I am looking to add some landscape lighting this year.I have a good idea on what spots to install lights and what lights i will be using. I am looking for suggestions on what kind of light to use under the small Japanese maple tree on the right side flower bed and also what kind of lights to use in the window wells of the side of my house. At night it is pitch black on the side of the house so I need some kind of lighting. I don't want to install lights in the lawn i would prefer having them inside the window wells. Next I'm not sure on what wattage to use. The houses in my area are not spread out and are kind of on top of each other so i don't want to bother my neighbors. For the front of the house and the big tree i was going to use volt all-star spotlight. not sure what wattage and beam angle to choose. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Love the charm of your home, Michael. It seems like you have a very clear idea of how you'd like to light trees and shrubs in your yard. My biggest concern with some of the placement you have in mind for the house is light trespass. I can tell you from personal experience that even though they may not look very bright when you're outside, when you're inside your home with all the lights out, even the least bright lights can cast a lot of undesired light into your windows. If anyone ever sleeps on that first level, lights could be problematic. Another issue is that when lights are shining into your windows, it can be difficult to see outside when your house is totally dark. If you don't want to use spotlights in the spaces on either side of those window wells, well lights might be an appealing alternative (as they're low profile and less likely to get damaged by lawn equipment. It wasn't entirely clear what you had in mind for your facade lighting but again, you'll want to be mindful of the light trespass issue for those windows.
Thanks for the response thats a great suggestion, i'll put 1 volt salty dog mr16 grated in-grade light to the left of the first window well and a second between the window wells that should not cast any light directly into the windows on the first floors. Any suggestion on the beam angle and wattage for the side of the house I was thinking either the 15 or the 38 beam angle with 3watts bulbs? Should i use the same volt salty dog mr16 grated in-grade light or the volt all-star spotlight under the small Japanese maple tree on the right side flower bed? beam? angle?
Hi, Michael. You could use either well or spotlights for the small maple but my recommendation would be a 38 degree spotlight. Although both types offer glare protection, a directional spotlight allows you to focus your light beam more precisely than you could with a well light. The main advantage to the well or in grade light is that it’s low profile. Typically (but not always) these are used where higher profile fixtures might be a trip hazard or impede lawn maintenance. For instance, to illuminate the trunk of the maple tree on the left side of your yard, you’d probably use spotlights (in the mulched area close to the trunk) and well lights near the outer circumference of the tree canopy (to illuminate foliage away from the trunk better. Btw, if your budget allows, I highly recommend the Salty Dog well light. You can both lower the lamp so that it’s beneath ground level and you can tilt it as well.
I forgot to mention...Unless you’re lighting a large multi-story mansion, commercial building or 30 ft or taller trees, 2w lamps should provide sufficient illumination for your house and garden features. I think you may be surprised by how much light these fixtures emit. Not only is there reflected light from surfaces but the reflective coating beneath the canopy of fixtures like path lights amplifies the lamp even more.
