The Best 30 Do’s and Don’t of Landscape Lighting Design
To help you create the best landscape lighting design for your property and backyard, our experienced landscape lighting experts have compiled a list of over 30 landscape lighting Do’s and Don’ts. We encourage you to read this list before planning your next design, making any purchases and installing any bulb, fixture or wire.
Why is this important?
Landscape lighting systems have become increasingly popular among homeowners. Think back to the last time you took a drive through any residential neighbourhood after dark. Chances are the majority of homes you passed by had some form of landscape lighting. This is because today’s landscape lighting systems provide homeowners with a wide variety of benefits. Sure, there’s the obvious aesthetic benefit of illuminating the unique architectural features of you home, but there are many other benefits as well. Some of these additional benefits include added safety, improved security and an increase in the overall value of your home.
With all these benefits provided by effective landscape lighting system, it’s no wonder that outdoor lighting has become a popular area for homeowners to focus on. However, if you do not have knowledge of current lighting design trends, techniques and best practices, you may end up with an ineffective and tacky-looking design. Worse yet, if you opt for a DIY installation, you could wind up creating potential safety hazards around your home and property.
Here is our list of Do’s for landscape Lighting:
Do install outdoor lighting
Many people spend a fortune on a beautiful landscape, only to have it shrouded in darkness come sunset. However, it’s the nightscape that creates some of the most dramatic effects on your yard, so don’t miss out on a beautiful landscaping opportunity!
An outdoor lighting system can increase the time you have to enjoy your beautiful property. What’s more, your landscape is often the first thing a visitor will see at your home, and as the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a great first impression. An outdoor lighting system will show your guests and neighbours that you care about your home’s appearance, both outside and inside.
Do use professionals to design and install your outdoor lighting system
You wouldn’t let an amateur build your house, so why would you trust your outdoor lighting to some hardware store clerk?
We’ve all been to a house where a poorly positioned spotlight blinds us as we pull into the driveway. Our Nite Time Décor experts can take that spotlight and reposition it so it showcases a portion of your landscaping (rather than startling your visitors!). A professional knows how to do things properly. They know how voltage works and how to work with it. Professionally installed outdoor lighting system is just that – a system. Not a haphazard spew of randomly placed lights.
Do use a variety of lights
Using the same kind of lights – same colour, same intensities – in all areas of your landscape lighting design will not help you achieve the aesthetic look you’re likely going for. Using the same lights across your whole system will make your landscape lighting design appear dull, flat and un-textured.
We recommend using a variety of lights that have different lighting angles, colours and intensities. This is not to say that you should use red, green and every colour under the rainbow, but rather that you should incorporate a variety of soft, warm colours throughout a number of areas around your home and property to create depth and ambiance.
Do use the right amount of fixtures
When it comes to the fixtures in your landscape lighting design, less is not always more. In fact, when homeowners try to cut costs by skimping on light fixtures, it often ends in disappointment. Sometimes, homeowners will opt to increase the brightness of their bulbs instead of purchasing and installing the appropriate amount of fixtures needed for their landscape lighting design. When this happens, it creates a stark contrast of extreme brightness and extreme darkness in your design. This is far from the ideal lighting style you are likely looking to achieve, and will act as more of a distraction than anything else.
If you are looking to cut costs, we recommend installing your landscape lighting system in phases or zones. Start by illuminating the area closest to your house and work your way out. This will help make the installation easier, less costly and will guarantee that each zone is illuminated in just the way you want it.
Do focus on your home
Before positioning outdoor landscape lighting around the natural features of your yard, light up your home. Highlight the walls of your house and the architectural features that make your home unique. This offers better security and safety, as well as a beautifully elegant backdrop for the rest of your outdoor lighting.
Do start by lighting the front elevation of your home
Starting your lighting at a higher elevation will help you set the balance of your lighting design. From there, you can move into smaller areas and focus on highlighting individual plants.
Do take your entire property into consideration
When installing garden lights, make sure that they mesh with the other fixtures in your landscape lighting design. A beautifully lit garden will look out of place if the rest of your property is under-lit or features few too many fixtures.
Do use lights to improve the safety of garden walkways
This will ensure that all areas, especially those that change levels (steps and stairs) receive the right level of lighting to prevent trips and falls.
Do prevent glare
Use shields to ensure that the light from your Burlington landscape lighting system is properly directed.
Do make use of multiple layers
As with many other areas of design, complexity in layers adds beauty to the overall effect of your landscape lighting. Using layers in an area of lighting adds depth and three dimensions to your outdoor landscape lighting. For instance, positioning several spotlights from different angles against a statue can create silhouettes and layers to offer a detailed lighting effect, which would not have been accomplished with only one light.
Do illuminate shrubs and other areas to improve security
Shining a light on these areas will eliminate possible intrusion points and improve the overall safety of your garden and yard.
Do make use of uplighting for a natural look
The uplighting landscape lighting technique draws the eye upwards, giving the plants in your garden the illusion of size and grandeur.
Do down light pathways
Proper pathway lighting with down lighting are highly underrated, and also very rare. It’s difficult to find situations in which you can adjust your landscape lighting so that a path is lit from above. So, if you find the opportunity, take it. This is a gorgeous way to add illumination and safety, and has the added appeal of being uncommon in outdoor lighting.
Do consider daylighting lighting options
When planning your garden lighting design, be sure to take dawn, dusk, and evening activities into consideration. This is when you’re most likely to be utilizing your garden for parties and social gatherings. Play with effects in these lighting situations in order to produce the perfect mood.
Do maintain your outdoor lighting
Just because your landscape lighting is installed, doesn’t mean you can forget it. For best results, regular cleaning and maintenance will be required.
For example, say you install our lovely area lights or tiki lamps and during one summer, there is a particularly violent windstorm. This could cause your lamps to be knocked out of alignment, causing the light to be splayed haphazardly throughout your yard. Or, after several years, maybe a light bulb burns out or electrical cords start creeping their way into view.
Luckily, professional landscape lighting installation companies are committed to providing you with quality customer service long after the installation has been completed. Visit our Service and Maintenance page for more information about how Nite Time Decor can continue to help you as the years go by.
Do consider LEDs from Nite Time Décor
LEDs are more than just the latest fad in trendy energy conservation. They really do the trick for offering beautiful outdoor landscape lighting while saving you money on your hydro bill. Though the initial start up cost appears pricey, the amount of money you’re saving in electricity more than makes up for it in the long term. Nite Time Décor has done the savings breakdown calculations on LEDs for you if you’re still not convinced.
Garden and landscape Lighting Don’ts – Be careful to avoid these mistakes:
Don’t forget the second story
While you’re figuring out how to light up your home, don’t forget to include the second story. With this, you’ll also want to include any peaks, pillars, overhangs, and other aspects that will look ethereal when illuminated above your lawn. Elevated lighting helps your lawn stand out in the night.
