The exterior lighting you have in place helps to make your home more aesthetically pleasing when the sun goes down. It also serves as a beneficial security feature. An outdoor lighting system provides the impression that someone is home, even when that isn’t the case. The good news is, maintaining these lighting systems is typically not that difficult of a task. In fact, there are a few simple tips you can use to help prevent damage to your exterior lighting system – accidentally or by intruders.
Keep Lawnmowers Away from Your Exterior Lighting
When you are cutting the grass in your lawn, try to stay away from the landscape lighting. You may accidentally hit the lighting fixtures with the lawn mower, or hit the fixtures with debris shooting out of the side. Both of these scenarios can cause damage to the lights. An easy solution is to place a bucket over the fixture before you mow, or using a weed whacker to trim all around the lights.
Protecting Your Lights from the Elements
Your exterior lights can be damaged because of fertilizer, snow or heavy rain. The good news is, you can protect the glass part of the fixtures by using a protective glass treatment. This can help to keep the glass from getting foggy or scratched.
For a solution that doesn’t involve treating the glass, try to position the lights beneath the covers of overhangs or awnings to protect against potential weather hazards. It is also a good idea to check the lights each week for any signs of damage or wear. When you do this, you can also replace any burned out or broken bulbs.
Keep Your Outdoor Lighting Away from Traffic
A great way to prevent damage is to try and have the lights placed in locations that don’t receive too much foot traffic. You can strategically place your lights in a way that they will effectively highlight your yard and illuminate would-be intruders, but that is still out of the way. One option is a down light, which is a perfect example of a multi-tasking light.
To help and further discourage any unwanted traffic around your home, use timers to have your exterior lights turn on automatically. It is best to have the lights come on once it is dark. However, if you have lights that operate with a light-sensor, this is not a step that is necessary. When you have your exterior lights on a routine, it helps to create the look that someone is always home.
A key part of your Kansas City landscape lighting system is to purchase quality lights and then arrange them strategically to provide light, security and aesthetics. In most cases, the best way to ensure you do this is to hire the professionals. The IDL Company can help you create a smart outdoor lighting plan that makes the most of each fixture you install.
