdoor living space is more than simply furnishing your patio by adding some seating and a barbeque with wheels. An outdoor living area provides a higher level of style, comfort, and functionality – comparable to the convenience of using your kitchen or dining room.

These projects should take into account your preferences and the needs of your family, as well as the long-term prospect of possibly selling your home. Regardless of whether you’re planning to sell currently, it should still be approached in the same way that you would plan a remodel or home addition.

As such, in addition to enlisting the help of a professional designer or landscape architect, a landscape lighting installer’s opinion will be essential for designing a fully functional, user-friendly outdoor area design.

A landscape lighting specialist will help you:

1. Envision how you want to use the space

The outdoor space needs to fit in with your lifestyle so think about how you want to use the space. This might include preparing family meals, in which case you would need well-positioned lighting to support a full outdoor kitchen. Maybe you want to use the space to host friends or watch a football game which would mean setting up the outdoor lighting so that the television can be watched after dark. You might even have a more formal space in mind where you can host dinner parties, which would mean installing the highest quality, beautiful outdoor lighting to complement the space.

2. Ensure that there is a provision for adequate lighting after dark

It’s much more efficient to pre-wire an outdoor area for lighting before the hardscaping is done, particularly for hard to reach areas. When the outdoor lighting contractor works on the project from the beginning with the hardscape contractor it results in a cleaner, more polished look that will save the homeowner money in the long run and make servicing down the road easier if the wiring is in conduit.

3. Make provisions for any special requirements

The structure you choose will determine the lighting that is needed, and a landscape lighting company will work with you to overcome any specific challenges such as how to light the area if:

Wind protection needs to be put in place for shelter
It’s close to neighbors and you want privacy as well as ensuring that your lighting doesn’t disturb them
The area is small, and you want to maximize the feeling of space without impacting on functionality
Any focal points such as a fireplace, views or water feature need to be highlighted with lighting

Designing the perfect outdoor area requires planning and may need expert assistance to ensure that you get exactly what you want. In addition to taking out the stress of making all the decisions, they’ll also make sure that you don’t miss anything important.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems services Atlanta offers professional landscape lighting installation services, giving their clients expert lighting advice and installation assistance. It might be as simple as small accent lights that illuminate the garden pathway or creating focal points of impressive trees or water features. But this could be the difference between an average entertaining space and a space that creates the ideal environment for entertaining friends or relaxing in the garden.

Oct 12

The Benefits and Advantages of Professionally Installed Landscape Lighting For Your Home

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Acworth GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design | No Comments

It’s sometimes tricky deciding how to allocate your home improvement budget as it’s not always easy to know what changes or modification will have the biggest impact and offer the most benefits. One of the perennial top choices for home improvement that offers quantifiable benefits is landscape lighting.

While most will agree that proper lighting for home interiors is a non-negotiable, increasingly outdoor landscape lighting is being seen in a similar way. Especially when one considers the safety and security implications of floodlights and security lighting for homeowners with families.

With this in mind, let’s look at some of the top benefits of installing a professional landscape lighting system:

Improve Safety

Navigating outdoor areas after dark, particularly for children and the elderly, can be problematic. Well-lit outdoor spaces effectively eliminate many of the trip and fall hazards such as steps, uneven pathways, or overgrown roots. It also increases the functionality of spaces that can now be used because they are well-lit.

Increase Security

Many studies point to the efficacy of a professional landscape lighting installation for deterring potential criminals. Outdoor lighting increases security by illuminating entry-points and eliminating areas of shadow in the garden. It’s important to note that the lights should remain on throughout the night, rather than being activated by a motion sensor, so that burglars don’t even enter the property.

Enhance Beauty

A professional landscape lighting installation will highlight the beauty of a garden after dark. Using a variety of lighting techniques (such as silhouetting, shadowing, and highlighting) an installation company can transform a yard to make the most of its natural and architectural features. And ultimately, outdoor lighting adds to the curb appeal of a home.

Create Ambiance

Outdoor lighting can be used to create a feeling of space and can set the mood of an area. The impact of this is that it makes your outdoor spaces more welcoming so that they become a place that you want to spend time in after dark with your friends and family.

