Backyard lighting options
15 ways to illuminate beautifully |
(Image credit: John Cullen Lighting)
Clever backyard lighting ideas can quickly transform your yard and max up its potential as an extra space to enjoy in the evening. The right lighting can spotlight focal points such as trees and planting and help to zone different areas for relaxing, al fresco cooking or gathering for drinks.
Discreet up-lights can be used to enhance plants and trees, adding drama as their shapes will take on architectural qualities when thrown into relief. The same goes for pieces of garden art or sculpture, which can become key focal points of the night garden if you use the right lighting to draw attention to them.
You can also create a relaxed atmosphere if you use recessed lighting to give your backyard ideas an indoor feel that's perfect for defining a welcoming space when you're entertaining friends. There's a practical element to good lighting too, as it can be used to light the way and frame entrances.
Our expert backyard lighting ideas to help you create a wonderfully lit night time garden that's a real design feature.
Backyard lighting ideas
The time to plan your backyard lighting is when you are scouting for backyard landscaping ideas. This is because planning and installing backyard lighting will require some upheaval, unless you go purely for solar outdoor lighting ideas.
'Our backyards are now being used much more for socializing and entertaining, so there’s an increased focus on how they transform after dusk. Incorporating a lighting scheme into your design can bring a new ambience to your garden – and of course it's practical too,' explains John Wyer, CEO of garden designers Bowles & Wyer .
With so many lighting landscape ideas to choose from, keep in mind the look you want to create and its chosen purpose when planning how to landscape your backyard. This may be to highlight a path, form a focal point such as enhancing a plant or piece of garden art, zone a space such as a relaxation area or guide your way down some steps or along a path.
'Clever but discreet backyard lighting can add a further dimension and drama to your garden,' says garden designer Charlotte Rowe . 'It helps to extend the life of a garden, creating an atmospheric space or outdoor room even after dark.'
Whatever you hope to achieve one thing is for sure – every backyard needs good lighting to help you make the most of your space at night. So why not create a series of impressive focal points and help define your space with our selection of stunning backyard lighting ideas?
1. Focus attention on the patio
(Image credit: Terrain)
Even the simplest of patio lighting ideas can create an intimate, cozy feel that will invite guests to stay at the table.
'Backyard string light ideas, draped over your outdoor dining area, or woven into the greenery growing on fences and walls, is an easy backyard lighting retro-fit – all you need to ensure is that the lighting is suitable for outdoor use,' says H&G's Gardens Editor Rachel Crow.
2. Light up the backyard at dusk
(Image credit: Charlotte Rowe Garden Design)
This stunning contemporary space is perfect for anyone looking for sloped backyard ideas. It features a sleek modern water feature, raised dining platform and smart planting that all benefits from being discreetly lit as soon as daylight starts to fade. Make sure your backyard lighting ideas include built-in timers to add automatic atmosphere at dusk. It's a small detail that makes a big difference.
'This garden design shows how important it is to have lighting even when it's not quite dark,' says garden designer Charlotte Rowe. 'There is lighting in the water feature which plays with the movement in the water and highlights the stepping stone. The hedging and trees in the lower garden are also lit with spike spots for added drama.'
3. Combine backyard lighting with a fireplace
(Image credit: Terrain)
A wonderful way to create a focal point in your backyard is with lighting that centers around outdoor fireplace ideas or backyard fire pit ideas.
'This is perfect in a smaller or courtyard space,' says Homes & Gardens' Editor in Chief Lucy Searle. 'You may not need much more lighting in your backyard than this. Of course, you won't always want to light the fire, especially on warm nights, so ensure the backyard lighting is sufficient to illuminate the space cozily without it. You can always fill the hearth with candles to create extra glow.'
4. Create a magical space
(Image credit: John Cullen Lighting)
Stunning backyard lighting adds another dimension to this sunken garden, creating an enchanting space for entertaining and helping to bring the garden to life at night. The lighting scheme, designed by John Cullen Creative Director Sally Storey, brings together both inside and out, picking out the key features throughout the space to enhance the overall effect.
