Landscape Lighting Information

Well chosen and situated, outdoor lighting is essential to be able to enjoy your garden all year long. When carefully planned and installed, outdoor lighting can transform your property at night, turning trees, buildings, and other landscape features into dramatically illuminated focal points. Lighting is also essential for safety along paths and walkways, around decks, patios, and stairs.

Landscape lighting goes beyond just safety and security. It helps blend interior and exterior spaces, making your living space feel larger. Investing in a well-designed, professionally-installed landscape lighting system extends the time you are able to spend outdoors. It is the one investment that enhances time, beauty, safety, and security.

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HOW TO DESIGN YOUR LIGHTING PLAN
There are four components of a low-voltage lighting system that must be selected:

1. Fixtures & Lamps

2. Mounting Method

3. Transformer

4. Cable

1. The fixtures and lamps are selected after determining which features of the landscape are to be utilized and what effects you want to create. When using projector lamps (MR and PAR), the lamp that best creates the effect should be selected first. After selection of the lamp, select the fixture according to desired style, mounting restrictions, and finish.

2. The mounting method is determined by the location of the fixture. Canopies to allow mounting of fixtures onto decks, non-metallic stakes for acidic soil conditions, tree-mount canopies and wall plates are just a few of the options available to you.

3. The transformer is selected by first determining the total wattage being used in your plan. If more than one transformer is required, determine the total wattage to be allocated for each. Select a transformer that has a higher wattage capacity than the actual watts used on that console. We suggest using only 60–80% of the transformer’s capacity since most clients will want to add more fixtures to the system at a later date. Also, larger wattage lamps are often needed as plants mature.

Transformers also come in different voltage outputs. Higher output consoles are used to accommodate longer cable runs. The mounting location of the transformer must also be considered. In some cases, you might want to consider an in-ground (direct burial) model to better conceal it.



4. The correct cable needed for your job is determined by the length of the runs and the amount of wattage per run. When laying out a job, always center feed to the group of fixtures on any single run. Avoid wiring to the closest fixture and continuing out from there in a straight line. Also, avoid heavily loading any single run. Keep each run as short as possible.


The layout itself can be accomplished by sketching a view of the property, including all landscape features to be illuminated. Mark the location of each fixture and transformer. Draw a dotted line from the power console to each fixture to denote the cable, remembering to center feed each group of fixtures. Try to avoid running the cable under walks and drives more than once to help eliminate the need for extra work when installing. Keep a copy of the plan as a reference for expansion or excavation work.

Courtesy of Hadco Lighting