Adding outdoor lights to your landscape helps elevate your yard and highlight important features. There are many different options for landscape lights, but how do you know which types to use to achieve your desired effect? Keep reading to see how and where you can use outdoor lights to create the perfect landscape lighting design.
Types of Landscape Lights
Spot Lights
Spot lights provide a focused, narrow beam starting at 15°. These lights hone in and highlight specific features in your landscape, such as plants, shrubbery, or statues. Additionally, outdoor spot lights are commonly used to create different lighting effects like uplighting and accenting because of their versatile nature.
Flood Lights
Low-voltage flood lights are a great choice for lighting larger areas of your landscape. The main feature of a flood light is its wide beam angle, which typically extends up to 120°. The maximum coverage provided by flood lights makes them great for lighting signage and adding security to your home.
Deck and Step Lights
Deck and step lights are designed to add safety and accent illumination to outdoor areas. These lights are typically installed on solid structures like deck posts, railings, and steps. Common fixture options include downward shining eyelid lights, recessed lights, and windowed or louvered faceplate lights.
Hardscape Lights
Hardscape lighting is designed for installation into retaining walls or steps and under deck railings. Each of our hardscape lights includes an attached mounting plate that can be secured to solid surfaces. These light fixtures provide both functional and decorative illumination, without any visible bulbs or hot spots. Or, install flexible 12V AC strip lights around your hardscape for curved areas or on longer retaining walls.
Path Lights
Outdoor path lights add safety and accent lighting to pathways, walkways, in gardens, around porches or patios, and more. Many fixture options are available, allowing you to choose fixtures that best match your aesthetic. These path lights are equipped with mounting stakes for ease of installation. We also carry LED-ready path lights that allow you to install a compatible bulb into your fixture.
Well Lights
Landscape well lights are used for uplighting trees, columns, statues, or creating a wall wash effect when placed along the side of a house or wall.
Fountain, Pond, and Dock Lights
Lights used underwater for fountains, ponds, and docks have an IP rating of IP68 to protect the internal elements from water damage. There are two main types of underwater lights are spot lights and fountain lights.
String Lights
Outdoor string lights can improve the look and feel of your patio space by providing light for nighttime use. String the lights from soffits on covered patios, decks, porches, or along outdoor structures like gazebos and pergolas to create a peaceful, comfortable environment. These string lights are also linkable for longer installation areas.
Areas to Use Landscape Lights
Decks/Patio (Railings, Steps)
Install lights around railings and steps to ensure safety and accessibility.
- Use recessed deck step lights to increase visibility. Some of our recessed fixtures mount flush with deck floors for better ground lighting. Mount fixtures with eyelid and louvered trims on deck posts to prevent glare caused by up-lighting. You can also try linear surface-mount options under stair treads or railings.
- LED hardscape lights also add accessibility lighting to deck steps and are easily mounted under railings. They’re available in different lengths to help create the look you want.
- Our outdoor LED strip lights are offered in 3-foot sections for deck step lighting.
- For patio spaces, adding outdoor LED string lights is a great way to improve the ambiance of your space.
Gardens
Adding light to your garden can help show off and highlight smaller details within flowers and plants. This is ideal for those who want to enjoy their garden at night.
- When mounted in gardens, path lights provide light to small surrounding areas of plants, rock, or mulch.
- You can place outdoor LED spot lights inside of a garden or rock/mulch bed to aim at single plants, shrubbery, or trees. Or, mount them outside the garden to illuminate several plants at once.
- Use an LED well light to aim light upward on a particular plant or small tree.
House Features (Pillars, Porches, Eaves, Walls, Fences)
Add a welcoming feel to your home by using a variety of LED landscape lights.
- Use a 12V landscape flood light fixture to light a section of your house or add a decorative accent.
- LED well lights accent porch columns or large trees.
- Spot lights can be mounted at the base of a wall or aimed at porch columns. Or, use them for downlighting on the side of your house.
Ponds & Fountains
Underwater pond and fountain lights are durable waterproof fixtures that are designed for full submersion. We offer static white and RGB bulbs, as well as remote control options for easy operation. Choose from waterproof spot lights and fountain lights.