Don’t ignore small or dark spaces
Many homeowners focus purely on the larger, grandiose aspects of their landscaping. However, the small details are sometimes what can provide the loveliest accents to outdoor lighting.
Find the little areas in your garden that are easily forgotten, and offer them dignity in beauty through lighting. The benefit of this is also added security. When you light dark spaces, you create fewer holes for intruders to sneak through. Consider highlighting smaller features or areas of your garden in order to increase the “wow” factor of your design.
Don’t over illuminate
One of the major and most common mistakes that Nite Time Décor Oakville sees is the issue of over lighting. The beautiful thing about outdoor landscape lighting is that it doesn’t have to work hard to light up an ebony night.
Think of the moon and stars in the country – they are beautiful not because they ignite the brightness of the sun, but because they glitter and shimmer in a way that illuminates without blinding. Produce a similar effect with your landscape lighting design, and you’ll quickly leave the realm of airport tarmac and enter into an ethereal realm of splendour.
Don’t unintentionally create shadows
When you combine light without balance the result is unintentional shadowing. Lighting one area while leaving another in shadows doesn’t just look visually uneven, it will also reduce the safety and security of your property.
Don’t distract with light
Remember to direct light away from windows in order to reduce glare. Failure to do this could result in unwanted light reflections on your yard.
Don’t use low-powered lights
You may have created the perfect outdoor lighting design, measured it out diligently and perhaps even placed all the fixtures in the right places, but installing low-powered lights can cause any great design to fall flat.
With low-powered lights, the spread of your lights will be too weak to illuminate a large area, or the beam may only be able to light up a small portion of the object your trying to highlight.
To avoid low-powered lights, stay away from the cheap, low quality battery and solar-powered lights. Saving a buck or two may feel better on your wallet up front, but it will certainly cost you in the long run when you realize your outdoor lighting design is actually hurting your curb appeal.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Use different wattages and beam spreads in order to create a truly unique lighting experience in your garden.
Don’t light for a runway
Countless numbers of homeowners make the mistake of lighting pathways and driveways with fixtures positioned in a straight line. This is boring, and tends to make your garden walk or driveway look like an airplane landing strip. Get creative with the placement – stagger the lights a bit to gain a more aesthetically pleasing outdoor lighting experience.
Don’t ignore limitations
Everything has its limits. When you’re choosing fixtures for your home, make sure to understand the limitations of both your home’s design, as well as the limitations of the fixture itself. Sometimes what you had envisioned for your home’s outdoor landscape lighting design just won’t work within the inherent boundaries of the architecture of your house. That’s okay: there are always solutions. And whatever solution you find is bound to look more beautiful for being perfectly tailored to the needs of your home.
Don’t isolate areas of your property
It can sometimes be difficult to decide what areas of your home and property are most important to include in your landscape lighting design. If you do not plan out your design correctly, you may end up isolating areas of your outdoor space. Take walkways and trees for example. These are common areas to illuminate in a landscape lighting design, however if you light up only these areas, and leave the surrounding areas completely unlit, you will isolate the space and create adverse effects.
To ensure you are not creating an extreme lighting contrast, we recommend incorporating other areas of the larger landscape into your outdoor lighting design. This can be as simple as placing lights in the plant beds and trees along the outer edge of your property.
Don’t forget your neighbours
In the dark, it’s easy to forget that your property is not isolated, and any addition of light can potentially affect the people next door. The form of light pollution caused by a glaring or unshielded outdoor lighting system is called light trespass. Not only will your neighbours find it annoying to have their sleep disturbed by your lights shining into a bedroom window, but it may also present a safety hazard if their steps and pathways are obscured by the glare from your home.
As you do your own thinking about the kind of lighting design you want, consider your neighbours with these tips:
Do aim before you fire
Every light should only illuminate the intended area and should never be directed along common lines of sight. When lights are improperly aimed, the resulting glare reduces rather than improves our eye’s ability to see at night and could cause danger.
Most fixtures you use should be adjustable, especially lights that are mounted at or above eye-level.
Lights that are vertically mounted, such as PAR lights and other types of spotlight should always be aimed at less than a 45 degree angle, and never straight out. While doing this, pay attention to the direction of the light and what other nearby areas might be affected.
Do shields up!
All good lighting designers will tell you: The thing to admire about a good lighting design is the effect it creates, and not the bulbs or fixtures used. If a bulb is clearly visible, then it is causing glare and it will throw light into unwanted areas, such as your neighbour’s yard.
Professionally designed fixtures that are intended for use in an outdoor lighting system will always be shielded. This allows for placement of the fixture in such a way that the beam can be accurately focused without exposing the bulb. It also prevents light from bleeding into surrounding areas. If your existing lighting uses an unshielded floodlight or other type of bulb, you can purchase shields to fit most sizes of fixture.
Don’t rely on solar lights
Solar lights may seem like a great, environmentally-conscious option in theory, but the fact is there are some downfall to using solar lights as well, and if you want to have a consistent and effective landscape lighting system, it’s best not to rely solely on solar lights. The main problem here comes from the inconsistency of the effectiveness of solar lighting. While they might work great in the summer months when the sun is shining bright for the majority of the day, you will see these lights perform 30-50 per cent less efficiently in the winter.
If you are looking for environmentally and energy-conscious ways to illuminate your outdoor space, we suggest using LED lights. LED lights use a fraction of the energy that hydrogen-based bulbs use and are reliable for use all year long. On top of that, LED lights also provide a wide variety of colour options to choose from.
Avoid making mistakes in your garden lighting design by planning your approach with a professional.
Do contact a professional
Whether you’re simply planning your next landscape lighting design, or you have a chosen design that’s ready to be installed, it’s best to contact a professional landscape lighting company.
At Nite Time Decor, our experienced team of landscape lighting professionals can help you design an outdoor lighting design that is perfectly suited to your home and property. We service homeowners and businesses throughout Hamilton, Halton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga, Ontario. Contact us today to get started!
At Nite Time Décor Oakville, we often tell prospective customers to think about how they use their outdoor space before selecting and installing an outdoor lighting design for their home. This also includes how their furry family members use the space too.
So we’ve compiled 4 great tips for homeowners for pet-proofing their landscape lighting.
It’s a simple piece of advice, but it goes a long way. Some homeowners know they want an outdoor lighting design, but don’t know where to start. If you stop for a moment and really think about how you use your outdoor space, it will allow you to create an outdoor lighting design that is perfectly suited to your needs.
What homeowners sometimes fail to think about it not how they use their outdoor space, but who is using the outdoor space. Perhaps you like to sit out and relax under the stars, or barbeque a nice late-night meal. Maybe you have teenagers who like to use the hot tub or play board games on the patio.
