Quality Solar Spot Lights for Your Home

Outdoor solar spot lights are some of the most affordable, useful, and easy to install lighting fixtures that you can install around your home. While not only solar landscape spot lights are created the same and to a degree you get what you paid for, if you spend the little bit of extra money now, you’ll get a light with a higher quality solar panel, longer lasting battery and brighter LED that you can find in any bargain bin at a big box store. The lights listed at the left are all very high quality, but by purchasing them online, you’ll not only get a great, bright, reliable light, you’ll also save a boatload of money!

Picking Out Your Ideal Solar Spot Lights

The type of solar powered spot light that you want to buy will depend on how you want to use it. Some of the more creative ways of using a garden spotlights include:

  1. Solar Deck Lights: A solar spot light worksto bring out the hidden character and elegance of your deck during the evening hours.
  2. Solar Walkway LightsAccording to Solar Equipment World, while you need relatively small fixtures to make this work, using solar lights as past lights can create some pretty amazing effects. You can use these lights as outdoor step lighting as well in much the same way.
  3. Accent Lighting:Use your spotlighting to highlight interesting structures in your landscape. These lights can be placed anywhere and will be used mostly for up lighting. Trees, ponds, walls, and many other fixtures make excellent targets for accent lighting with solar spotlights. Some of the best lights for this are garden rock lights because they let you hide the light fixture in a natural looking object, keeping all the attention on the feature that is lit.
  4. Security Lighting:One of the most popular uses for spotlights and other motion sensor outdoor lighting is as security lighting. You house is much less likely to get robbed if it is well lit, and with solar powered lights, you won’t have to worry about electricity bills if you leave your lights on all night as protection.
  5. Task Lighting:Finally, spotlights work amazingly well with task lighting as well. With these lights you’ll never have to know if the burgers you are cooking are well done or rare again!

Think about what you want to use your outdoor solar spot lights for because this will determine what type of lights that you want to buy. If you want just to have a little extra light on some paths or maybe ambient lighting on a deck or patio, you won’t need high powered lights and almost any light will do the trick.
Read More

Outdoor Chandelier – Elegant Outdoor Lighting

Shop and Compare Affordable Outdoor Chandeliers

One of the best ways that you can add a touch of elegance to any gazebo, patio, or sun room is by adding an outdoor chandelier. These light fixtures may all look expensive, but there’s no reason to break the bank for them. By searching online, you can find many very affordable deals, like the one on a Home Wellington outdoor chandelier. Not only are these lights affordable, they’re easy to install as well, making it a great DIY project for a weekend. In fact, there are so many affordable options out there that you may end up having trouble choosing between all of your options.

Picking the Right Outdoor Chandelier for You

The first step in picking out an outdoor chandelier is making sure that it actually IS an outdoor chandelier.  This may seem self-explanatory, but it is in fact very easy to accidentally buy an indoor chandelier and install it outside creating a shock hazard because the two types of fixtures look remarkably similar. Make sure that any outside garden lights you use have an UL or IP rating that approves them for use in outdoor conditions.

Determine also that you will have a secure placement for your fixture and that you have adequate power supplies available. This is the cause of more refunds for chandeliers than anything else. Any chandelier that you hope to buy should be able to be supported by the fixture that you plan to install it in. If you’re looking at lighter fixtures, this won’t be a problem, but if you have your eyes set on a fifty pound wrought iron fixture, make sure that your gazebo can support the extra weight.

The availability of electricity is equally important. Unless you plan on installing solar outdoor chandelier lighting, you will need access to electricity in some form. Easier to install fixtures will be able to plug into an outlet, but some will require hard wiring to where you plan to hang them. Make sure that you have the expertise to do this if that is what the fixture requires.
Read More

Three Useful Ideas for Solar Pathway Lighting

A very versatile way to put lighting along your garden paths is with solar path lights. It is easy to install them along a walkway or path because they are self-contained and do not require additional wiring or connection to an electrical power utility grid.  Solar path lights are available in a number of different styles perfect for making a statement, or just blending in with existing design. Here are a few helpful ideas on how to choose the best pathway lighting options for your home.

