Hello, We've installed Volt low-voltage lighting in the front of our house, and are now looking to light a playground area in our backyard. I'm looking for some suggestions on the best type of Volt lights to illuminate this area. There is a tree nearby, so not sure if it would be best to put a downlight in the tree, or put spotlights or another Volt product around the perimeter. Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi, Joe. There's any number of ways you could illuminate your backyard so I'm going to suggest just a few approaches I think emphasize either or some combination of beauty, utility, and child-friendliness. If your goal is to provide some useful but unobtrusive area lighting inside the playground, you could tuck a few hardscape lights (see link below) inside and or outside that jungle gym structure. If you’re trying to light the yard generally while avoiding baseball diamond level lighting, I’d suggest a few well lights placed along the fence perimeter. The fixtures I’ve linked below are tough and would also bounce light off of the fence creating indirect fill lighting for the area outside the playground perimeter. I especially like these models because they allow you to both tilt and raise or lower the lamp. These are the best well fixtures if you want the ability to both aim your lamp and hide your light source without a protruding cowl or glare guard. Finally, there’s downlighting/moonlighting that tree in your yard. Why do I like it? Moonlighting will make a strip mall parking lot look romantic and I’ve been singing its praises since I took a leap of faith and used the effect on our driveway last winter. If you want to softly and effectively illuminate your backyard and further amp up your property’s curb appeal, I think you will find that this technique is well worth the effort and the investment. Hope this helps. https://www.voltlighting.com/shop/landscape-lighting/well-lights?p=1 https://www.voltlighting.com/shop/landscape-lighting/commercial-par36-in-ground-well-light https://www.voltlighting.com/shop/landscape-lighting/hardscape-lights
Thank you Mesodude2! Do you think that if I put a single downlight in the tree it would be enough to illuminate the area? Or would I need to do a combination of downlighting and the well lights?
Glad to help, Joe. So You’re welcome, Joe. A typical moonlighting install might look something like the one in the image I’ve posted here. I wish I could give you a precise formula to help you make a decision but in the end, what’s “enough” lighting is an individual preference. Only you know how you want to be able to enjoy your backyard and where the streetlights are located and how far the jungle gym is from the house, etc. Depending on your chosen lamp brightness, beam spread, the height you install the fixture, and the branch structure of your tree, it’s conceivable you could light the yard with a single fixture to your satisfaction. And it’s quite possible you could find your ideal coverage with either a pair of sufficiently bright downlights or well lights along the fence alone. If you are really intrigued by moonlighting, I think you should walk your neighborhood or search online for moonlighting examples so you can better conceptualize both what’s achievable and what would be most flattering for your property. I do like the idea of using at least two different lighting techniques just to give your lighting plan complexity. Btw, I don’t know what your relationships with your neighbors are like but I encourage you to be mindful of any light trespass issues that could create conflict. I didn’t consider that when I did the moonlighting for the driveway (which I share with my formerly aloof neighbor). To my surprise, though, she told me she loved it and now we are virtually bffs. I bring this up because I noticed how close your tree is to that dividing fence and so that may impact your decision making when you choose where to install and aim your downlight fixtures. Now aren’t you glad you asked me a question for which you probably thought you’d get a straightforward answer?