The path to the outdoor seating area and kitchen beyond is lit with floor lights to guide you through the space. The architectural nature of the trees and sculptures is emphasized with spiked spotlights to softly light the surrounding area.
A subtle glow is created under the seating area which adds another interesting dimension.
The most flexible solution for backyard lighting is often to use spiked lights which are repositioned as the seasons change to ensure you highlight the best effects. This design shows how lighting can be used in this way to pull together a space cohesively and is packed with backyard lighting ideas you can steal.
5. Light up a pergola
(Image credit: Maze Living)
Pergola ideas are a great way to add shelter in a backyard, whether from the sun in hot weather, or from rain on cooler days. They can also be warmer to sit beneath at night, which means working backyard lighting ideas into their design.
One way to do so is to have the pergola designer work lighting into the structure, as above; gazebo lighting ideas make for great inspiration for this type of lighting design. Another is to consider including lighting fixtures that could fit seamlessly indoors (looks-wise) into your outdoor living room ideas.
6. Enhance a focal point
(Image credit: Charlotte Rowe Garden Design)
Using a combination of decorative lighting effects always produces the best results. Accent lighting lets you create drama to enhance a sculpture at the end of a garden path, for example, while recessed lights in the gravel enhance the starkly silhouetted trunks of a row of pleached trees.
'The flat-topped umbrella plane trees down this avenue are up-lit with the light softly grazing their trunks. This leads your eye down the avenue to the focal point urn at the end,' says garden designer Charlotte Rowe. 'The large timber arbor on the right is also enhanced by strong ambient lighting.'
Lighting a canopy of trees overhead such as here is always magical too, lending a sense of enchantment that's perfect for enhancing space in small backyards.
7. Be creative with deck lighting ideas
(Image credit: Living Gardens)
Deck lighting ideas can be fitted flush into the deck as uplighters, highlighting, for safety reasons, the edge of the deck or the edge of stair risers.
They can also be used with directional fittings to spotlight container plants displayed on the deck.
However, there are more imaginative ways of lighting a deck, such as this downlit idea, above. This creates a softer result, and shows off the warm color of the wood.
'The temperature of your backyard lighting bulbs are a consideration,' says Rachel Crow. 'LEDs are often cool-colored, but if you want to create an inviting look, I would suggest buying bulbs with a warmer, yellower light.'
8. Zone your space with lights
(Image credit: Bowles Wyer)
'Carefully placed backyard lighting can effectively zone your space. It creates small intimate areas nestled in foliage, almost like beads on a necklace,' says garden designer John Wyer. 'The best way to do this is to think about purpose – dining, lounging, a water feature. Or you could even give a new lease of life to a winding pathway by adding subtle spotlights.'
Lighting can add a completely different mood to your backyard too and should be used to accentuate the form and texture that you’ve created in your garden design.
In larger backyards it can be used to add a sense of mystery. Where does the winding path lit by recessed lights lead to? What is that stunning spot-lit tree in the distance that demands a closer look?
Lighting is your best friend when it comes to staging your backyard for a garden party too. Nothing sets the scene better than an outdoor space lit by glowing lights.
9. Use lighting to transform a courtyard
(Image credit: Charlotte Rowe/Light-IQ)
Inspirational and innovative lighting can be used to work with existing architecture such as the walls of this enclosed courtyard ideas, showing that no matter how small your garden is it can be transformed into an exceptionally lit space.
'This long water rill has spotlights under each of the timber pontoons that cross the water and an uplight for the water spout at the end. This helps to take your eye down the water feature to the wall at the end,' says garden designer Charlotte Rowe. This creates the impression that the space is bigger than it actually is.
'We have also up-lit the multi-stem Amelanchier trees and the pleached hornbeams at the end of the garden, with the light grazing the old stock brick walls around the garden,' adds Charlotte. The result shows that clever backyard lighting ideas that pay attention to smaller details can be transformative.