Retaining Walls
Install lights around railings and steps to ensure safety and accessibility.
- Use recessed deck step lights to increase visibility. Some of our recessed fixtures mount flush with deck floors for better ground lighting. Mount fixtures with eyelid and louvered trims on deck posts to prevent glare caused by up-lighting. You can also try linear surface-mount options under stair treads or railings.
- LED hardscape lights also add accessibility lighting to deck steps and are easily mounted under railings. They’re available in different lengths to help create the look you want.
- Our outdoor LED strip lights are offered in 3-foot sections for deck step lighting.
- For patio spaces, adding outdoor LED string lights is a great way to improve the feel of your space.
Statues & Small Structures
Highlight your statues and small structures using well lights or spot lights.
- Use well lights at the base of a statue, fountain, mailbox, or other yard structure. You could also place them around pavilions or at the base of deck posts to make those areas more accessible at night.
- Precisely light statues, flags, or small garden fountains using LED spot lights.
Trees and Shrubbery
Create dramatic shadow effects and add depth to your yard by adding lights to your greenery.
- Use LED spot lights to make details in trees and shrubbery stand out. Adjust the spot light head to aim the beam wherever it is needed.
- Place well lights in the ground under the tree, bush, or other plants.
- LED landscape flood lights are great for lighting large trees or shrubbery.
Walkways & Paths
Path lights and well lights make your space safer and easier to use in the dark. Mount your in-ground pathway lights around your walkways, paths, and driveway.
Different Features of Your LED Landscape Lights
There are many different landscape lighting options available and different ways you can use them. Get the desired look for your landscape lighting design using lights with different brightness, RGB, RGBW, CCT, and control options. Some of our landscape smart bulbs are also compatible with Alexa and Google Home.
How to Install Landscape Lighting
Once you know the lights you want to use, you can begin planning out the landscape installation process. Map out a sketch of your lighting layout to assess how far apart fixtures should be installed and the total number of fixtures you’ll need. Consider the light spread of your lights, and what areas may require more coverage than others.
Compatible power supplies will be necessary. The power supply wattage should be 20 percent greater than the wattage of your lights. You can multiply the light’s wattage by 1.2 to determine the power supply you need. Most residential outdoor landscape systems will use low-voltage transformers.
As well as planning out your wiring to reduce voltage drop. Use the formula below to calculate where the voltage drop will occur.
Wire Length x Total Light Wattage / Wire Constant x 2
For a detailed step-by-step guide on installation, read this blog: How to Plan for a Landscape Lighting Installation.
How Long Will LEDs Last for My Landscape lighting?
LEDs last much longer than halogen or metal halide bulbs because of their high energy efficiency. To increase the lifespan of your lights, install a fixture or transformer with an integrated photocell. Photocells automatically power lights on or off based on the available natural light. This ensures lights are only on when necessary, reducing wasted light.
What is the Best CCT To Use for Landscape Lighting?
The CCT you should use for your landscape lights depends on the light’s purpose. For a more relaxing feeling, install a light with a warm (2700K-3000K) CCT to emit a softer, yellow-toned white. If you want to install the lights as security lighting or to highlight architectural features, we recommend using a natural (4000K-4500K) or cool (5000K-6500K) CCT for increased visibility.
How to Set an Outdoor Lighting Timer
Installing your lights with a timer allows you to control when your lights turn on and off. One way to do this is by installing a transformer with a built-in timer. These timers ensure the lights turn on automatically at dusk, and then will power off after the number of hours you selected, typically within a 1 to 9 hour range.
Another way to set a timer with your lights is by installing a smart landscape light. Using your smart device, you can use the app to schedule your lights to power on and off at set times. This is another great way to reduce energy consumption, ensure your lights last longer, and save money over time.
by Super Bright LEDs Experts
The Super Bright LEDs editorial team provides expert guidance on LED lighting solutions for commercial, industrial, vehicle, and residential use. Their trusted insights help businesses and homeowners make informed lighting decisions.
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