Landscape lighting is a topic of frequent discussion and exploration by home improvement professionals and enthusiasts alike. The easiest landscape lighting to install is low voltage lighting. When we say low voltage we are generally referring to 12 volt AC. This particular voltage light is a breeze to install. All you need to complete the project is an idea of how you want the lights arranged around your yard, the lights themselves, a transformer, and a timer. As far as tools go you will need to have a screwdriver, electric drill, trenching tool, and a pair of lineman’s pliers. You can acquire landscape lights that are very easy to assemble. There are a variety of lights whose parts can simply be snapped together. Most landscape lights will be available in a package that also contains the transformer and the connectors that you will need to complete the installation. You can choose to buy these parts piece by piece if you wish. Consult a customer service representative at your local hardware store about finding all the parts necessary for a landscape lighting system individually.

The first step will be to wire the transformer. Your transformer brings the voltage down from 120 volts to 12 volts. You begin by attaching the cable for the lights. All this will require is screwing the wires into place. Be sure to follow the directions given by the manufacturer closely because these can vary. The second step is to hang the transformer. You will want to hand the transformer on a wall in close proximity to a GFCI outlet. Make sure to drive the screw into the plywood beneath the siding or else the transformer risks falling to the ground. A wooden screw is the best choice when making an attachment into any type of siding. If you are mounting on a stone or brick surface then use a masonry drill and a masonry screw. The third step is to assemble the lights themselves. Most light fixtures available for purchase require some sort of assembly. At the very least you will be expected to snap a socket into place. You might also need to do some easy wiring tasks. Make sure to closely follow the manufacturer’s directions in this step as well. The fourth step is to place the light. Simply lay the light fixtures down on the place where you intend to install them. Now you can run the cable across the ground from light to light. The fifth step will be to connect the lights. This is usually as simply as putting half of a connector on each side of a cable and snapping the connector together. The sixth step if to dig for the cable. Unfortunately installing landscape lighting will require digging in you yard. The digging is fairly unobtrusive however and all that is required is a shallow trench alongside where you have laid the cable. Place the cable into the shallow trench but do not bury it yet. The seventh step is to set the timer. First you will need to plug the transformer into the outdoor receptacle and then you may set the timer. It is wise to cover the GFCI outlet with a plastic cover to protect it from the elements, animals, and children. The eighth step is to test the lights. If they work you have successfully installed landscape lighting for your home! Now you can complete the ninth and final step which is to simply fill the trench you have dug back in. Now sit back on a nice evening and enjoy your landscape lights as they illuminate your yard. With this home improvement experience under your belt you are now ready to move on to the world of solar garden lights and deck lighting.Some other optional steps you can take during installation to improve the quality and life span of your landscape lighting is to consider solar lighting and to shovel proof the wires. Solar garden lighting is much simpler to install than low-voltage lighting. You can get solar lights that each have their own solar collector in them so that you simply place the lights wherever you want them. There are also solar lights that all work off of one solar collector and are then linked together by a circuit powered by the collector. Shovel proofing you landscape light wiring is a good idea because you are likely to forget exactly where you buried the wires. The best way to do this is to simply run the wires through some thin and flexible PVC pipe before burying them.

Be sure to check back in the future for more useful information on landscape lighting.