10. Create an outdoor space with an indoor feel
Courtyard garden by Osada Design, with lighting by John Cullen Lighting
(Image credit: Osada Design/John Cullen Lighting)
A blended indoor-outdoor entertaining area is perfect for a relaxed atmosphere such as the one here in this sheltered courtyard space by Osada Design and John Cullen Lighting. It's a real retreat from city life.
When night falls, a sophisticated lighting system adds drama, illuminating the trees and the movement of water, highlighting planting in pots as well as the main architecture of the building, while creating magical shadows and making a space to be enjoyed at all hours of the day.
It's a unique backyard that uses planting, water and lighting to add drama, turning a small area into an extra special place for entertaining.
11. Go subtle for a relaxing spa effect
(Image credit: Charlotte Rowe Garden Design)
As relaxation pools go, this one has to be high on our wish list. Who wouldn't want to step along that magically lit path and slip into the whirlpool spa to ease away the stresses of the day? We love the retreat-like feel of it, which is enhanced by the addition of lanterns and candles around the edges.
'This spa has a light inside it to give it form but there are also up-lit pleached pear trees around it,' says garden designer Charlotte Rowe. 'We also always recommend that natural lighting in the form of lanterns and night lights are used in addition to electric lighting.'
When it comes to backyard lighting ideas, don't forget battery operated flameless candles as they're one of the easiest ways and best backyard ideas on a budget to create the right mood.
You can set the timers on them so they come on automatically at dusk too.
12. Throw the spotlight on trees
(Image credit: Alun Callender/Future)
Discreet backyard lighting ideas can be used to create a showpiece for a welcoming ambience in the evening garden. Trees take on architectural qualities when lit up from beneath, the angled uplighters enhancing the shape of leaves and the structure of trunks and branches. This will add drama that can be enjoyed from inside the house too.
Choose uplighters that are recessed into the ground. Alternatively set lights on moveable spikes for illuminating the trunks and branches of specimen trees, as they can be shifted both to suit the mood and according to the seasons. When one tree has had its moment simply switch the focus to another one by shifting the light.
13. Illuminate the pool at night time
(Image credit: John Cullen Lighting)
Pool lighting ideas are so inviting for a night-time dip and if you're entertaining in the garden add a Hamptons-like vibe when dusk falls.
What could be more alluring than a well-lit pool?
In this design by John Cullen Lighting the trees bordering the pool are also lit up with spotlights to emphasize their architectural qualities, while up-lighters are used on the house to add a welcoming glow.
In the distance a combination of spike floodlights and spotlights enhance the perimeter planting, helping to pull the whole look together seamlessly.
14. Use different layers for the best effects
James Alexander-Sinclair/Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architect
(Image credit: James Alexander-Sinclair/Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architect)
This small split level garden uses mellow sandstone for the paving and steps that looks spectacular bathed in warm light at night. 'Lighting is a very important part of this backyard as it gives a new dimension and feel to the space,' explains landscape architect Stefano Marinaz .
For this project there were three different channels of lighting, one for the trees, one for the steps and bench, and the third for the recessed lights at the back of the yard so the client could control what they wanted on/off independently from the other group of lights.
'The LED lights used for this project consisted of a sequence of recessed spotlights along the steps from the first floor down to the ground floor level of the garden,' explains Stefano. 'We included a spike LED light under each of the multi-stem Amelanchier trees.
'Underneath the limestone solid block seating we had a recessed channel for an LED strip light. At the end of the garden we used some recessed small uplights to wash the timber cladding.'
Look at backyard lighting ideas in terms of different layers for spectacular results to achieve an effect like the one in this space.
15. Highlight your home's architecture
(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )
Backyard lighting ideas aren't just about showing off garden features, such as plants and containers. You should also consider how the lighting might show off your home.
'This type of backyard lighting can focus on the house,' says Lucy Searle. 'But it might also be used to illuminate other structures within your property, such as a pool house or garden room.