When you consider who uses the space and how they like to use it, don’t forget about your four-legged fury friends!
Most times, your dog or cat is the one who uses your outdoor space the most, so it’s only fair that you consider them when selecting and installing an outdoor lighting system so its pet-proof. To make sure everyone in your family can enjoy your outdoor lighting design, follow these four pet-proofing tips.
Protect Wires
Dogs, like young children, do not understand the concept and associated dangers of electrical wires. This means that you need to protect any electrical wires that are a part of your outdoor lighting design.
At Nite Time Décor, our experienced team will professionally install your outdoor lighting design and make sure all electrical wires are out of sight and protected.
If you’ve performed a do-it-yourself installation or have had your outdoor lighting design installed by someone who is not a professional, you run the risk of having exposed electrical wires. If this is the case, contact our talented team at Nite Time Décor to have the exposed wires re-installed and ensure the safety of your pets and loved ones.
Create Barriers
If your four-legged friend likes to snoop or dig round the lawn and garden, it’s best to create barriers between your light fixtures and your pet. Decorative rocks act as great barriers. Simply place decorative rocks around your fixtures or overtop of areas that have underlying wires to ensure your pet does not accidentally uncover fixtures or wires.
Remove Vegetation Barriers
While creating barriers between your dog’s paws and light fixtures is a good pet-proofing technique, you’ll want to prune back or remove vegetation barriers that might surround your fixtures. Excessive vegetation or foliage can camouflage your fixtures and might cause your pet to unknowingly uncover a fixture – or potential chew toy – while snooping through the garden one day.
Conduct Regular Checks
The best way to discover a potential hazard before it becomes a danger to you or your furry friend is to perform regular checks around your home and landscape. Look for damaged fixtures or bulbs, or chewed wires. Exposed wires, broken bulbs and damaged fixtures are all hazards that can put you, your family and your pet at risk.
Contact Nite Time Décor
Pet-proofing your home and outdoor lighting design is the responsible thing to do if you have dogs or pets that enjoy your outdoor space as much – or even more – than you do. To increase safety, contact our lighting experts at Nite Time Décor to perform your pet-proofing service, or have our team professionally install your next outdoor lighting design.
We serve homeowners and businesses throughout Mississauga, Burlington, Oakville, Halton and Hamilton regions.
Brilliant Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Small Patios and Balconies: Brighten Up Your Space with Nite Time Décor
When it comes to outdoor lighting design, most people think of illuminating front entrances, walkways, large backyards, or beautiful trees and gardens. While these areas are great to highlight in a landscape lighting design for large outdoor spaces, it’s also important to remember that small spaces—like patios and balconies—can benefit from professional outdoor lighting too.
Why Illuminate Your Small Outdoor Space?
Just like illuminating any large outdoor area, adding some light to a patio, deck, or balcony after the sun goes down allows you to create valuable extra living space. Let’s face it: the patio or balcony is great for relaxing during daylight, but once the sun sets, it can become underused. With expertly installed outdoor lighting, you can extend your evenings outdoors and maximize every inch of your space.
With the right landscape lighting design, you can create a warm, calming atmosphere—perfect for entertaining guests, dining al fresco, or simply relaxing under the stars. Whether your space is cozy or compact, the right lighting will make it more inviting.
Tips for Small Patio and Balcony Lighting
To get you started with planning the perfect outdoor lighting design for small spaces, we’ve compiled a list of important aspects to consider before making any purchases, as well as some popular outdoor lighting solutions you may want to incorporate into your new lighting plan this summer.
1. Determine the Primary Use of Your Outdoor Space
When it comes to designing a lighting plan for a small patio or balcony, first think about how you use the space most often. Will you be outside after dark barbecuing, dining, reading, or hosting guests?
Clarifying the purpose of your outdoor area helps guide your lighting choices. For example, task lighting may be needed for a cooking zone, while ambient lighting works well for reading or lounging.
2. Map Out the Space Before You Install Lighting
Before creating your custom outdoor lighting design, take time to map out your space. Consider the existing layout, including any furniture, planters, or structures.
If there are windows or glass doors directly facing your balcony or patio, take those into account when choosing the right lighting options. For example, if your balcony faces a bedroom window, choose low-voltage, subtle lighting to avoid disturbing household members or neighbours.
3. Add Ambience with String Lights
Outdoor string lights are one of the most versatile and timeless choices for small spaces. Whether you drape them overhead, weave them through railings, or tuck them into greenery, string lights bring warmth and charm to patios and balconies.
They’re also easy to install and offer budget-friendly outdoor lighting solutions for renters and homeowners alike.
4. Choose Warm LED Bulbs for a Cozy Glow
To create a cozy and inviting mood, choose warm-coloured LED bulbs. These are ideal for small outdoor areas because they provide just the right level of illumination without being harsh or overpowering.
LED outdoor lights are also energy-efficient, long-lasting, and can withstand Canada’s changing weather—making them a smart investment for year-round landscape lighting.
5. Use Professional Lighting Design for Best Results
Even small spaces can benefit from a well-thought-out outdoor lighting plan designed by professionals. Strategic placement of fixtures, careful attention to safety and code compliance, and selection of quality materials all help ensure your space looks beautiful and functions perfectly.
Design Inspiration from TV: Small Spaces, Big Style
The rising popularity of home design shows like HGTV’s “Small Space, Big Style,”“Tiny House Nation,” and Netflix’s “Dream Home Makeover” has proven one thing: when it comes to outdoor and indoor living, size doesn’t limit style. These shows spotlight clever, creative ways to maximize smaller spaces without sacrificing comfort or visual appeal. And just like interior design, exterior lighting design plays a key role in making compact areas functional and beautiful.
In fact, many of the backyard transformations on these programs showcase the power of strategic patio lighting—from soft uplighting along privacy walls to elegant string light canopies and recessed deck lights that define the space while adding ambiance. Inspired by these shows, more homeowners are realizing that professional outdoor lighting isn’t just for large properties with sprawling gardens. It can completely transform the look and feel of a modest balcony, terrace, or urban backyard.
Just because your outdoor area is small doesn’t mean it has to be overlooked. Like the stylists and designers on these shows often say, lighting is one of the easiest ways to instantly elevate a space, especially at night. When chosen and installed correctly, lighting becomes both a practical and aesthetic feature. It draws the eye, sets a mood, and encourages people to gather and linger—even after dark.
How to Apply These Ideas to Your Home
Take inspiration from these TV transformations and consider zoning your outdoor space with light. Use wall sconces or step lights to highlight specific zones like a dining nook or reading chair. Add planter lighting to show off greenery or herbs. Accent lights tucked into corners can give the illusion of depth, making small areas feel more expansive.
