With its beautiful weather, Birmingham offers endless chances for spending time outdoors. Having proper lighting around the outside of your home can make a big difference in extending your evenings outside. It can also make the home safer by deterring intruders and reducing accidents at night. There are many types of outdoor lighting to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options and how to choose the best types for your property.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Outdoor Lighting
Adding the right outdoor lighting always starts with careful planning. Here are some things you’ll want to think about when planning the layout.
Goal
Consider your goals: are you adding lighting for safety, ambiance, or both? This will help you select fixtures that have adequate brightness and style to meet your preferences.
Design
Always try to match the fixtures to your home’s existing architecture. There are many finishes, shapes, and color temperatures you can choose from to create a cohesive look. For example, a lantern-style light with a bronze finish will blend great with traditional brick exteriors.
Energy Use
Opting for low-voltage and LED systems will reduce energy costs and heat. You can even pair the lights with smart controls to set schedules and save even more energy.
Operation
Do you want simple dusk-to-dawn automation? Or would you rather have some type of app-based control that comes with scenes and dimming features? Some outdoor lights feature both options. Some even have motion sensors that activate when they detect movement. Your lifestyle will determine which types are the best fit.
Spending
Your budget is one of the biggest factors that impact choosing outdoor lighting. Solar lights, string lights, and basic path lights are usually on the cheaper end, while uplighting, hardwired sconces, and smart systems typically cost the most.
Outdoor Lighting for Paths and Sidewalks
Having adequate lighting on your walkways is crucial to staying safe at night. The right lights will add a gentle glow without being harsh or overpowering. Placing the lights low and angled can prevent glare problems from direct sightlines.
Popular options for walkways:
- Low-voltage path lights
- Recessed step and brick lights
- Bollard lights with glare shields
- Downlighting from small tree-mounted fixtures
- In-grade markers along edges
Outdoor Lighting for Driveways and Parking Areas
Driveways benefit from uniform, glare-free lighting. This makes it much easier to back up and highlight obstacles in the dark of night. The best lights will provide broad coverage, allowing everyone to move safely. They will also feature weather-sealed housings to withstand rain and moisture.
Top lighting options for driveways and parking areas:
- Wall-mounted sconces at garage doors
- Wide-beam floodlights on eaves
- Low-glare bollards at turns or edges
- Motion-activated security lights
- In-ground uplights to mark entrances
Outdoor Lighting for Front Doors and Entry Points
Your entryway is an important security zone as well as the showpiece of your home’s exterior at night. You can layer overhead lighting that isn’t too bright with beautiful lanterns or sconces to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Avoid lighting that shines straight into your visitors’ eyes and keep the brightness at a tolerable level.
Best options for entry points:
- Coach lights or lantern sconces
- Recessed downlight in porch ceiling
- Decorative pendant for covered entries
- Address and doorbell illumination
- Narrow-beam accent on house numbers
Outdoor Lighting for Patios, Decks, and Sitting Areas
Dimmable lights perform well in outdoor recreation areas, like patios, porches, and lounge spaces. They create settings that are perfect for late-night conversation and relaxing with friends. Remember to combine ambient light with task lighting for outdoor cooking or reading and gentle accents to planters or railings. Warmer tones (around 2700–3000K) feel inviting during long summer evenings.
Practical lighting choices for outdoor entertainment spaces:
- String or bistro lights on dimmers
- Post-cap and under-rail lights
- Recessed deck step lights
- Adjustable wall-washer or sconce lighting
- Portable, rechargeable lanterns
Outdoor Lighting for Gardens and Yard Features
Trees, masonry, and water features become works of art when illuminated at night with accent lighting. Strive for depth and contrast rather than flat light, and focus on lighting a few key areas instead of trying to illuminate the whole scene.
Best fixtures for gardens and yard features:
- Uplights for specimen trees
- Narrow spots for statuary or urns
- Grazing lights along brick or stone walls
- Submersible lights for fountains or ponds
- Moonlighting from high branches for soft shadows
Different Types of Controls for Outdoor Lighting in Birmingham
By sensing changes in ambient light, photocell controllers can turn lights on automatically at sunset and turn them off at sunrise. With their set-and-forget functionality, you can control your energy use without lifting a finger.
As the seasons change, digital astronomic timers adjust the on/off timings according to the sun’s movement across the sky. This means no more tedious reprogramming in response to seasonal variations; you’ll enjoy stable timing all year round.
Using the Wi-Fi controls, you can access the yard from your smartphone, create scenes, and set up separate zones for each part of the yard. When you’re on the go or simply want an extra layer of protection, you’ll love being able to make changes remotely.
Get Professional Support for Outdoor Lighting Today
The best outdoor lighting setup will blend safety with beauty and efficiency. Birmingham Mister Sparky offers a wide range of solutions for creating and maintaining inviting outdoor spaces. We’ll talk with you about your goals and needs to ensure we design a system that perfectly fits your home and lifestyle. Don’t put up with any malarky; call Mister Sparky now!