If you still have questions about installing landscape lighting, Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, a leading outdoor lighting company servicing the area of Atlanta, shares their insights:

I don’t want to do it myself, what are the options?

Working with a professional landscape lighting company offers a number of benefits. You will get access to the latest, best quality fixtures at an affordable rate as well as full peace of mind that the system has been expertly and safely installed by professionals that know exactly what they’re doing.

What is the impact on my energy costs?

Low-voltage systems that use energy-efficient LED lightings will have a very small impact on your monthly utility bill (and compared to traditional halogen bulbs offer a massive saving). LED lights convert as much as 90% of the energy that they receive into light, whereas incandescent bulbs are only at around 10 – 20%.

Should I be concerned about light pollution?

Dark sky advocation is becoming an increasingly important topic as brightening the night sky through artificial sources, including landscape lighting, has a disruptive effect on the natural cycles of wildlife. A professional landscape lighting company will ensure that lighting is properly installed and that the fixtures are directed correctly to address these concerns.

Local outdoor lighting company, Southern Landscape Lighting Systems, serves the residents of Atlanta, GA offering the best in high-quality LED landscape lighting. With thousands of satisfied clients, many years of experience, and the best customer service, it’s not hard to see why they are the preferred custom outdoor lighting company.

Oct 07

Important Trends to Consider for a New Landscape Lighting Installation in Alpharetta

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Alpharetta GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design | No Comments

Whether you’re looking to update your current outdoor lighting or want a completely new landscape lighting installation, you can get inspiration from some of the top lighting variations that are currently trending.

LED Is the Best Choice for Bulbs

This isn’t new, but it’s an important ongoing trend as homeowners seek to decrease energy costs and enjoy flexible lighting options. LED technology continues to evolve and offers lower energy consumption, extended lifespans, and a wide variety of color options from warm to cool choices.

And the one argument that has stopped LED from being the first choice for some homeowners, the cost, has become less of an issue in recent years as the prices of LED fixtures and bulbs has come down considerably. So, when the long-term cost savings are considered, LED lights are a firm favorite for lighting companies and homeowners alike.

Bathing Your Garden in Moonlight

The full moon effect is currently a popular choice for outdoor lighting installations, creating a beautiful effect that mimics the light of the full moon. It creates a relaxing, tranquil environment that has the added benefit of increasing the security of the property and it naturally highlights and accents landscaping features.

The effect is created by installing downlights 20-80 feet from the ground, usually in trees or other structures. Mature trees are an excellent choice as it creates a dappled, soft, moonlight effect as the light shines through the branches. A professional landscape lighting company will help with this as they will ensure the proper beam spread coupled with glare guards will keep the light looking natural.

Use High-End Fixtures for Visible Lights

For porch lights, patios, and pathways, homeowners are choosing to allocate more of their budget to fixtures that are more visible, choosing lights that are more attractive and complement the overall aesthetic. These lights are what you and your visitors will see when you spend time in your outdoor living areas.

Fit-for-Purpose Lighting

This type of lighting includes both the outdoor cooking area and all outdoor attractive, yet functional lighting. The idea is that indoor living can extend to the outdoors, transforming areas of the yard into spaces that allow for reading, playing, eating, relaxing, and even work.

Outdoor lighting, therefore, needs to be customized for its purpose. Examples include lots of light for a backyard gym or tennis court, ambient mood lighting for a dining room outdoors, or a warm glow for a comfortable reading nook that can be used in the day or at night.

Water Features Lit from Within

Water features have long been a focal point for outdoor areas, but the current trend of illuminating them from within is taking water features to the next level. Uplights can be positioned to highlight fountains, a waterfall can be lit from below, or a soft glow added to a pond of flat water.

These types of installations usually require specific expertise and will need the services of an experienced landscape lighting installer. They will understand the requirements for working with electricity, lighting, and water and will be able to complete the project safely.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Alpharetta has been helping homeowners in the area stay well-lit after dark for many years. Their specialist lighting experience, combined with a passion for offering customer service excellence, has made them popular with the community and is reflected in the many five-star reviews that they continue to receive. If you want to stay on-trend and enjoy your garden after dark, you can trust the Southern Landscape Lighting Systems team to help.