You can also bring an interior design mentality to your outdoor setup. Think of lighting as layered: start with ambient light, add task lighting where needed, and then finish with accent lighting to highlight textures, plants, stairs or architectural details.
By working with a lighting design specialist like Nite Time Décor, you get a personalized approach that ensures every fixture and bulb works with your layout, your lifestyle, and your taste. Just like your favourite designers on TV, we’re focused on making the most of every square inch—turning small spaces into standout features of your home.
Contact Nite Time Décor for Beautiful Custom Outdoor Lighting Design and Installation
Whether you’re just getting started with outdoor lighting for your small patio or balcony, or looking to upgrade your current lighting system, Nite Time Décor is here to help. Our team of professional landscape lighting designers will work with you to create a space that reflects your style, meets your needs, and enhances your property’s curb appeal.
We proudly serve homeowners and businesses in Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Hamilton, and the surrounding Halton Region. Let us help you transform your small outdoor space into your favourite place to relax.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discover how custom outdoor lighting can make a big impact—even in small spaces.
DIY vs Professionally Installed Outdoor Lighting – What is the Best?
The summer outdoor entertaining season is almost upon us. Is your yard guest-worthy? Why let all that hard landscaping effort go to waste once the sun goes down? With well-placed lighting, you can enjoy the beauty of your gardens and yard all night long. But lighting is expensive, we hear you.
Do you really need an expert or can you pull this off on your own?
DIY Projects
Budget
If your budget or interests dictate something simple like staked-in solar pathway lighting, definitely do that yourself.
The solar lighting is dependent on receiving enough sun so keep in mind how much sun that area receives, and how important it is to have good light year round. In winter especially, solar powered devices may be weaker than in the peak summer months. You’ll likely have to replace them frequently, but that leaves lots of opportunities to change things up.
Cheaper Low-Voltage Products
There are a variety of boxed outdoor lighting sets in numerous shapes, sizes, and prices on the market. These are typically low-voltage units, and come with numerous fixtures but minimal wiring limiting the range and placement of lights. Often, these cheaper options come with poor quality fixtures, switches, timers, and parts. These types of sets typically come with a 1 year warranty, so replacing these parts may happen more frequently than you’re prepared for.
Durability
As soon as you place lighting outside, it’s at the mercy of the elements. Ask yourself if the set you have your eye on will stand up to Mother Nature twelve months of the year. Don’t throw away your hard-earned money. Plastic parts and cheap components will only cause more headaches down the road.
DIY Skillset
DIYers need to honestly evaluate their skill level. Do you have a good working knowledge of electrical parts and components? The heartbreaking consequences of these mistakes can’t be fixed with money.
Professional Installation
Here are five great reasons why we think hiring a professional will pay off in the end and make you glad you never went DIY.
Experience
Landscape lighting designers have extensive experience on a large variety of projects. They understand what’s essential for outdoor lighting and will help you realize your dreams for lighting those outdoor spaces while keeping your budget in mind.
They understand what works well together and what doesn’t. They can see the overall project and understand how smaller changes affect the big picture.
Professional lighting experts will work with you to help personalize your system with your own sense of style, while showing you the available options each step of the way and making suggestions that will help bring the whole system together into one cohesive lighting design.
Safety
Professional outdoor lighting designers and installers are trained in working with electricity and electrical systems. It only takes one wrong move when dealing with electricity and you are dealing with damage to the equipment and wiring or worse to you or a loved one.
Understanding how to work around other utilities means they know who to contact for proper locates and how to design and work around them safely without compromising your vision for illuminating those outdoor spaces after dark.
The DIY handyman needs to honestly assess whether they’re comfortable working with electricity (sometimes electricity and water), heights, or digging.
Safety for everyone is a priority before, during and after the installation of your outdoor lighting system. Experienced lighting designers understand electrical code and inspection requirements and will work with the local authorities to ensure all required permits and inspections are completed.
Fixture Selection
For the average homeowner, fixture selection is limited to what is available at the local hardware store. This is not the case for Nite Time Decor or other professional lighting service companies. Landscape lighting service providers have access to many different high-quality manufacturers and suppliers (many unavailable in big box stores) and can help you choose not just an adequate fixture for each space, but the fixture best suited to the aesthetic, budget and lighting requirements for that space. With Nite Time Decor, your options are endless when it comes to available fixtures and styles.
Outdoor Lighting Design
Professional installation means that your yard won’t look like everyone else’s on the block.
Whether you’re looking to enhance curb appeal, provide better security, or provide ambiance to your yard after dark, professionals will recommend fixtures and elements, with varying bulb wattage and colours, prevent annoying glares and creepy shadows, and ensure distinctive highlights are prominent.
At Nite Time Decor our talented team of designers offer beautiful illuminating ideas for all types of properties, including commercial highrises, nightclubs, restaurants, and residential properties. From big installations to small repairs, Nite Time Decor offers all of the products and services needed to meet your unique lighting requirements.
Warranty and Maintenance
Most lighting companies including Nite Time Decor, stand behind their work and will work with you until it’s done to your satisfaction. The provide a warranty for their lighting fixtures. They can help you understand the programming and regular maintenance of your system. They will be there for you long after the installation is complete. Having a good maintenance plan and ongoing support is value that cannot be replaced when installing your own DIY outdoor lighting system.
Those are just a few of the many benefits of hiring a professional landscape lighting designer and installer to help you with your outdoor lighting project.
Contact Landscape Lighting Experts
Landscape lightings adds visual interest to your home while simultaneously making it safer and increasing its property value. If you would like to discuss your landscape lighting project, or request a free estimate, contact Nite Time Decor today!
Choosing the right lighting for your outdoor space can feel overwhelming. There are many options—fluorescent, incandescent, LED. But one critical choice often gets overlooked: low voltage vs. high voltage lighting.
This decision impacts your home’s safety, beauty, and energy efficiency. If you’re planning a new system or upgrading an old one, understanding the pros and cons of each lighting type is key. Let’s explore your options and show why working with Nite Time Décor, your local outdoor lighting expert, can make all the difference.
What Is Low Voltage Lighting?
Low voltage lighting uses 12 volts of electricity. A transformer converts the standard household 120V current down to a safe 12V. These systems are ideal for residential properties and decorative landscaping.
Pros of Low Voltage Lighting
Energy Efficient and Cost Effective
Low voltage lights use less power. You’ll save on electricity and reduce your carbon footprint. LED options give excellent light output while keeping energy costs low.
Safe for Families and Pets
Because they run at just 12 volts, low voltage systems are safer. There’s less risk of electrical shock, especially in wet conditions.
Easier and Cheaper to Install
Most systems plug into outdoor receptacles. You won’t need permits or licensed electricians for most installations. This keeps installation costs down.