Plastic Solar Lights 

Plastic solar lights are perhaps the most economical way to light your pathway.  However, just because they are plastic, doesn’t mean they are cheap or flimsy.  In fact, plastic fixtures are weatherproof and durable when made of high-impact material, and they are more than up to the task of withstanding the outdoor elements.

Most plastic solar lights are affixed to short stakes, which can then be easily placed into the ground wherever needed.  In addition to the ease of installation, plastic fixtures are very easy on the pocketbook. Although they don’t cost a lot, plastic fixtures use the same LED bulb technology as more expensive lights, so you can be sure to get the same kind of illumination.

Bollard Lights 

Bollard fixtures are an attractive lighting solution for pathways around your home.  Choose a bollard light design if you want more light than ground level or eye-level fixtures can provide.  Bollard lights are usually two or three feet in height, so they do not attract as much attention as taller fixtures.

Bollards come in a large selection of various materials, designs, and prices, so you’re sure to find a bollard light that will match your budget and design.
Read More

What Is A Lighting Pendant?

The lighting pendant is one of the most versatile lighting fixtures in the lighting family. A pendant light elegantly drops from the ceiling, very much like an exquisite pendant necklace hangs around the neck. Typically, a hanging pendant light is a lone lighting fixture that is suspended by a cord, chain, or metal rod. However, the lighting pendant family is a diverse family. Continue reading this article from Home Lighting Advice to familiarize yourself with the different members of the lighting pendant family: the inverted pendant light, conventional pendant light, and the island pendant light.

Inverted Pendant Light

Also known as the bowl-shaped pendant, the inverted pendant light features a glass that opens up to the ceiling. This means that the light is directed upwards. The light that the inverted pendant light radiates is more diffused, perfect for a glare-free ambient lighting.

Lighting Pendant

Conventional Pendant Light

Also known as the down light pendant, the conventional pendant light features a glass that opens down to the floor. This means that the light it emits is directed downwards. This lighting fixture delivers a more concentrated light, perfect for task lighting and accent lighting.

Island Pendant Light

An island pendant light is a longer lighting fixture that uses a long fluorescent light or multiple bulbs, or it can be an arrangement of multiple pendant lights in a line or a track to create a richer ambient lighting. This is used to bring attention to a particular space or room in the home, or to create an easy transition from one area to another.

Aside from these three types of lighting pendant, this light fixture comes in various sizes, designs, styles, finishes, and materials. With the large selection of pendant lights, you will surely find something that will match your home interior design and will convey your unique taste and style. No matter if it is an inverted, conventional, or island pendant, the lighting pendant is the “jewel” of the entire lighting family. With this light fixture, you have an exquisite accent that enhances the appeal of your home, while meeting your specific needs for everyday lighting.

Install Solar Walkway Lights with Easy

When it comes to lighting up your home at night, almost nothing is as easy to do as installing solar walkway lights around the walkways and paths outside your home.  Not only are solar walkway lights easy to install, but they can add an inviting glow to your outdoor décor, while also increasing the safety and security of your home.  With solar powered lighting becoming more and more widely used by homeowners, the selection of solar walkway lighting continues to expand, providing more decorative and functional options than ever.

Solar Walkway Light Installation

Solar powered walkway lights are so easy to install because there is no wiring to contend with.  Each solar walkway light has its own separate solar panel attached to the light itself to power it when the sun goes down.  The solar panels collect energy from the sun by day and store that energy in order to convert it into the energy needed to run the lights at night.  Many solar walkway lights are lit with LED bulbs, which are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, requiring minimal energy to keep them lit.  Since most solar panels are attached to the walkway lights already, all you have to do is securely stake the lights into the ground, make sure the solar panel is facing the sun and you’re done!

Solar Walkway Light Styles

You can install solar lights along a walkway in a number of different ways.  You can place the lights in the ground along the side of the walkway, can have the lights shine down along the walkway from above (whether the lights are on a post or attached to a nearby wall or fence), or you can install the lights right into the walkway itself.  No matter what type of solar walkway lights you choose, you are sure to find a decorative style to suit your needs.
Read More

Solar String Lights: Affordable, Easy to Install Lights for Your Home

If you want the ultimate go-anywhere do-anything lights at an affordable price, you really can’t beat solar string lights. Solar powered string lights will light up your outdoors like never before and you won’t have to break your budget to buy them or your back to install them. So, if you’re thinking about installing some great lighting, take a closer look at solar led string lights.

