Outdoor landscape lighting in Santa Cruz is rather popular. People want to highlight and show off the hard work they put into their home’s landscaping, even at night. However, landscape lighting requires more than just placing a few lights around the yard. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration before adding lights to a landscape design.
Safety
Even though landscape lighting is outdoors, that doesn’t mean that people will not come in contact with it. Most landscape lighting fixtures are designed to be hidden so as to not draw attention away from what they are illuminating. This can be problematic for anyone going through the yard, including pets who might try to play with or bite a light placed on the ground. It can also be a problem when it comes to simple upkeep, like mowing grass, as machinery may hit the light, breaking it and possibly sending pieces flying. The wiring for most landscape lighting setups can also be a problem, even though most have any wiring buried. Keeping note of where the wiring is located throughout a home’s landscaping set will help should there be a need to make changes or dig on the property.
Operation
The biggest aspect that many people need to address with their outdoor lights, whether it’s for landscaping purposes or otherwise, is how they will operate. Most simply choose a timer system or sensors that turn the system on when the sun goes down. Others may have a central switch that they use to turn their landscape lighting on so they have more control over it. There is also the option of splitting the system—certain lights on a timer or sensor and others on a switch—if a homeowner wants to light parts of the landscape at certain times (e.g. while entertaining guests).
Placement
Homeowners adding outdoor landscape lighting in Santa Cruz need to take placement into account due to their urban location. Neighbors need to be taken into consideration the most because of how they may be affected by the lighting’s placement. One person’s lighting setup can affect their neighbors, especially if they overlap in some way. Ambient light from outside of the property can affect placement as well, especially for landscapes that have their lighting on a sensor that is dependent on a certain amount of darkness.