Flexible and Easy to Move
Fixtures don’t need deep trenches or conduit. You can adjust or move lights easily to accommodate landscaping changes.
More Design Options
Low voltage lighting comes in many styles and finishes. You can light walkways, highlight plants, and create dramatic focal points with ease.
Ideal for Accent and Mood Lighting
These lights provide excellent beam control. You can create warm, inviting environments in your garden, patio, or yard.
Cons of Low Voltage Lighting
Requires a Transformer
A transformer is needed to reduce power from 120V to 12V. This adds a component to install and maintain.
May Dim Over Distance
Long cable runs can cause voltage drop. If not installed properly, lights can appear dimmer the farther they are from the transformer.
What Is High Voltage Lighting?
High voltage or “line voltage” lighting uses 120 volts of electricity—direct from your home’s electrical system. These are common in commercial spaces and areas requiring bright, wide coverage.
Pros of High Voltage Lighting
Bright and Powerful Light Output
High voltage systems produce intense light. They are great for large properties, parking lots, or uplighting big trees.
Fewer Fixtures Needed
One high voltage fixture can light a wide area. This reduces the number of fixtures required.
No Transformer Needed
These systems run on your home’s power supply. That means no need for a separate transformer.
Cons of High Voltage Lighting
Requires Professional Installation
Due to safety concerns and electrical codes, a licensed electrician must handle installation. This raises labor costs.
Higher Risk of Electric Shock
All fittings must be waterproof. Wet conditions can pose a serious hazard if not installed correctly.
Difficult to Modify
High voltage wires must be buried 18 inches underground. Making changes later can require major digging and disruption to your yard.
Can Cause Glare
Because they’re so bright, it’s harder to direct the beams. This can lead to glare and light pollution.
Low Voltage vs. High Voltage – Which Is Best for You?
Most homeowners prefer low voltage systems for flexibility, safety, and style. They’re easier to install, cost less to operate, and offer more control over lighting effects.
High voltage systems are better suited for security lighting or large-scale commercial spaces where maximum brightness is critical.
Still unsure what’s best? That’s where Nite Time Décor comes in.
Why Choose Nite Time Décor for Outdoor Lighting Installation?
Whether you prefer the versatility of low voltage lighting or the power of high voltage systems, Nite Time Décor is here to help you choose the perfect solution for your outdoor space. Our team of professional lighting experts will guide you through every step of the process—from custom design to professional installation—ensuring your property looks stunning and functions beautifully after dark. We proudly serve Halton, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, and Mississauga, offering free quotes and on-site lighting demos to help you visualize the transformation. Visit our website to explore our lighting gallery or give us a call today to get started. (800)952-3006
Are you considering installing a landscape lighting system that is specifically designed to meet your home’s unique features and needs? If so, you may have some important questions you need answered before making your decision.
When it comes to your home, you should always do your research before making any big purchases or installations. That’s why our lighting experts at Nite Time Decor Oakville want to make the research process that much easier for you.
To do so, we’ve provided answers to a number of landscape lighting FAQs to help you make an informed decision about designing and installing your very first landscape lighting system.
1. Besides making my home look nice, what advantages are there to landscape lighting?
There are many advantages to installing landscape lighting around your home.
First, it adds security without looking gaudy. No longer does a security light need to just be a flood light hung above the garage, but there are various lighting options and just having extra light around your property makes a thief think twice if a home is nicely lit.
Second, it adds safety. If your pathways, stairways, driveway and gardens are well-lit, you don’t have to worry about a guest tripping or losing their way in the dark.
Third, it extends the ability to use your outdoor space. It’s great when on those warm summer nights you can use your yard and deck late into the night, and still enjoy your landscaping (which sometimes looks even better at night)
Fourth, it adds value to your home – as much as a 50% return because of all the reasons mentioned above, plus it modernizes your home.
Like many of our most common landscape lighting FAQs, the question of DIY versus hiring a pro comes up often.
2. Why Do I need to Hire Someone? What about DIY?
There are many different types of landscape lighting and DIY kits, especially solar-powered, are widely available. It all depends on your lighting needs, and often the old adage is correct – you get what you pay for.
Most DIY kits are of inferior quality, with some needing to be replaced yearly. Plus, solar-powered lights tend not to be very bright, so they are not ideal for illuminating the architectural details of your home, and of course are dependent on the sun.
Plus, a landscape lighting company offers the artistry and know-how of their staff when it comes to design, product and installation, which is important if you’re dealing with electricity.
3. Is my hydro bill going to skyrocket?
Not really, especially if you choose to install low-voltage lighting. Many homeowners experience an increase of less than $50 a year, and that’s with high-voltage incandescent lights. With low-voltage LED lights, for example, if you have 5 lights, on for 5 hours/night every day for a year, homeowners will see an increase of only $6/ year!
Most customers also choose to install a timer, which is great for those times you are on vacation, or even if you just have a habit of forgetting to turn the lights off.
4. What should my outdoor lighting focus on?
When thinking of landscape lighting, the word “sophistication” should often come to mind. Focus on unique trees or bushes, a piece of art, a water feature, or even just your front door or peak of your home. Whether you are looking to illuminate a pathway or deck, the creative possibilities are endless.
5. Is there a lot of maintenance involved?
There doesn’t have to be. Most landscape lighting companies offer maintenance packages as well as warranties on their products. Often outdoor lighting should be examined in the spring to ensure nothing was damaged over the winter, or to trim back unwieldly bushes, but other than that, it can be as simple as flicking a switch.
6. How much does a landscape lighting system cost?
Landscape lighting systems can vary in cost, as they are designed and installed based on the unique needs of your family and your home.
Depending on what you are looking for, your landscape lighting system can range from minimal to intricate, with a price tag that reflects those lighting choices.
Whatever route you decide to take, the cost will come down to two main factors: the quantity of light fixtures your design requires and the desired effect you’re looking to achieve. Our landscape lighting professionals can work with your vision and budget to create the perfect lighting design for your home.
Cost is one of the most searched landscape lighting FAQs, and the answer often depends on the scope of your design and material choices.
7. Will an installation damage my yard?
Not at all. Our experienced landscape lighting technicians are trained to conduct a professional installation without damaging any parts of your lawn in the process. If any trench work in required to bury wires, our technicians will make a small incision and carefully place the wiring in the appropriate spot. When this occurs, your grass should recover after a normal rainfall, and no lasting marks should remain.
8. Is landscape lighting hard to operate and maintain?
Absolutely not. With programmable settings and customizable timers, you’ll be able to set your preferences and let your system do what it does best – illuminate your home and property!