Doing so won't just allow you to see the beauty of your home's architecture in a different light – literally – it will also make your outdoor space feel larger at night.'
How do you illuminate a backyard?
To light a backyard, first decide on the look you want to achieve and which areas demand special attention in terms of outdoor lighting. Choose what you want to throw the spotlight on, whether that's trees, an entrance, a pergola or a water feature.
Draw up a plan, working out what each area needs, then talk through your ideas with an electrician. Unless you’re using solar-powered lights you’ll need a power supply which means outdoor sockets and a switch plus armored cabling for safety. This will need to be installed professionally.
LED lights are energy efficient and there is now a huge range available to choose from. If your garden is sunny consider solar-powered lighting but remember it’s not such a good option in winter. Avoid flooding the garden with light as it can look too harsh and you won't achieve the type of ambient glow that works best.
How can I light my backyard without electricity?
Backyard lighting has been revolutionized by improved LEDs, which are energy efficient and one of the safest options for outdoors without needing electricity cables and a power supply. So if you are wondering how much outdoor lighting costs, this will be a consideration.
Look for warm white LED bulbs that can be clipped to outdoor structures like fences or pergolas so you can make more of your space in the evening by creating a more intimate setting. Choose inter-connecting sets if you want an easy option for lighting a bigger party space. To create atmosphere also consider flameless electric candles or real candles in hurricane lamps.
With the exception of solar powered lighting and candles, all other garden lights need to be connected to the mains. Solar lights can be used to edge paths and patios, and enhance planting. Some are suitable to use as spotlights too. They’re most effective in an open spot that gets enough sunlight and naturally their performance is not as good in winter.
There’s now a huge choice of LED lights available that work well for backyard lighting ideas, including a range of quality ones can last up to 20 years.
Lifestyle journalist Sarah Wilson has been writing about gardens since 2015. She's written for Gardeningetc.com, Livingetc, Homes & Gardens, Easy Gardens and Modern Gardens magazines. Her first job on glossy magazines was at Elle, during which time a visit to the legendary La Colombe d'Or in St-Paul-de-Vence led to an interest in all things gardening. Later as lifestyle editor at Country Homes & Interiors magazine the real pull was the run of captivating country gardens that were featured.
7 Awesome Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Your Backyard
Assessing Your Yard's Needs
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Darkness needn’t put a damper on backyard activities like swimming and barbecuing. By installing backyard lighting, you can keep the party going long after dusk, boost outdoor ambiance, and protect your property from unseen threats.
The three main types of backyard illumination are safety lighting to deter prowlers and improve navigation, landscape lighting to accentuate garden features, and accent lighting to put the focus on the hardscape. Ultimately, you’d want all three types in your backyard to achieve different lighting levels for different needs—and within each of these categories, there’s a variety of lighting choices. So let us shine a light on the best backyard illumination options, so you’ll know what to put in your outdoor space.
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1. Security Lighting
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Security lighting, generally the brightest backyard lighting, is safety lighting to illuminate large areas and scare off would-be burglars or destructive animals. Powered by standard, 120-Volt current, this lighting is installed high spots such as the eaves or above a garage to cast wide beams of light down onto main walkways or the backyard fence entrance.
Your best bet for security is motion-sensing floodlights that mount to the surface of exterior siding or walls and contain two- or three-bulb housing units that go on only when built-in sensors detect movement in the area.
Their intense light exposes prowlers and may fool them into thinking you’re home and on alert even if you’re not.
Our Pick for Security Lights: Available in black or white, Ring's floodlight (available at Amazon ) is weather resistant and can be connected to a Ring doorbell, other Ring lights, and even Amazon Alexa. Its two optical LED lights produce a powerful 2000 lumens to light up your landscape as bright as day, and it can detect motion from up to 70 feet away.
RELATED: Buyer's Guide: Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
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2. Path Lighting
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Path lighting is soft to moderately bright safety and landscape lighting designed to help you navigate walkways while attractively highlighting them. Install it on the ground along both sides of main walkways from the back door to your fence door, along stepping stones from the main walkway to a backyard feature like a fountain, and/or around flower beds to emphasize their contours.
