I have been reading everything I can find on the internet and the few books I was able to find and this site, by far, is the most comprehensive - with wonderful reviews. I recently dipped my toes into low voltage lighting around a patio with a kit from Home Depot which we bought years ago and then had never used. The kit was very basic - 4 bollard deign path lights, but it showed me that I can do this - and I love the look, as basic as it is. Now I want to do it right - with long lasting hardware and led lighting. I've attached a couple of pictures to show what I have to work with. I already have conduits under the walkway and driveway so I'll be able to get to both side of each. I (think) I want to light the coining on the edges of the house, the path, some or all of the specimen plants (japanese maples and cedar) and possibly wash the brick front and the little wall, and a few of the large trees further from the front but I don't want to over do it. What would you recommend?
Hi Ruth, You have a beautiful property with great landscaping. There are so many ways to highlight the various features and create splendid lighting scenes. VOLT has a tool that might be very helpful in making design decisions and selecting lights and system components. It's called "Build Your Own System". The tool is set up in a step-wise fashion. Start on the first page and read the brief instructions. Next, select the spotlight section on the left - in the center, read notes on lighting your house. Then, select the path light section and get some ideas on how to select those. If you want more advanced advice on spacing the lights - there's a link to that below. Continue down the list of sections and click on anything that looks like it might apply. The final few sections are for the wiring, transformer, and accessories. While looking through each of the above sections, note that suggested products appear on the right. You can click them and add them to your cart. Also, at any time, if you get stuck, just call our customer support team at 813-978-3700. Best wishes!
Thanks for your next step suggestions. I also realized that the pictures I sent were thumbnails, so I fixed that - you must have good eyes if you could see anything from those picts!
It's obviously personal preference but if it was me I'd take down a few of those trees in front of your house (you could leave some). It would open it up a lot more and compliment the landscaping.
I don't disagree - actually I am having a professional tree company come in and limb up the trees so that the house is visually unobstructed by the trees from the road. The neighborhood was originally a tree farm and the covenants don't allow removal of trees over 12 inches in circumference unless they are dead or a danger to property, so that isn't the option it may otherwise be. I think limbing up will help considerably. I find that pictures are a very good way to see your property more objectively - somehow seeing it in person just doesn't have the same impact. It was a photo that showed me how much of the property was obstructed. Thanks for your observation!
I have pretty much finalized the front of the house. Trees were limbed up since the pre-lighting pictures, but I'm still working on the photography angle. The article posted on this site for photographing at night was the best I've found so far. I am still not completely satisfied with the lighting of the cedar - I currently have (from left to right, looking at the bush) a Fat Boy 20.30.12, a Gentle Splash 20.30, and a Fat Boy 35.20.38 lighting it and I have probably tried a over 25 combinations of fixtures (number and type) and lights. That is the only bush that I have lit with 3000K; that rest of the house and trees are 2700, but the bluish foliage of the cedar seems to pop with the 3000K. I do have a light shining on the 2nd floor window to the right - a top dog mini 20.27.38, although this first picture would seem to suggest otherwise. I wish that fixture allowed for a larger wattage. I have it mounted on a tree with the ratchet straps Volt sells. Any suggestions welcome.
Really is a nice project. Kudos. Before and after results are outstanding. Volt makes a great product.