While your landscape lighting system may require some occasional maintenance, our experienced technicians can help. Whether it’s repairing a fixture or replacing a wire, our lighting technicians are always available to help you out!
9. Can you explain the terminology for landscape lighting?
So you want to add some lighting to your landscape or extend the time you can spend on your deck. Whether you’re hoping to DIY the project or have it done professionally you’ll better know what’s available and the different techniques used if you’re familiar with the terminology and lingo the professionals use.
Understanding these terms and the various lighting techniques, you’ll understand that the options are almost limitless with some imagination and creativity.
If you’re browsing landscape lighting FAQs to understand the lingo used by professionals, this breakdown of terms will help clarify what to expect during your project.
Up Lighting
Up lighting is basically shining or pointing a light fixture up. Whether the fixture is placed at the bottom of a wall or fence, or part way up a pillar or tree, placing the light can be used to create shadows or silhouettes and create indirect light and enhance curb appeal. These types of fixtures are usually low voltage lights and are available in solar, halogen and LED. There are a lot of options and a wide variety of fixtures and finishes to choose from.
Down Lighting
Just like the name suggests, down lighting focuses light down. Whether the fixture is placed under the eaves of a house, under a bench, or uses a shield or hood and placed along a pathway, the light is pointed down. The light may be placed in such a way during the day that it’s virtually unseen.
Wash
Wash lighting is used to create a subtle glow over a broad canvas such as a wall, fence, or row of bushes. The colour of the canvas may amplify or mute the light and different colours of light can offer fun variety – a splash of red for Canada Day for instance.
Shadowing
Light casts shadows and when done on purpose can create a fantastic play of light on dark and highlight a variety of features around your yard. Shadows are often used to create moon lighting and silhouettes. When placing new lighting, be sure that unwanted shadows are not created that hide or partially hide important features such as stairs or pathways and become a safety hazard.
Silhouetting
Silhouetting is exactly what you’d expect. This technique is most effective when light is placed between a planting or other feature and a light coloured wall. Silhouettes provide indirect light (much like a wash) but the shadows created can be a kind of art all on their own.
Grazing
If you have a home with a great textured façade such as stone, grazing can be used to cast light upwards from the ground using shadows to highlight the feature.
Spotlighting
Is there one feature in your yard that you want to stand apart from the rest? A spotlight can make a single feature the star of the show. Often two or more spotlights are often used to make use of shadow and light from different angles.
Moon Lighting
This is a newer trend in outdoor lighting where designers try to mimic natural moon light usually by placing a light high up in a tree and allowing the natural movement and shadows of the leaves to cast subtle light on the ground. This is a great technique for a patio or walkway.
Have more questions? Here are some additional landscape lighting FAQs and tips for finding the right contractor.
10. How can I find the right outdoor lighting contractor?
It isn’t always easy to find the right contractor for residential landscape lighting systems. After being in business for over twenty years, Nite Time Décor Oakville understands the ways to find the right contractor for your residential landscape lighting systems. We’d like to share our time-tested wisdom with you so that choosing the right company is no longer a concern.
Find the portfolio
How can you know which company you’d like if you don’t have a sample of their work? Ask for a portfolio that shows examples of their residential landscape lighting systems, as well as an overview of their past experience. For example, Nite Time Décor lighting services has a long list of resources and a vibrant gallery to show to customers our sixteen years of success.
It’s important to also ask how many actual installations the company in question has completed successfully. Make sure the company isn’t one that focuses mainly on sale, and does installations on occasion. You’ll want to find a company that has completed a healthy amount of installations so that you can be rest assured your residential landscape lighting systems are installed properly.
What are their credentials?
In this day and age, you need some sort of accreditation to perform almost any professional job, and installing residential landscape lighting systems is no exception. At Nite Time Décor Oakville, we highly recommend looking for certain credentials before choosing a company.
You want your company to have liability insurance. They also require registration from Service Ontario and permits for operation. Finally, make sure they are trusted by their peers.
If the Better Business Bureau has accredited them, this is an important aspect in proving the company to be trustworthy. Looking for their accreditations from the BBB will also offer you a chance to look up the company’s ratings.
Worthwhile warranties and service
There isn’t much of a point to get high quality residential landscape lighting systems if you don’t have the professionals to help maintain the systems once they’ve been installed.
Find a company that offers warranties and maintenance guarantees so that you’re not left stranded in the event of disrepair. Nite Time Décor Oakville offers both a warranty for your Nite Time Décor lighting services, as well as a lifetime maintenance guarantee.
Furthermore, six months following the installation of your Nite Time Décor outdoor lighting system, we’ll check in to ensure your lights are running properly and to your satisfaction. If the company doesn’t offer either a warranty or maintenance guarantee, move on.
Look for consultations
Make sure the ego of the landscape lighting designers doesn’t get in the way. Sometimes the designer has one vision, and you have one that is entirely different. Make sure the company is willing to consult and work with you to find residential landscape lighting systems that match both your style and budget.
Contact Nite Time Décor
We’d love to answer your outdoor lighting questions or help you design a truly unique lighting plan.
To have any other landscape lighting FAQs answered or to request a quote, contact the professionals at Nite Time Décor. Our experienced team would be happy to answer any of your questions, and help you on your way to creating the outdoor lighting design of your dreams!
More Landscape Lighting FAQs
Still have questions? These additional landscape lighting articles might help:
Too often security lighting comes in the form of floodlights. Regardless of how effective they are for lighting up a space – and even then, are they? – these ugly monstrosities of outdoor lighting create an eyesore on your lovely home. Say no to the floodlight with modern security landscape lighting Oakville! Not only are floodlights on the corner of homes highly flawed in their execution, but they can also create dark areas that are perfect for unwanted intruders.
So how else can you protect your home? Read on to find out about the flaws in floodlights and the modern solutions from Nite Time Décor Oakville landscape lighting services.
Problem #1: Unsightly aesthetic
Let’s uncover the most evident downside to floodlights before we go any further. Floodlights, if posted on poles around your home, may provide ample lighting. Yet, there’s also something about floodlights on posts that make them appear straight from a prison yard.
To solve this problem, most homeowners put floodlights on the corners of their homes instead. As you’ll see, this causes its own set of problems with outdoor lighting. And to top it all off, these types of lights don’t look anymore attractive or welcoming to guests on the corners of your home as they do on posts around the yard.
Problem #2: The light that cried wolf
Floodlights are hooked up to sensors that flip on when an intruder passes by. The problem is that most of the time your floodlight can’t tell the difference between a cat and a burglar. If the sensor has been adjusted to precise perfection, then you may get an effective sensor that only lights up for burglars. Otherwise, your neighbours and you will be so used to seeing the light flip on that you may not make a move when it actually matters.
