Love what you see longer with lighting

Homeowners who are proud of their home and landscaping often add lighting at their earliest opportunity so they, as well as their guests, neighbors and passers-by, can enjoy it 24/7.

Adding strategic lighting provides your home with year-round drama and atmosphere, as well as safety and convenience, said Jennifer Gibson, design consultant with Littman Bros. Lighting, 845 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg.

Lighting does much more than provide illumination. It literally defines a space and sometimes that space is a yard.

The type of lighting chosen and the way it is placed work with the home's exterior texture, its patio or deck, trees and other landscaping and the outdoor furniture to determine the character of a home's outdoor space.

Basic outdoor lighting falls into two basic categories: architectural lighting on the house and landscape lighting on the trees and plant material, Gibson said.

Both increase the attractiveness of the home and yard year-round. Architectural lighting is used to accent and give depth to the architectural details of the home, such as the corners and flat wall surfaces between windows or even deck railings. It can wash light over alternating concrete steps for the safety of the homeowners and guests alike.

"WAC has even come out with a watertight outdoor spotlight that allows the homeowner to adjust the beam's strength and width with just a screwdriver, even after it is installed," Gibson said.

Low voltage landscape lighting can be used to illuminate tree trunks and canopies, planting beds, low shrubs and paths, as well as focal points like bird baths and fountains. Trees are lit from below using narrow beams of light shining directly up to the canopy along the trunk. Focal points are generally lit using two crisscrossing beams from either side so the item does not appear flat.

Paths, beds and shrubs are generally lit using taller decorative lights to allow the light to shine down on whatever you are choosing to illuminate. They are generally placed about 10 to 15 feet apart for the safety of walkers. Lighting run under the railing of a deck is similar to that used under cabinets inside the home, but it is made for outdoor use. It lends both a lovely glow and definition to a deck.

Both categories of lighting come in three types - halogen, solar and LED - and can be run without the help of an electrician because they use low voltage.

Gibson said, however, that virtually all homeowners are now choosing LED bulbs for their outdoor lighting systems. Halogen systems use a lot of electricity and the bulbs need to be changed yearly. Solar systems don't give a uniform look because the intensity of each light depends upon the sunlight it absorbs during the day and, obviously, different areas of your yard get differing amounts of sun.

LED bulbs cost the most initially, but they last much longer and use much less energy. You can generally recoup your initial investment in two years because of lower energy bills, she said, and you won't have to worry about a bulb burning out in the middle of winter and needing to be changed.

"LEDs aren't actually bulbs. They are computer chips that illuminate with the aid of a low voltage transformer. In under-the-railing situations, the diodes are attached to electrified tape," Gibson said.

To add further atmosphere, novelty outdoor lighting like low voltage chandeliers, floor-mounted lanterns, fan and light combinations that can be hung from pergolas, are all available, as are outdoor sconces that can be installed on deck and pergola posts, Gibson added.