Installing outdoor lighting is a simple home improvement project that augments the aesthetic aspect and appraisal value of your property. Low voltage outdoor lights are also very practical and add to the security of your home. The kind of atmosphere you want your abode to evoke is easily accomplished by illuminating it with lights of different hues.
If there is any area in your yard that you want to put focus on, well-chosen lights can effectively do the job. You can make your beloved garden bloom even at night or turn the path to your house into a lovers' lane by positioning lights in strategic places. Exterior lights also make your house secure against thieves inasmuch as experience and research has shown that lights usually dissuade bad elements from carrying out their plans of robbing your home and hurting your family in the process.
To make the job easier and safer, you need to follow certain practical tips even if putting up outdoor lights can be considered a simple task that anyone can do. Before you begin this home improvement project, read the rest of this article. It's filled with useful insights and how-tos:
Have a Detailed Plan. No home improvement project will succeed without a detailed plan. The installation of outdoor lights may be done yourself but a diagram of where you want your lights placed is still necessary. A diagram clarifies which parts of your yard you want illuminated. It prevents haphazard placing of your lights. More importantly, a detailed plan saves you money since you don't have to buy things on a whim or purchase more than what you really need.
Make Sure that No Cables are Present Underground. Give your local gas and electric company a call even before you start with your project. If you don't do this, you risk destroying the pipes and cables that supply you with gas and electricity and you don't want that to happen.
Have an Electrician Install a GFCI Receptacle. A GFCI receptacle is required if you want to have outside lighting for your home. Since you don't want to tinker with anything electrical unless you are a licensed electrical engineer or electrician yourself, you should call on a professional to do the job for you.
Water the Ground the Night Before. Since lights usually come with a stake so that they can be conveniently driven into the dirt easily, soften the ground where you plan to install the lights by watering it the night before you do your installation. This makes the ground soft enough so you can easily drive the lights into the ground.
Position and Install the Lights. Following your diagram, put the lights where you want them. Usually, you start laying out the cables from the GFCI receptacle. From there, you can follow to where you have initially positioned the lights. Now if you have no direct knowledge about wires and cables, it's best to have an electrician do the job for you. Be sure to check that the lights are working after they have been installed. To make sure that no unsightly cables are exposed bury them about 5 inches underground.
If there is any area in your yard that you want to put focus on, well-chosen lights can effectively do the job. You can make your beloved garden bloom even at night or turn the path to your house into a lovers' lane by positioning lights in strategic places. Exterior lights also make your house secure against thieves inasmuch as experience and research has shown that lights usually dissuade bad elements from carrying out their plans of robbing your home and hurting your family in the process.
To make the job easier and safer, you need to follow certain practical tips even if putting up outdoor lights can be considered a simple task that anyone can do. Before you begin this home improvement project, read the rest of this article. It's filled with useful insights and how-tos:
Have a Detailed Plan. No home improvement project will succeed without a detailed plan. The installation of outdoor lights may be done yourself but a diagram of where you want your lights placed is still necessary. A diagram clarifies which parts of your yard you want illuminated. It prevents haphazard placing of your lights. More importantly, a detailed plan saves you money since you don't have to buy things on a whim or purchase more than what you really need.
Make Sure that No Cables are Present Underground. Give your local gas and electric company a call even before you start with your project. If you don't do this, you risk destroying the pipes and cables that supply you with gas and electricity and you don't want that to happen.
Have an Electrician Install a GFCI Receptacle. A GFCI receptacle is required if you want to have outside lighting for your home. Since you don't want to tinker with anything electrical unless you are a licensed electrical engineer or electrician yourself, you should call on a professional to do the job for you.
Water the Ground the Night Before. Since lights usually come with a stake so that they can be conveniently driven into the dirt easily, soften the ground where you plan to install the lights by watering it the night before you do your installation. This makes the ground soft enough so you can easily drive the lights into the ground.
Position and Install the Lights. Following your diagram, put the lights where you want them. Usually, you start laying out the cables from the GFCI receptacle. From there, you can follow to where you have initially positioned the lights. Now if you have no direct knowledge about wires and cables, it's best to have an electrician do the job for you. Be sure to check that the lights are working after they have been installed. To make sure that no unsightly cables are exposed bury them about 5 inches underground.
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