Avoid These Outdoor Lighting Mistakes That Everyone Makes

Does your home's exterior seem dim? Adding exterior lighting brightens up the facade in many ways, andperfectly positioned outdoor lighting adds an attractive glow to the exterior, helping to increase your home's curb appeal. Safety and home security are functional benefits of installing extra illumination too. Plus, you can use your outdoor spaces well after the sun sets.

Choosing outdoor lighting seems simple enough, but picking the best fixtures and positioning them correctly isn't always as intuitive as it seems. Failing to plan your layout well often leads to several other common mistakes, including choosing the wrong fixtures, getting the amount of light incorrect, messing up the positioning, and not thinking about energy efficiency. Once the lights are installed, you could make the ongoing mistake of skipping maintenance to keep the fixtures in good condition.

Making these exterior lighting mistakes affects the functionality and aesthetics of your home. They can make outdoor spaces less comfortable or safe to use, and some mistakes are costly if you have to replace light fixtures prematurely or pay high energy bills to power them. Keeping these mistakes in mind helps you get your exterior lighting right the first time for a cost-effective and beautiful home. 

Adding lights to your outdoor spaces is exciting, but you don't want to rush into the process too quickly. If you start installing lights without a clear plan, you'll likely create problems that outweigh the benefits. A lack of planning could result in bad lighting that doesn't enhance the property or offer the functionality you need.

A solid plan starts with an assessment of your current lighting and a sketch of your property. It's also helpful to know what your goals are. For example, you might want ideas that will brighten up your deck if you entertain frequently. Or you might want to highlight the architectural features of a home for aesthetic purposes. Increasing your home's security through strategic lighting is another possible goal. It can help to look at your home at night to spot areas that could use a boost or to identify how your current layout comes up short. 

Use those goals and details to plan the placement of your lights. Once you know where you'll put them, you can figure out what type of bulbs and fixtures you need. An effective outdoor lighting plan includes ambient lighting for general illumination, task lighting to light pathways and other areas for safety, and accent lighting to highlight beautiful aspects of your landscaping. If you're unsure about your placement and choices, consider hiring a lighting expert to create a detailed plan. Having expert input can help you avoid other mistakes as well.

Skimping on exterior lighting leaves your home looking dark. It also eliminates the safety and security benefits of having exterior lighting. One small light by your front door doesn't do much to discourage intruders, for example, and it doesn't illuminate walkways enough for visitors to approach safely. You also miss out on the curb appeal that comes from illuminating key features of your home. 

Going overboard on lights is also a mistake that's easy to make. More isn't always better. Having too many lights makes your house stand out and could be distracting to drivers. Your neighbors might complain if your lights shine into their homes and create an uncomfortable situation for them. Too much illumination can also contribute to light pollution, which not only blocks the view of the night sky but also potentially harms wildlife. Artificial light often affects migratory birds by causing disorientation, confusion, exhaustion, and collisions with buildings.

To make sure you have the right amount of light, verify that every fixture you choose has a purpose, whether that's lighting your entrance or illuminating your patio. Sometimes the issue isn't the number of light fixtures but the brightness and color of the bulbs you're using. Choosing outdoor lighting that's safer for migratory birds and other wildlife often means using warmer-colored lights with a yellowish hue or using lower-wattage bulbs to dim the light.

The cost of adding exterior lighting doesn't end with the price of the fixtures and professional installation. You'll see an increase in your electricity bill as well. Ignoring the energy efficiency of the lighting you choose could be a costly mistake, especially if you keep your exterior lights running all night. Not only does energy-efficient exterior lighting save you money, but it also helps you do your part for the environment by limiting fossil fuel use.

Skipping LED lights outdoors could be particularly detrimental to the energy efficiency of your home. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs cut energy use by up to 90 percent. Plus, you get up to 25 times the life out of LEDs, so they're the smart option when choosing lights to illuminate your home's exterior.

Outdoor solar lights for your yard offer an energy-efficient option, but using them in some circumstances could be a mistake. For example, solar landscaping lights really only work well in areas that receive several hours of direct sunlight. Eight hours of sunlight typically provides enough power to run a solar light for 15 hours. If you place the lights in an area that only receives a few hours of sun, the lights won't likely glow for long. The brightness of solar lights varies and could also cause problems in your landscaping. Dim solar lights used to light pathways or offer safety might not do the job well. The brightness can also vary based on how much sunlight the unit receives. 

Even with the right type of lights and the correct amount of illumination for your space, you could go wrong if you don't position the fixtures well. Where you place the fixture affects how the light spreads across your home or landscape. The height of each fixture and the space between fixtures impact how the lighting looks and how well it illuminates your property.

Failing to position lights correctly could defeat the purpose of installing them. Say you want to improve the security of your home. Proper light placement would position the fixtures so they illuminate your home's entrances, gates, dark areas where intruders could hide, and outbuildings that contain valuable items. You don't want to create more shadows by accident.

Bad placement can also make your outdoor spaces look less attractive and feel uncomfortable. An improper height could cause an exterior light to shine brightly into people's eyes. Instead of making it easier for them to see where they're going, they might not be able to see much at all. Proper spacing is important for creating a balanced look and eliminating shadows. Your lights don't have to match up exactly across your home. However, focusing all of the light on one area and leaving the rest of the yard dark will create an unbalanced look.

Planning and installing your outdoor lighting is just the beginning. While the fixtures shouldn't need intensive, ongoing maintenance, you can't install them and forget them completely if you want them to function well long-term. Because the lighting is exposed to potentially harsh outdoor elements, the fixtures and wiring can become damaged or deteriorate over time. The effects of Mother Nature can also decrease how well your lights work and make them less attractive over time.

Dirt and debris are often an issue for outdoor lighting. If you never clean off your fixtures, they'll look dingy, and they won't shine as brightly as they should. Vegetation can also block the light if you don't keep it pruned. Even the little critters, like squirrels and chipmunks, that visit your yard could damage lights or chew up the wiring.

Check your outdoor lighting at least once or twice per year to look for potential problems. Cleaning them removes any dirt and debris that has accumulated to make it easier to check for damage. Look for cracks, exposed wiring, and other potential damage to the fixtures. Make sure all of the bulbs are still working and replace burnt-out bulbs. It's also helpful to check again at night to see how well the lights are illuminating your home. Freezing and thawing cycles or roots from growing plants may cause landscaping lights in the ground to shift or point in a different direction, for example. You might not notice the subtle shift unless you're looking for it.