Path lighting is often available in low-voltage (12- to 15-V) and solar LED options consisting of a decorative bulb housing unit attached to a short stake you drive into the ground. If you choose low-voltage path lights , you'll need to use a transformer to reduce the 120-volt house current to 12 volts; energy-saving solar versions, meanwhile, require no extra wires. Even if your walkways are shaded, these lights will stay bright for several hours after dusk, thanks to a solar rechargeable battery or remote solar panel you station somewhere else in the yard that gets direct sun.
Our Pick for Path Lights: With a stainless steel finish and cylindrical panes, this elegant 6-pack of solar path lights by Signature Garden (available at Amazon) earns high ratings from Amazon shoppers. The lights' water resistance is another draw, along with their LED bulbs, auto on/off power, and crystalline solar panel. Emitting a warm white light, they are also super easy to install.
RELATED: Buyer's Guide: Solar Path Lights
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3. String Lighting
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String lighting is soft, low-voltage accent lighting used to evoke a warm, intimate ambiance that’s especially desirable for entertaining. Hang string lights wherever the activity is—be it on the eaves of the home to brighten an outdoor kitchen or from the posts of an outdoor pavilion or gazebo to illuminate patio furniture.
Look for waterproof, rechargeable, traditional battery-powered or solar-powered outdoor string lights (which usually come with a remote solar panel), preferably those with long-lasting LED bulbs. Such lights avoid the need for running extension cords across the yard, enable lighting in far corners of the yard without electrical outlets, and ensure that lights stay on safely even if spattered with rain.
Our Pick for String Lights: Hang 48 feet of Brightech Ambience Pro waterproof string lights over your patio table or under a pergola to lounge in the warm white glow of 15 indoor-outdoor bulbs (available at Amazon).
Not only are these Edison-style bulbs stylish in a retro way, but they are also energy-efficient! These LEDs will last longer than your average incandescent options and won't cost as much to use over that long lifetime.
RELATED: 7 Ways to Transform String Lights from Holiday to Every Day
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4. Outdoor Wall Lighting
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Outdoor wall lighting is a low-voltage, moderately bright form of safety and accent lighting used chiefly to illuminate and improve navigation in small recessed areas of the yard where shadows lurk. You can mount them on any vertical surface, such as along the interior of your pergola; above stairways; and around sunken seating areas, pools, and other low-lying spots.
Wall sconces with an open-bottomed design (i.e., the bottom of the bulb housing is uncovered) are the best options because they cast the maximum amount of light down onto recessed areas. If you have scarce space on exterior walls, consider semi-flush-mount sconces (i.
e., the light is attached to a narrow arm that mounts to a plate on the wall) instead of flush-mount sconces with the whole fixture up against the wall.
Our Pick for Outdoor Sconces: Just as the market of indoor wall sconces is large and varied, so are your options for outdoor wall lighting. You'll see all shapes, sizes, and metal finishes—this Lora outdoor sconce (available at The Home Depot) comes in seven finishes, from a shiny red to oil-rubbed bronze. The shallow fixture focuses light from an incandescent or LED bulb down toward the entertainment happening below, while the clean lines of the design blend easily with any other fixtures you may have in place around your exterior.
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5. Lanterns
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Lanterns offer soft, low-voltage accent lighting for a small expanse of an outdoor wall to play up architectural details or decor. They’re often installed in the vicinity of the back door to highlight a transom window, arch, or ornate wreath atop it.
Most lanterns are semi-flush mount, consisting of a glass-and-metal exterior attached to an arm affixed to a plate on the wall. However, battery-powered tabletop lanterns bring that same visual interest to eye level while softly illuminating elements that you might reach for when outside entertaining: bowls of snacks, beverages, board games, and more. Choose lanterns with a translucent as opposed to a clear glass covering to provide diffuse, glare-free nighttime lighting that doesn’t distract from other backyard light fixtures.