Uses for Solar String Lights

You can use string lights almost anywhere you can think of outside your home. The best part is, that since these lights are solar powered, you don’t have to worry about even keeping them close to a power source! Simply assemble the lights, stick the attached solar panel in a sunny area an you’re set! Some of the more popular applications for string lights include

  • Driveway and Walkway Lighting: Use the string lights to outline driveways and paths on your landscape
  • Patio and Deck Lighting: Use patio string lights in various different around your patio. Try placing them on umbrellas, around tables, and on railings and edges along the sides of your patio.
  • Outdoor Accent Lighting: run the lights up trees and shrubs, around your flowerbeds, or use them to outline any other special structures or plants on your landscape.

Read More

Exterior Recessed Lighting: Pros and Cons of Exterior Recessed Lights

If you want to create a subtle, beautiful accent to any area around your home, look no further than installing exterior recessed lighting. This type of lighting is a great, eco-friendly way to set a mood that simply cannot be matched by using normal halogen outdoor flood lights or other light fixtures. There are several disadvantages to using recessed lighting fixtures as well, but they are easily outgunned by the advantages.

Advantages of Outdoor Recessed Lighting

There are several different advantages to incorporating exterior recessed lighting into your garden lighting plan. First, recessed lights are more eco-friendly than other more traditional flood lights. They cause much less light pollution around your neighborhood and don’t as readily disrupt the life cycles of birds, bugs, and other animals. They are also clean and unobtrusive, and don’t draw too much attention to themselves. This allows you to set a nice mood with ambient light while still enjoying the best aspects of the night.

By removing the actual light fixtures itself using recessed lighting eliminates a trip hazard for yourself and your family. It also can make mowing and upkeep of your garden and lawn easier by removing a light fixture that you have to mow around with more traditional lighting methods. Finally, recessed lighting fixtures can be used in huge amount of different settings and will work great.
Read More

Landscaping Ideas for Front Yard and Driveways

Because they are the first thing that most people will see when they come to your property, having great landscaping ideas for front yard is very important. Whether you’re just giving your front yard a little facelift or you’re planning a major overhaul, here are five simple landscaping ideas for front of house that you can use to make sure that your yard looks the best it possibly can.

Use Borders for a Finished Look

Whether you have flowerbeds in the front of your house, borders around trees, or just a driveway or pathway leading up to your front door, your front yard will have a much more polished look if you add borders to the edges of it. Brick borders work wonders around flowerbeds, while flowerbeds themselves can add a nice border between a driveway and the rest of your property.

Soften the Edges of Your Home with Brushes and Hedges

Another great way that you can improve your front yard landscaping is by softening up the harsh edges of your home. The easiest way to do this is by adding some bushy or flowery bushes and hedges along the length of your home, but especially at the corners. Not only will your house look better from the outside, but adding these will give you a little bit more privacy inside your home as well.

Add in Outdoor Lighting to Accent Your Home

When you’re thinking about front yard landscape ideas, don’t forget to make adding outdoor lighting a part of the plan as well! Lighting in your front yard should be of two different types, path lighting and accent lighting. Use path lighting along paths, steps, and the driveway leading up to your house to keep it safer and more well lit, while also creating a strong sight line that makes your front door the focal point. There are many driveway lighting ideas that you can use, but they will differ depending on the length and shape of your driveway.

Accent lighting also works great in your front yard. Accent lighting makes your home look professionally designed, but it doesn’t have to be done by a professional! Simply take a pick a few aspects of your front yard that you would like to focus on at night, whether they be a trees, shrub, flowers, or the front of your house. Stick some solar spotlights around it – using them for up lighting is the best – and you have a lighting plan that would make any landscape designer proud. If you need help choosing lights, we recommend Malibu Garden Lights. The sheer amount of different things you can do with outdoor lighting makes it one of the most powerful landscaping ideas for front yard that you can implement on your own.
Read More