Landscape Lighitng

A proven deterent to crime: Outdoor Lighting increases safety and protection for your family and friends.

Extends your living space to the outdoors: Enjoy your outdoor living space long after sunset; outdoor lighting allows you to enjoy more hours outsideand creates and elegant atmosphere for entertaining.

Sharper and cleaner lighting which high voltage systems can't possibly achieve: Lighting and Ceiling Fans low voltage lighting will beautifully enhance any outdoor landscaping and architecture using subtle lighting techniques.

Outdoor lights not only provides a pleasant setting for outdoor activities, highlight interesting features of a yard or patio, and light a pathway, they can also make your home safer by deterring criminals. The most challenging stage of an outdoor lighting projects is running cable from a power source inside your home and making sure the outdoor cable is protected. Otherwise the wiring is straightforward.

A system for all purposes
Aim for flexibility when choosing the type and number of outdoor lights and switches. For instance use low-voltage lights controlled by a timer or photocell to provide inexpensive lighting all night ling.
For security and to light pathways when you come home at night, add bright standard-voltage lights that are controlled by motion sensors.
For a dramatic effect, point accent lights at trees or foliage and control them with a standard switch or a timer. To provide lighting for outdoor dining or parties, hang decorative standard-voltage lights overhead and control them with a dimmer switch.

Choosing lights
Make scale drawings of your property, including foliage, sidewalks, and paths. Pencil in the type of lighting you want in various areas.
Bring the drawing to a home center or lighting store and think through the possibilities. You’ll find a wide selection of lights that poke into the ground, mount on posts, attach to siding, or hand overhead. Mix and match fixtures, choosing form the many available options.
Floodlights provide plenty of illumination for a small cost, so you may be tempted to light up your entire yard with them. However, while floods are excellent for security purposes, most people find them too glaring for dining and entertaining.

Cable and conduit
Outdoor rooms are casual, so exposed conduit may not be considered unsightly. Plastic (PVC) conduit is pretty rugged, but metal conduit is more resistant to hard knocks. Consider installing metal wherever it might get bumped-for example, by a lawn mower. Codes prohibit exposed cable outdoors, because it can be easily damaged.
Always use approved UF cable for outside wiring. Though resistant to moisture, UF cable is vulnerable to damage from a shovel or hammer, so protect it well. When installing an eaves or porch light, run standard cable through the attic or through a wall. When installing a post light on top of a 4x4, one option is to run the cable through a groove in the post, then cover the groove with a 1x2.

Easy lights
In addition to permanent lights, you can also put up decorative lanterns or even a string of holiday lights, which can be quickly added and easily moved. Miniature lights strung from trees render a magical feeling all year long. Exterior-rated rope lights can be hung under railings or stair treads, or over doorways. If stretched taut they have a high-tech look; draped in casual loops, they make for a party atmosphere.

Holiday lighting
If you’re one of those people who love outdoor holiday decorations, don’t assume that you can just plug all those colored lights and illuminated reindeer into any old receptacle. Typically these setups use lots of low-wattage bulbs. They can quickly add up to a circuit overload, especially if the circuit runs to a living or family room where a home entertainment system is plugged in.
Plan for holiday lights as you would any electrical installation. Add up the wattages of all the bulbs and check to see that you won’t overload a circuit. You may need to plug half the lights into a receptacle on one circuit and the other half into a receptacle that’s on another circuit. Elaborate displays may call for a new circuit.

Shedding light on home security
Even the most brazen thief prefers the cover of darkness. By adding a combination of these security features you can add an inexpensive layer of defense against home invasion.

The brighter the light, the greater the deterrent. Bright lights triggered by motion detectors can have a startling effect. However, set your detector so it is not tripped by innocent dog walkers.
Surprise potential intruders with motion sensor lights that turn on when they approach.
Make sure all pathways-both front and back-are illuminated.
Have at least two lights pointed at each area of your lot, in case a bulb burns out.
Place some lights out of easy reach; some thieves like to unscrew or break bulbs. High-placed porch lights or eaves lights fit the bill.
An indoor light controlled by a motion sensor provides the greatest surprise, making it look like someone is home.

Check for underground utilities when planning trenches for underground cable runs. Avoid lawn sprinkler pipes; and consult your electric utility office, Phone Company, gas and water department, and cable television vendor for the exact locations of underground utility lines. Many utility companies send field representatives to show homeowners how to avoid dangerous underground hazards.

Choosing Cable Sizes for an Outdoor Circuit

Circuit length		Circuit size
Less than 50 ft.	50 ft. or more	Circuit size
14-gauge	12-gauge	15-amp
12-gauge	10-gauge	20-amp

Consider the circuit length when choosing cable sizes for an outdoor circuit. In very long circuits, normal wire resistance leads to a substantial drop in voltage. If your outdoor circuit extends more than 50ft., use larger-gauge wire to reduce the voltage drop. For example, a 15-amp circuit that extends more than 50 ft. should be wired with 12-gauge wire instead of 14-gauge. A 20-amp circuit longer than 50 ft. should be wired with 10-gauge cable.

As you begin planning an outdoor circuit, visit your electrical inspector to learn about local code requirements for outdoor wiring. The techniques for installing outdoor circuits are much the same as for installing indoor wiring is exposed to the elements, it requires the use of special weatherproof materials, including UF cable, rigid metal or schedule 40 PVC plastic conduit, and weatherproof electrical boxes and fittings.

The National Electrical Code (NEC) gives minimum standards for outdoor wiring materials, but because climate and soil conditions vary from region to region, your local building and electrical codes may have more restrictive requirements. For example, some regions require that all underground cables be protected with conduit, even though the National Electrical Code allow UF cable to be buried without protection at the proper depths.

For most homes, an outdoor circuit is a modest power user. Adding a new 15-amp, 120-volts circuit provides enough power for most outdoor electrical needs. However, if your circuit will include more than three large light fixtures (each rated for 300 watts or more) or more than four receptacles, plan to install a 20-amp, 120-volt circuit. Or, if your outdoor circuit will supply power to heating appliances or large workshop tools in a detached garage, you may require several 120-volt and 240-volt circuits.

Before drawing wiring plans and applying for a work permit, evaluate electrical loads to make sure the main service provides enough amps to support the added demand of the new wiring.

A typical outdoor circuit takes one or two weekends to install, but if your layout requires very long underground cables, allow yourself more time for digging trenches, or arrange to have extra help. Also make sure to allow time for the required inspection visits when planning your wiring project.

Make a diagram of your yard and mark the location of new fixtures. Note the wattages of the fixtures and use the diagram to select a transformer and plan the circuits.

High-wattage transformer and one large circuit. For example, if you want to light a back deck as well as front landscaping, install separate systems for greater control and ease of wiring.

Once you’ve mapped out the circuits and determined how many separate systems you want to use, add up the wattages on each system. Purchase transformers with enough capacity to handle the loads plus at least 25 watts. If you plan to use submersible lights, be sure to purchase a transformer rated for them.

Time&Material, $45.00 an hour per electrician on residential projects.

$65 per electrician on commercial projects

MATERIALS: Contractor wholesale rate