Our Pick for Lanterns: While there are plenty of variations on the traditional wall-mounted lantern, with its hard corners and boxy shape, feel free to think out of the box. If your sense of style leans toward farmhouse or coastal, you may gravitate toward the Globe Electric's modern matte black take on caged lantern (available at Amazon). The quality of this affordable fixture and its seeded glass shade constantly impresses Amazon buyers.
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6. Deck Lighting
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Deck lighting is standard-voltage, moderate- to high-intensity lighting designed to help folks get up, down, and across the deck by night, avoiding tripping hazards and visual clutter, and also accentuate nearby garden features.
It’s installed as a series of LED lights recessed into grooves in the surface, so that you can safely walk over them, never even feeling them underfoot. Deck lights also belong around the perimeter of the deck surface, in between the individual steps of stairs, and/or along deck stair railings.
Our Pick for Deck Lights: Illuminating the edge of your deck and its steps is essential to preventing trips and falls in the dark. Whether you're fixing up an existing structure or setting out to build a new one, consider SMY Lighting's recessed LED deck lights (available at Amazon). The lights are just over 2 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch deep.
They are durable enough to withstand weather and foot traffic and maintain a consistent (while economical) glow. The 6-piece set should be ample lighting for a few deck steps when spaced 3 feet apart.
RELATED: Safety Check: 5 Tips to Protect Your Deck from Disaster
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7. Spot Lighting
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Also known as “up-lighting” or simply landscape lighting, spot lighting is standard-voltage landscaping lighting used to shine narrow, moderate- to high-intensity beams upwards, usually to showcase a plant or ornamental feature. You might install it at or above ground level below tall trees or a lawn ornament to make them look more statuesque.
To light taller objects, such as trees, opt for bullet-shaped lights on a base you drive into the ground with a stake. Bullet lights have an adjustable head that sits above ground and casts bright pins of light over longer distances at an angle of your choice. For shorter features, such as shrubs, try well lights, round lights that are pushed into the ground to cast light upwards over shorter distances.
Because they’re hidden in the ground, they let small garden features take center stage.
Our Pick for Spot Lights: Cast a warm white light on your prized patch of landscaping around the patio or front lawn with hykolity's LED low-voltage spot lights (available on Amazon). Sold in sets of four with an IP65 rating that's suitable for wet locations, these spot lights connect to your 12-volt low-voltage lighting system in a matter of minutes, thanks to the user-friendly installation process. And they are a set-and-forget addition to your yard: Because the LED bulb is completely integrated with the light fixture, it's both highly efficient and maintenance-free.
RELATED: 12 Expert Tips for Eye-Catching Front Yard Landscaping
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Let There Be Light
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There's a lighting option for every backyard.
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Lighting in the courtyard of a private house: photo + practical advice
- Article
- Video
Proper organization of lighting in the courtyard of a private house is a guarantee not only of safety, but also of attractiveness of the site. If you want to make the illumination of the territory with your own hands, the first step is to study some of the nuances associated with the choice of street lamps, as well as the option of courtyard lighting. Next, we will provide for your attention some practical tips with photo ideas for street lighting at home. nine0009
- Determine the purpose of the lights
- Choosing the right luminaires
- Electrical work
Determine the purpose of the lamps
First of all, you need to decide why you want to put the light in the courtyard of a private house.
Lighting of the territory of the site can be decorative, security, functional or even festive.
The most important is the functional lighting, which is responsible for the safety of movement around the yard. This category includes lighting of garden paths, steps and porches. Most often, the owners of private houses illuminate such objects with lamps on short legs, which complement the landscape design of the site during the daytime, and effectively perform their function at night. To save money on outdoor lighting, it is also recommended to use solar-powered lamps (on the last photo):
The next, no less important option for lighting the courtyard of a private house is security lighting. In this case, lamps on poles are used, aimed at the perimeter of the entire site, the parking lot and the main entrance. In order to save on electricity and understand in time that there is an outsider on your site, it is recommended to use LED spotlights with a motion sensor. Such luminaires turn on the light only when there is movement in the detection zone of the sensor.