Sep 19

Fall Landscape Lighting Tips for Residents in Atlanta, GA

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Acworth GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design, Outdoor LED Lighting, Outdoor Lighting Company, Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Outdoor Lighting System | No Comments

As the days become shorter, there’s no need to pack up the barbeque and put away the outdoor furniture just yet. For Atlanta residents, there’s still reason to spend time outside in the evenings – but there may be some changes that need to be made to your outdoor lighting to match the change in season.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems services Atlanta, GA residents, installing high quality, long-lasting landscape lighting. Here they share their top tips for preparing your outdoor lighting for fall:

1. Check the Entertainment Areas

When it starts getting darker earlier it’s a good time to adjust outdoor lights to make sure that entertainment areas are well-lit. It probably won’t require the installation of additional lights, but just a general check that there is adequate soft lighting to ensure that guests are able to navigate the area safely.

2. Create a Sense of Warmth

Adding warm lighting to outdoor areas can increase the feeling of warmth. A welcoming environment that makes use of warm, rather than cool, LED lights makes it more likely that you and your guests will want to spend time outdoors.

3. Remove Fallen Leaves and Branches

As trees lose their leaves, and in some cases, small branches, this can impact an outdoor lighting installation by obscuring light fixtures and blocking lenses. To avoid this issue, regularly remove debris from around the outdoor light fixtures.

4. Adjust Lighting If Necessary

The placement of up-lights in summer may perfectly highlight a beautiful tree or bush, but as the tree loses its leaves in fall, the lighting may contribute to a sense of starkness or loneliness. By lowering the angle of the light to accentuate the trunk rather than the bare branches, you can easily solve this issue.

5. Prepare for Halloween

If you don’t want to keep making changes to your outdoor lighting, now’s also a good time to ensure that pathway lights are adequate for guests such as trick or treaters to easily and safely navigate the pathway from the sidewalk to your front door. It’s a smart move if you want to enjoy the fun of Halloween but ensure that your lawns and flowerbeds are safe from unwanted foot traffic.

6. Switch to an LED Landscape Lighting System

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to switch to LED lighting for your outdoor lights. Halogen lights use significantly more electricity and don’t offer all the benefits of an LED installation – such as longer bulb life and lower utility bills.

7. Do Routine maintenance of Your Lighting Installation

Preparing your outdoor areas for fall includes some routine maintenance. Some tasks that you may want to add to your to-do list include cleaning light fixtures, removing debris that may be covering the lights, reburying wires that have become exposed and checking the system to ensure that it’s still in perfect working order. These steps are important as regular maintenance of your outdoor lighting installation will ensure that it continues to function optimally, and it can have a big impact on the lifespan of your outdoor lights.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems for Atlanta, GA residents offer a range of services from design and installation, to maintenance in order to help keep gardens in Atlanta looking their best. With thousands of satisfied clients, they pride themselves on their ability to expertly install custom outdoor lighting that accentuates a home’s natural features. The Southern Landscape Lighting Systems team uses only the highest quality products for their professional design and installation services, which they follow up with outstanding continued customer support.

Sep 05

How Does LED Landscape Lighting in Marietta Work?

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Landscape Lighting Design, LED Lighting Guide, Marietta GA | No Comments

Low voltage landscape lighting adds value to the residents of a home by making outdoor areas easy to navigate and accessible after dark. It also adds to a home’s curb appeal, as well as safety and security. And, if done using LED fixtures, can save money by minimising energy use.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems specializes in LED lighting installations for homes in Marietta. Their unique understanding of the area, combined with their experience that spans thousands of LED lighting installations, ensures that they have the expert, in-depth knowledge needed for the successful design and installation of the ideal lighting solution for properties.

Here they share their top tips for ensuring that a landscape lighting solution has the correct components:

LED Lights: Setting the Style and Ambiance in a Garden

There are a number of different LED light fixtures that can be used, and the perfect combination will depend on the layout of the garden, as well as its size. Lights that should be included in an installation include path lights for illuminating a sidewalk or pathways in the garden. Spotlights and floodlights can highlight features of the garden as well as lighting up larger areas.