Problem #3: Short life span
Floodlights, in comparison to almost every other landscape lighting fixture, have short lifespans. Usually these types of lights are on a photocell, which burns out easily, particularly if it’s flipping on regularly.
Problem #4: Dark spaces
When floodlights are on the side of buildings, they tend to light up huge areas of space while leaving many other areas in the dark. If you do happen to have Nite Time Décor Oakville landscape lighting services in other areas, the floodlights will ruin the aesthetic.
If you don’t have other outdoor lighting, then these floodlights are making perfect entry points for burglars and other trespassers with the dark, forgotten gaps.
Solutions: Nite Time Décor landscape lighting services
Nite Time Décor offers outdoor lighting that will provide both an appealing aesthetic, and safety and security to your home. Our lifetime maintenance guarantee offers excellence and security.
Though this article is on commercial security lighting, it will provide some useful information about how to light up your yard with landscape lighting without sacrificing either security or beauty.
The thing to remember is to cover up dark patches along walls, fences, trees, and pathways. Once you do that, you’ll just need to add in some design tips from one of the pros to gain highly functional, gorgeous Nite Time Décor landscape lighting services.
There’s something to be said for living in the country. The peaceful serenity, the quiet calm, wide-open spaces – you simply can’t find these qualities in the city. That being said, cottage and country life also comes with its unique challenges. For example, you have to be much more self-reliant when it comes to your landscape lighting. You won’t find streetlights or business lights on rural roads; when it comes to evening ambiance, you’re going to have to create your own with a well designed and installed landscape lighting system.
Benefits of Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting is an excellent tool to accent and enhance certain features of your rural property and exterior home décor. Whether you want to light up your front yard or back deck for safety, social occasions, deter thieves by illuminating the house, or draw attention to the beautiful foliage around your home, an outdoor lighting service can work with you to create the mood you’re looking for.
Go For a Natural Look
When you’re installing low voltage or LED outdoor lighting around your rural property the last thing you want is for it to look unnatural. Avoid harsh glare and odd reflections by following these tips from our landscape lighting experts:
Light From Above
Soft outdoor lighting from above imitates nature. Think of how the moon shines through the trees on an especially clear night – this is the look our Nite Time Decor Oakville landscape lighting experts are trying to mimic when they install downlighting fixtures.
Moon lighting, as the name implies, mimics the light of the moon. It creates a soft, ethereal moonlight effect that shines down on your landscape. In addition to the light, its other effect is to create a natural shadow, similar to the moon. Romantic and whimsical, moonlighting is a great way to set the mood on a rural property.
Stick to a Low Wattage Bulb
Not only will this help you keep your lighting natural looking, it will also keep your utility bills low, which is always a nice bonus. Using low wattage bulbs will help you avoid harsh over-lighting, leaving your lawn bathed in a subtle glow.
Look for LEDs
When it comes to low wattage lighting, LEDs are a great option. Not only are they extremely efficient (LEDs have an energy efficiency rating between 80%-90%), they provide light designers with a high level of control over light disbursement. Other benefits include LED light are environmentally friendly, cost effective, durable, and don’t attract bugs! To learn more about the great benefits of LED lights, read this article, “Top 13 Benefits Of LED Outdoor Lighting.”
Types of Lighting to Consider Around Your Rural Property
When it comes to lighting your rural property you’ll want to make sure of a few important factors. First, you don’t want to use too much light as that could result in light trespass and unnecessary light pollution. Second, you need to ensure that enough light is used to ensure the safety and security of your property.
To do this, we suggestion incorporating the following lighting ideas and fixtures into your Oakville landscape lighting design:
Driveway Lights
Illuminate your long, winding country lane with strategically placed driveway lights in order to increase the safety and aesthetic appeal of your property. Post lanterns, bollards, and entry piers can add a nice touch of class to your slice of country life.
Motion Sensors
These lighting fixtures can be especially useful around outbuildings, like storage sheds and barns. Our Oakville landscape lighting experts also recommend positioning motion-activated lights so that they shine down on any parking areas on your property. This will help provide any visitors with an increased sense of safety when entering or exiting their vehicles.
Tree Highlights
If you live in the country, chances are your yard features more than a few gorgeous old trees. Shine a light on their beauty once the sun goes down with strategically placed downlights or spotlights. Try and pick a nice mix of trees – ones that have dense foliage and other that have a lighter canopy. This will enable you to use a number of different lighting techniques, creating a truly unique and mesmerizing final design.
Contact Nite Time Decor Today!
Bring light to your rural property while respecting your rural surroundings and reducing light pollution. Contact one of our Nite Time Decor Oakville landscape lighting experts today to learn more about rural lighting ideas or to book your free outdoor lighting consultation and light demo. We also serve homes and businesses in Mississauga, Burlington, Halton and the Hamilton regions.
Have you ever noticed how a few strategically placed lamps can change the entire ambiance of a room? Well, the same can be said for your front porch! Whether your home boasts a beautiful wrap-around deck or a small front stoop, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve the overall look and feel of your front entry. Entryway lighting is crucial for setting the mood and inviting in your guests, so don’t hold back. Make the most of your front entrance lighting with a professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system from Nite Time Décor.
The Romance of Porch Lights
What does a well-lit porch mean to you? For years, leaving the porch light on was a symbol telling neighbours that you were home and ready to socialize. It was a welcoming beacon in the middle of a dark night. A warm embrace after a long day of work. When the light was left on, it meant that someone cared enough to turn it on; someone was waiting.
Now, thanks to custom designed outdoor lighting systems, you can recreate this same feeling with unique lighting effects and romantic walkway lighting without having to flick a switch!
How to Perfectly Light Your Front Entrance
Your front door and porch lighting is important for three reasons:
It makes an impression.
Whether it’s through down lights or spotlighting, the proper lighting techniques can change the entire look and feel of your property. Whether you’re hoping to create a grandiose look or execute a contemporary feel, our technicians can suggest the right lighting fixtures and techniques to play up your home’s unique features.
It improves safety.
The right lighting is key to reducing trip hazards around your front door. Combine them with path lighting to create a whimsical path towards your home.
It extends the living area outside by illuminating windows.
Homes that lack porch lighting are often cast in deep, dark shadows, especially around windows. Remove “black holes” from the front of your property with professionally placed landscape lighting.
Size Matters
In our experience most homeowners tend to choose entry lighting fixtures that are too small for their porch or entryway. This is especially the case with homes that have large front doors and tall porch ceilings.
When it comes to wall-mounted lights, our Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting experts recommend fixtures that are anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the door. Alternatively, you can opt for spotlights and up-lighting fixtures to case a warm glow on the door.
