Many people turn to outdoor lighting to improve the aesthetic appeal of their open-air spaces. Well the good news is that most outside lighting is quite simplistic to install and very safe. Even if you're new to setting up lighting fixtures you should be able to put in most pathway lighting without much effort. In the following article I will show you some simple steps you can take to install your new lights.

To install your lights properly you need three different parts: the light fixtures, a transformer, and some low-voltage electrical cable. If you take a trip to the local hardware store you should be able to find them. Also you can visit online shops like Amazon.

Installing Landscape Lighting

First, you must determine the areas that you wish to light and the effect you would like to attain. It is a good idea to find out the specifications of each light before planning out Your design. For this article we will assume you have done your homework, shopped for The light fixtures, and purchased the proper size transformer to handle the incremental electrical power of those fixtures.

Step One

Laying out all the components is the first step. Make sure that your path lights are properly aligned along your walkway. When you go to wire them be sure that you go around any obstacles like trees, roots, or shrubs. Use 14 gauge wire for jobs totaling less than 200 watts, and twelve gauge wire for systems that exceed two hundred watts. Your 1st light should be at least 10 feet from your transformer.

Step Two

Your second step is to dig the trench. You need to use the edge of the flat-blade shovel to make a ditch about 3 ins deep where the cabling will rest. If you don't want the dirt to tumble back in the best thing to do is to place something heavy over it.

Step Three

Burying the wire is the 3rd step to installing landscape lighting. You have to use the proper gauge of low voltage wire in order to ensure proper use. Always leave some slack in the wire before you place it into your newly dug ditch.

Step Four

Your 4th step is to make holes for the fixtures. Check to make sure that you have equally spaced all the lights before driving them in. Make sure that you use stakes rather than a hammer to secure the fixtures.

Step Five

Wiring the lights in is the fifth step. Each individual light is different so check with your manual first. But with most lights you just take the connector at the base of each light and slip it around the electrical wire until you hear a click. Remember to make sure that your wires are water proof and sealed off before finishing installation.

Conclusion

And finally it's time to enjoy your hard work. Anyone can enhance their night-time curb appeal with attractive, functional landscape lighting with a little hard work and advance preparation. low voltage lighting requires very little maintenance. Just remember to change the light bulbs shortly after they go out or you will shorten the life of the remainder of bulbs.