Spring is right around the corner. If you are like most residents in the Kansas City area, you are already thinking about all the landscape projects you want to tackle when the cold weather finally goes away – for good. However, before the cold weather moves out completely for spring, you may want to look at your existing outdoor lighting.

How does it look? Does it need upgrades or updates? If so, now is the time to make these adjustments and improvements. By taking care of these issues now, you can feel confident your landscape lighting will be ready to “light up the night” when warmer weather arrives.

Some tips to help you get your lighting spring-ready can be found here.

Clean the Fixtures

If your existing lighting fixtures are not damaged or broken in any way, they may just need a good scrubbing. If you have noticed the lights appear dim or don’t seem to be working, it is time to check things out.

Remember, several things can impact the brightness levels of your landscape lighting. This includes the gardening chemicals you use, leaves, road debris, bugs, dirt, and more. When cleaning the lights, be sure to shut the power off first. Also, check inside the fixture for any stinging insects that may have moved in. After you have done this, you can use a regular glass cleaner to wipe away dirt and dust from the inside and outside of the fixture.

Inspect and Change the Bulbs

Another important part of maintaining your outdoor lights is checking the bulbs in the fixtures. Since our area is plagued by freezing temperatures, this issue may be even more front and center. Extreme temperatures can cause the bulbs to wear down faster than they should.

If one or two bulbs burn out, you may notice the other lights are burning out faster, too. This is because they all pull from the same power source, which means the new bulbs receive more voltage, causing them to run hotter and blow out sooner.

A smart option is to switch to LED bulbs if you can. These are designed to last six years or more and good for cold weather lighting.

Invest in an Upgrade

Seeing your outdoor lights covered with snow can be beautiful. However, if the fixtures are broken, cracked, or so dim you can hardly see them, it is clear it is time to make a change. Now is a good time to upgrade your lighting. Doing this will help ensure your lights remain up to date with the latest advances in technology.

If you aren’t sure if it is time to upgrade your outdoor lighting for spring, please reach out to our team. We can evaluate your existing lights and provide you with an estimate for upgrades. Our team at The IDL Company is here to help with all your landscape lighting needs.