You can see how the security courtyard lighting of a residential building looks like on the following photo examples:
As for the decorative illumination of the yard, it is used just to emphasize the most important objects of the garden. An original solution would be to install lamps in ponds, recreation areas, inside fountains and garden sculptures. In this case, there are no special requirements for lamps, the main thing is that they do not contradict the overall landscape design and illuminate all elements of the yard in a balanced way.
Festive lighting of the yard area, in fact, as well as decorative, consists in decorating trees in the garden, a residential building, fences and garden buildings. The most popular fixtures in this case are street garlands and pendant lights. Most often, this lighting option is used for birthdays and New Years, when you need to create a thematic atmosphere. The best ideas for decorating the yard for the holiday are provided below:
We also recommend watching a video that shows even more ideas for using street lamps:
The best options for lighting a garden plot .
Firstly, they must be outdoor - dust and moisture-proof. Secondly, they should be economical - consume as little electricity as possible and at the same time illuminate the yard area well. We recommend that you choose spotlights with LED lamps, which are several times more economical than other light sources. A good solution would be to use motion sensors and photo relays. You can also buy a suitable lamp separately and connect a twilight switch to it. nine0009
The rest of the fixtures are selected by design and, of course, cost. The video tells about which lamps you can choose to illuminate the yard:
Expert advice
Electrical work
We have already discussed with you how to organize lighting in the country with our own hands, where we dwelled in detail on the important points of electrical wiring. To guide the light into the courtyard yourself, we recommend that you consider the following practical tips:
- Before equipping the yard, be sure to plan the layout of the lamps and the route for laying wires to each of them.
It is better to immediately run the cable to the connection points, so that later you do not tear the decorated garden and do double work. - Wiring is best carried out in the soil so that it does not spoil the design of the site. We talked about how to run a cable underground in the corresponding article. The only thing we can add is that it is recommended to lay the cable under water bodies and flower beds at a depth of 1 meter, and not 80 cm.
- Light switches are best installed in the corridor so that they are not affected by bad weather conditions, and outdoor lighting control is convenient.
Otherwise, there should be no problems. If you have any questions, and you do not fully understand how to make lighting in the courtyard of a private house with your own hands, we recommend that you describe the situation in the “Question to an electrician” category so that our experts can help you with advice!
Interesting to read:
- How to wire the house
- How to make your own LED spotlight
- How to save electricity legally
Best garden lighting options
Expert advice
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Lighting in the courtyard of a private house (50 photos): norms, requirements, purpose of lamps
For the design of the site, it is important not only to install building elements, plant flower beds or arrange paths, but also to provide high-quality lighting for the entire territory. Therefore, in this article we will consider in detail how to make lighting in the courtyard of a private house in accordance with its parameters and tasks.
Norms and requirements
When designing and installing street lighting in the yard, it is important to be guided by the basic standards, which in the future will ensure not only the convenience of using the adjacent area, but also human safety:
- In accordance with clause 6.
3.1 of PUE for outdoor lighting devices in the yard, you can use lamps of any principle of operation, with the exception of burglar alarm devices in which the installation of gas discharge equipment is not allowed - free-standing supports, and on structural elements of buildings, structures, on the ground, cables according to clause 6.3.2 of PUE . But when hanging on a cable according to p. 6.3.4 PUE , measures must be taken to prevent their rocking.
- In relation to the ground in accordance with clause 6.3.6 of PUE , you can choose any height, however, when installing courtyard lighting in the ground, you must provide the installation site with a drainage system.
- If the luminaire is located on any structures below 2.5 m in accordance with , clause 6.1.15 of PUE , their level of protection against dust and moisture must be at least IP54.
- In accordance with p.
6.6.8 PUE , the installation of lighting devices must provide a sufficiently reliable degree of fixation. - Based on the requirements of clause 6.6.1 of PUE , the installation location of lighting devices in the yard should be chosen so that it has free access.