LED lights are available in a wide range of different designs allowing homeowners to work with their landscape lighting installer to come up with the best combination for the home.

There are some important considerations when setting up lighting in a garden; this includes:

Safety – visitors need to be able to safely navigate the garden whether they are walking from their car to the front entrance or walking through the garden to an outdoor entertainment area.
Security – landscape lights provide an important deterrent for unwanted intruders on the property. This may mean setting up lighting around the perimeter of the yard, as well as lighting up all possible entranceways and windows.
Aesthetics – landscape lighting can be used to highlight, or even create, features in the garden including water features, trees, shrubs, or even walls.

The Transformer: Powering Up the LED Lighting Installation

Your landscape lighting company will advise on the size transformer that is needed to power the installation. All transformers have a maximum wattage capacity – for example a 200-watt transformer can only safely provide power to an installation that has a maximum demand for 200 watts. This is why the lighting company will map out the yard and the fixtures needed to get an understand of the number of lights that will be used. Each of the lights will have a maximum bulb wattage rating so to calculate the size of the transformer needed; they will need to add up the total number of lights and their wattage.

An important tip here is that your lighting company will want to pad the numbers a bit and suggest that a bigger transformer be used. This is a good idea in case you decide to add additional fixtures at a later stage. Using LED light fixtures will bring down the transformer price as they are low-wattage, which will mean that you can buy a lower-spec, lower price transformer.

Cables: Linking Up the LED Lighting Installation

Here a landscape lighting contractor will lay out all the light fixtures to ensure that they have enough cabling to connect all the fixtures to the power source. In most cases, cables will be run along the ground so that they can be lightly covered with soil (making them easy to dig up and adjust if needed).

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Marietta, GA specializes in custom design and installation of outdoor LED lighting solutions. With years of experience, they know exactly which light fixtures to use where, the size transformer that will be needed and how to neatly and effectively wire the installation so that it works well and can be adjusted if necessary.

Aug 19

5 Reasons LED Lights are the Best Option for Outdoor Lighting

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Alpharetta GA, Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Outdoor LED Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting Company | No Comments

While halogen lights were a popular option for landscape lighting installations in the past, LED landscape installations are definitely the way of the future. For homeowners deciding between

halogen and LED options, there are a number of factors to consider, but it’s important to keep in mind that the long-term savings and overall efficiency of LED lights make them the better option.

These are the most important considerations:

1. Expense

Halogen lights may be an attractive option because upfront they offer a lower cost proposition, however, in the long-run LED lighting is more cost-effective as the bulbs need to be replaced a lot less often and their energy consumption is significantly lower leading to lower energy costs.

2. Energy Efficiency

Halogen bulbs lose a lot of the energy that they draw to heat, which is why the bulbs tend to get quite hot and don’t last as long. In contrast, LED bulbs, while also producing some heat, have the heat drawn away from the bulb and is dissipated by a heat sink which contributes to the long lifespan of LED bulbs.

The amount of energy the LED bulbs use is significantly lower than the amount that halogen bulbs draw. Switching from halogen to LED bulbs can result in a decrease in energy usage by as much as 80 percent.

3. Color Range

Warm light with a yellow hue is an important aspect of most landscape lighting installations, and this has always been an option for halogen and other incandescent bulbs. In the past, LED bulbs colors were limited, and most were only available in a harsh white light. But LED technology has quickly improved, and fixtures are now available in a wide range of colors and temperatures. In addition, the color tends to be a lot more consistent between fixtures.

A landscape lighting company will be able to offer LED light fixtures in a range of colors and temperatures, allowing homeowners diverse options that can be combined together to create the perfect lighting installation.

4. Lifespan

Halogen bulbs generally have a lifespan of between two thousand and five thousand hours, compared to LED bulbs that can last over 40,0000 hours if they use newer LED technology.

