Lighting the Landscape
When we bought this house one of the things we admired was the pretty outdoor lighting it had in both the front and the backyard. Our old house had none of this and it’s amazing how much ambiance and atmosphere a few outdoor lights can add to a home.
Shortly after we moved in we discovered that lighting was not put in with kids - especially rowdy kids like ours, nor hyper and sometimes insane dogs in mind. Cody rearranged the rocks in the front yard one day as a surprise for us and it turned out those rocks were holding one of the light fixtures in place. So now it’s all crooked. The lighting in the backyard? Toast. Thanks to our Goldies.
So one of the things on my wish list is to replace the lighting outside. I’ve been looking into LED landscape lighting for a few reasons.
- LED lights are 90% more efficient than halogen - anything we can do to save a little money around here is always appreciated
- They are long-lasting which equals more savings
- LED lights do not give off heat
That last point is the big one for me. Ever since I saw the aftermath (after being woken up by the sirens) of a friend and neighbor’s house that caught fire in the middle of the night I’ve been terrified of a house fire while sleeping. (No one was hurt thankfully.) Escaping a house fire has been a reoccurring nightmare since I was 6 years old.
Hi Tracie.
Our last home had an upstairs with three bedrooms. I had the same fear of fire that you do, so we stopped at Home Depot and bought one of those swingset-chain fire escape ladders with a universal bracket that fits onto any window sill. I opened it up, familiarized myself with it, and placed it neatly back in its flip-top box so that if we ever needed it, it would be ready and waiting.
I don’t remember what it cost, but it’s a worthwhile expense for anyone with a second floor.
Good luck with your lights. I would be interested in knowing if they are as bright as non-LED lights.
Hi Jeff,
Me too on the brightness. And we need to invest in some of those ladders!