The Dos and Don’t of Porch Lighting
When it comes to perfecting your porch lighting, it pays to take your time and really assess your design needs. What’s more, you’ll want to use the lights properly once they’re installed. As such, it’s important that you…
Don’t leave the lights on all night. This will waste power, causes light pollution and could potentially anger your neighbours. Instead, request that our Nite Time Decor landscape lighting experts install a timer on your lighting system. This will ensure that your porch light turns on and off on a set schedule.
Don’t just turn the light on when you’re alone or feel vulnerable. Doing so could put you in danger. Instead, do turn set your front entrance lights to come on automatically.
Don’t leave the light on 24-hours a day when you’re away on vacation. Make sure that it’s set to turn on with your outdoor lighting system.
Do realize that indoor lights can help enhance the look and safety of your porch as well.
Things to Consider When Planning New Porch Lighting
Safety First
When choosing your outdoor lighting design, there are a few qualities you’ll want to consider. Of course, safety is a major concern. Lighting up your front entrance takes nighttime risks away, especially in common hazard zones like stairs and railings.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), slips and trips are among the most common causes of injury, and ensuring areas like walkways, stairs, and doorways are properly illuminated is a key step in prevention.
Some of the most effective areas to illuminate include:
Stairways
Doorways
Edges
Railings
By adding a bit of soft lighting to these features, you’re able to alert visitors to areas that may have otherwise caused injuries or accidents. What’s more, our warranty ensures that your Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting design will always be in proper operating condition, creating a safe and beautiful yard and entrance for many years to come.
Avoid the Glare
It’s also a good idea to consider softening your outdoor lighting, in order to reduce unwanted glare or a sickly colouring. Conventional exterior lights often glare down from the ceiling of a porch or off the walls of a house. Not only is this blinding, but it detracts from the safety that a lighting system is intended to add.
With new lighting technology you can create a more comfortable atmosphere. And according to CCOHS’s guidance on lighting ergonomics, controlling glare, ensuring proper contrast, and distributing light evenly are all essential to creating a safe and visually comfortable outdoor ambiance.
You’ll find that modern outdoor lighting designs include multiple fixtures at a low voltage. This creates an atmosphere that’s both aesthetically pleasing and safe.
Variety is Key
When you conceptualize your outdoor lighting design, you’ll want to look at a variety of fixtures to increase the form and function of your door and porch area.
Here are some ideas for lighting up your porch in a way that suits your personal style, without neglecting function. If you’re in need of some examples, our gallery features a number of great examples.
Accenting: These fixtures provide downcast lighting from walls, posts, or railings. Nite Time Décor’s downlight is great for accenting, and provides a soft, overhead lighting to accent walls or stairs.
Post Lighting: These fixtures are positioned at the top of posts or railways to illuminate a large space. Our area light is great for walkways and large decks and porches that require additional light from above. Don’t be fooled by the aesthetics of the lamp – functionality isn’t neglected for aesthetics, and it beautifully lights up any area in which you want to avoid accidents and injuries.
Recessed Lights: These lights are not only great for illuminating your space, but also for space saving. These are installed right into your deck floor or lawn to light from the bottom up. Recessed light fixtures have many uses: around stairs and decks to avoid tripping, around ponds to stop someone from falling in, or around gardens to prevent trampling by a wandering visitor.
If you’re looking to achieve this effect, you may be interested in our in ground well lights. If you don’t want in ground lights, but like the idea of lighting from the bottom up, you may wish to try a spotlight, or above ground well light.
Contact Nite Time Decor
Dress up the front entrance of your home with beautiful custom designed and installed lighting from Nite Time Décor. Contact our outdoor lighting designers today for a free consultation.
If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know these fuzzy creatures are as much a part of your family as your own flesh and blood. Adorable and fun to cuddle, cats and dogs make for great companions in almost any home. However, let them out into your yard to play and that relationship can quickly sour. As a loving owner, you want to
make sure that your pet is healthy and happy. As a homeowner, you want to keep your home, yard and landscape lighting system in tip-top shape.
The key to keeping everyone happy? Compromise. Your yard can look great and provide a safe space for your pet to play – both during the day and at night.
Here are some ideas to help you pet-proof your property from your outdoor landscape lighting.
Idea #1: Pets Will Be Pets
Your pet spends just as much (if not more!) time in your yard as you. As such, shouldn’t you make an effort to ensure the space is suited to their needs too? Whether it’s including a grassy area for afternoon naps, or a flood light for late night bathroom breaks, accommodating your pets’ needs with these pet friendly ideas, will go a long way to improving the harmony in your home, and the overall beauty of your yard. Of course, animals are going to have some annoying habits – digging and chewing are two of the most frustrating – but even these issues can be managed with a little planning and perseverance.
For diggers, consider creating an area in your yard designated for this activity – preferably away from any buried landscape lighting wires. Encourage your pet to bury bones and other toys here in order to salvage the rest of your lawn.
If your old landscape lighting system has exposed electrical wires, do yourself and your pet a favour and contact our maintenance department at Nite Time decor landscape lighting specialists today. When installed properly, your landscape lighting systems should be pet proofed and be of no concern to your pet. However, regular maintenance is required to ensure that all components are properly protected and/or buried.
Idea #2: Take Preventative Measures
Protect your home and landscape lighting system from the potential of pet damage by instituting some simple preventative measures. For instance, if digging is definitely an issue with your pet, consider placing decorative rocks or paving stones around garden areas or landscape lighting fixtures. Raised areas, such as flower beds, are also a great option as the differing elevations makes them difficult for digging.
Idea #3: Keep Safety in Mind
Keep your pets’ health and safety in mind when selecting your landscaping vegetation and outdoor lighting materials. It’s worth noting that cats are more likely to nuzzle and chew on plants; if you have a few feline friends at your house, consider pruning and cutting down on the amount of ground cover vegetation that’s growing around your landscape lighting fixtures. Instead, plant a pet friendly garden of catnip, cat thyme, mint, or valerian somewhere safely away from your system.
At Nite Time Décor, we’re careful to avoid the use of sharp metal edging in order to protect sensitive paws. We also take special precautions to ensure that all of the electrical wiring and mechanical components of your system are safely out of reach of your pet.
Contact Nite Time Decor Today!
Pets are curious creatures by nature. As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment is available to explore. Improve the look of your property will at the same time keeping your pet out of harms way with professional pet friendly landscaping and lighting services from Nite Time Décor. Call 1-800-952-3006 for more information or book a free onsite consultation using our online quoting system.
Have you ever noticed how a few strategically placed lamps can change the entire ambiance of a room? Well, the same can be said for your front porch! Whether your home boasts a beautiful wrap-around deck or a small front stoop, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve the overall look and feel of your front entry. Entryway lighting is crucial for setting the mood and inviting in your guests, so don’t hold back. Make the most of your front entrance lighting with a professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system from Nite Time Décor.