- In regulation , clause 6.6.4 of PUE , suspended models with a flexible holder fall at least 1.5 m, otherwise devices for fixing it from swinging are applied to it. nine0004
Purpose of lamps
The location of lamps in the courtyard is determined by the need to illuminate a particular area: an entrance, a garden path, a flower bed or a pond. Depending on the tasks set, yard lighting devices can be divided into several categories.
Functional lighting
The main task of functional lighting is to provide sufficient visibility in any area. Due to this type of lighting in the yard, you can ensure safe movement after dark. nine0009
Various types of lighting equipment can be installed for street lighting:
- Lamps and spotlights installed on the facade of the building or free-standing supports - help to illuminate garden plots, adjacent territory, etc.
- Landscaping Street Lights - characterized by a low stem or direct installation into the ground, provide visibility of the paths of buildings and structures in the yard.
- Outdoor floor lamps - located at the height of human growth and are designed to illuminate a small area around, roads, driveways, entrances, gardens and other elements. nine0004
In addition to a powerful luminous flux, functional lighting should also provide a minimum power consumption, so LED lights should be used here.
Security
Designed solely to prevent unauthorized entry of strangers into the yard or near it. It is used to illuminate any part of your house, space, area, etc. Constantly on light at the entrance gate, fence, or generally around the perimeter provides good visibility, but this is too costly. Therefore, it is desirable to automate security lighting from a motion sensor, so that lighting devices act as an alarm signaling the approach of a person. nine0009
Decorative
Used to decorate the territory of the yard, its individual sections, flowerbeds, vegetation, ponds, stairs. Street lighting helps to effectively highlight important elements in the garden, act as architectural lighting. For decorative lighting, spotlights, spotlights, and LED strips are equally used. An important criterion when choosing a particular equipment is its compliance with landscape design and the general style of buildings in symbiosis with which they will be used. nine0009
Festive
Festive courtyard lighting is designed to decorate the territory for a specific event - New Year, birthday, etc. Unlike the previous type, they are installed temporarily - in relation to some kind of holiday. Here you can also use architectural illumination, illumination of paths, decoration of arbors, terraces. Garlands, LED strips and themed lamps are used as yard lighting devices.
Choosing the right luminaires
It should be noted that the choice of lighting devices for suburban areas and private houses should be carried out according to three main criteria:
- installation height of lighting equipment in relation to floor level;
- luminaire light distribution angle;
- the area of the illuminated area and the surface of the object.
According to the type of light distribution, all outdoor lighting devices are divided into:
- in common with scattered flow;
- common with directional flow;
- local;
- hidden.
According to the method of location relative to the supporting and mounting structures, fastenings to the surface are divided: It is good to install on terraces, under a roof at the entrance, near the walls of buildings. Depending on the frequency of use, all outdoor lighting devices can be divided into devices with automatic and manual switching. The first method is relevant for those houses where the light in the courtyard should light up with the onset of darkness and go out with the first rays of dawn. If you want to control the lighting process yourself, it is better to install a manual or mechanical switch. nine0009 Key switches or contactors are installed to implement mechanical lighting in the yard. The first option is used for low power loads, when one switch drives several LED lights with low power. The contactor is used to switch powerful lighting in the yard when you have several lighting groups installed that create a large load. At the same time, it is possible to divide all groups of courtyard lighting under several key switches or buttons if you start them with a remote control. Lighting automation makes it possible to eliminate the human factor from the control of the switching process as much as possible. This will allow you not to worry about the backlight during your absence or eliminate the need to constantly turn on and off the lighting fixtures in the yard. To implement automatic backlighting, the following can be introduced into the power supply circuit of LED spotlights: All of the above automations can be installed separately or together. For this, a serial connection scheme is used, as shown in the figure below: When installing and connecting lighting devices in the yard, several important nuances should be taken into account:
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Selecting the type of lighting control
Mechanical
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Nuances of electrical work
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References