The lifespan of LED bulbs is calculated differently to halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs fail or burn out, and this determines the end of their useful life. LEDs tend not to fail but rather experience light depreciation, meaning that the amount of light produced by the bulb decreases over time. The lifespan of the bulbs is therefore measured differently for a halogen bulb. For halogen bulbs, it is the

time taken for “50% of a large group of lamps to burn out” and for LED bulbs it is “based on a prediction of when the light output decreases by 30 percent” according to EnergyStar.gov.

5. Maintenance

Neither halogen nor LED fixtures are considered high maintenance, but halogen bulbs will need to be replaced more frequently than LED bulbs (approximately every one to two years). LED fixtures offer the same design flexibility if not more but will not need to have bulbs replaced for upwards of ten years. This makes them a better option for less accessible features or for homeowners looking for a very low maintenance option.

When the factors are looked at as a whole, it becomes clear that LED lighting is a better option for homeowners. Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Alpharetta are the leading LED landscape lighting specialists offering top of the range fixtures and professional installations at an affordable price. Their high levels of customer satisfaction and commitment to excellent service make them sought-after lighting specialists in Alpharetta and the surrounding areas.

Aug 10

A Stylish Landscape Lighting Installation That Will Stand the Test of Time

By Southern Landscape Lighting Systems | Landscape Company, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Company, Marietta GA, Outdoor LED Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting Company | No Comments

As professional landscape lighting installers, Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Marietta has seen it all. From DIY jobs gone bad, to completely over the top installations that take poor taste to the next level. It has helped them to value the most important requirements for landscape lighting. All homeowners want landscape lighting that adds to the curb appeal of a home while serving the practical purpose of adding safety and security to a home.

The Southern Landscape Lighting Systems team shares their top tips for creating enduringly stylish and modern lighting installation for gardens in Marietta:

1. Keep Path Lights for Their Purpose

There is a tendency to use path lights for lighting flowerbeds, particularly around the perimeter of a yard. This is neither practical, nor does it serve any real aesthetic purpose. Path lights shouldn’t be installed randomly, but rather used to light pathways to help visitors navigate safely through the garden.

For homeowners wanting to highlight the natural beauty of a garden, there are better lighting options that can be used which a professional lighting company will be able to assist with.

2. Motion Sensor Lights are Not a Good Option

Homeowners often use motion sensor outdoor LED lighting as a security solution. But they can have the opposite effect. In reality, the more light that shines on a property, the more likely it is that the property will be avoided by a trespasser. Leaving the lights on acts to discourage potential trespassers before they even enter the property, whereas motion sensor lights only turn on after someone has entered the property.

3. Security Lighting Can Also Beautify a Property

Landscape lighting is installed to perform three main functions – it needs to illuminate a property to improve security and deter potential trespassers, it should accentuate the features of the property so that the yard can be enjoyed after dark, and it should make it possible to navigate the garden safely.

Professional landscape lighting is able to do these three things using a system of LED lights that are strategically positioned by making subtle adjustments to the choice and placement of fixtures.

4. Up Lights Aren’t a Good Option for Lighting Paths

Uplights aren’t a good choice for lighting paths or stairs as the direction of the light will always be up. This doesn’t make sense because the stairs and paths won’t be adequately lit, and people navigating those areas are likely to be blinded by the lights which then turns paths and stairs into tripping hazards. It’s for this reason that uplights shouldn’t be repurposed as path lights – and it’s also why path lights are the best option for stairs and paths.

5. Use a Variety of Lighting Options

With so many different types of LED lights to choose from, it makes sense to incorporate a variety of options into your landscape lighting installation. Each serves a different purpose, from lighting features to assisting with navigation and more. Working with a landscape lighting company can help homeowners find the perfect mix so that their yards are lit optimally.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems in Marietta has a team of lighting professionals who are passionate about working with homeowners to design and install landscape lighting for their homes. With a focus on highlighting the natural beauty and features of a yard as well as delivering state of the art security lighting for homes, the company has developed a strong reputation for excellent solutions and high-quality service. Their team goes the extra mile, offering trial installations, walk-throughs and excellent post-installation service that includes lens cleaning, re-burying exposed wires, replacement of halogen bulbs, replacement of time batteries, fixture adjustment, socket greasing and pruning of foliage overgrowth.