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Common Outdoor Lighting Mistakes and Their Solutions

Common Outdoor Lighting Mistakes and Their Solutions

Upgrading your home's exterior lighting is a surefire way to increase your home's curb appeal and resell value. And a well-lit front lawn can also deter would-be burglars. Most of all the outdoor lighting of one's home adds a welcoming touch for family and guests. Here you can learn about outdoor lighting trends, common lighting problems and their solutions, and things to consider when selecting outdoor lighting fixtures.

First and foremost, it's important to give a considerable amount of thought to the placement of your outdoor lights. Just as you would not place several lighting fixtures like table lamps or wall sconces in a single area of your living room, you don't want to place exterior fixtures too close together either. This is a common problem when integrating pathlights into your outdoor lighting solution. Too many pathlights, too close together can make your walkway look more like the runway at an airport. Instead of placing the lights directly opposite one another on either end, try a staggered approach. The light will flow less harshly.

Another common mistake in selecting outdoor lights is in finding the proper lighting direction, or limiting "light pollution". Outdoor lights should not obstruct one's vision or interfere with one being able to see the entire landscape of a yard or area clearly. On a similar note, the lights should not shine directly into the road or a neighboring yard either. To avoid such issues, look for spotlights with glare guards.

Just as it would be boring to find the same exact lamp in every room of one's home, it's boring to see the same outdoor lighting fixture repeated throughout the yard. It can make the home appear institutional as opposed to personal. Use a wide variety of fixtures to light your yard; it will enhance the character and charm of your home.

Be sure to balance your home's exterior lighting. Another common mistake in outdoor lighting placement, is to inadvertently divide the yard by placing too many lights in one area and too little in another. You want to evenly distribute light throughout the canvas of your home. You don't want your yard looking like a parking lot.

Finally, like most things in home décor, less is more. Outdoor lighting should call attention to the beautiful and unique features of your home. It should not be intrusive. Proper outdoor lighting calls attention to various parts of your home's exterior, not the entire surface area. Over illumination is never attractive indoor or outdoor.

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Question by Darnat: How to replace one of the three regular outdoor lights for motion sensing light?
I have three outdoor lights operated by one switch and I'd like one of them to replace with motion sensing light. I do not want the rest two lights to be ON all night, i just want one light to bi sensor operated over the night. And again, all three are on the same switch. How do i do this?

Best answer:

Answer by Bradley
Well.........since all 3 are currently on a switched system (all the same) then you need to rewire the one you want to be "constant" as not to be on the same switch control.

You first need to determine if the wiring goes directly to the switch or to a basement/attic junction box.

If you can locate the wiring that goes out to the one you want seperate, you are halfway home. Now you need a voltage meter for the next part as you need to find a 115vac that is not on the load side of that switch. If all 3 go to the switch box, its as simple as removing the one you want constant from the wire nut (or however all 3 were tied together) and instead place it on the line side of that switch instead (the other side of the screw.

If they do not go to the switch, but instead to a junction box,....then its the same process as in the switch box except you dont add it to the line side of a switch but merely wire nut it to the constant hot (which can be determined by measuring the voltage with the switch off and the one that still reads 110~120vac is your "constant"). If none give a reading with the switch off then you only have the switchlegs in that junction and you will need to run a new wire to get the constant 115vac. Difficulty varies but this is a job best suited for an electrician.

If this seems foreign to you then DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF as it is something that should be done by someone with electrical understanding.

Add your own answer in the comments!

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