Undoubtedly, homeowners should give proper attention to their For another thing, driveway lights can add beauty to an otherwise bland part of the house. For one thing, driveway lights provide clear indications of the edges of the driveway in a similar way as the runways lights do for airplanes landing at night. For another thing, driveway lights can add beauty to an otherwise bland part of the house.
The installation of driveway lights provide for practical and ornamental values to the house in general and the driveway in particular. Did we mention that these lights can also complement your home’s security system no matter how basic it may be?
However, the task of choosing from among the wide variety of driveway lights can be headache-inducing in so many ways. To make it easier, start your search for driveway lighting by focusing on the two types of driveway lights in terms of power source, analyzing their pros and cons, and then making your decision.
Electrical-Powered Driveway Lighting
The first of two types of driveway lights are those powered by connections to the main electricity grid. These lights are usually of low voltage for safety reasons. Consider this scenario: You are digging a hole through the yard when the wire for the driveway lights come into contact the metal shovel. If the driveway lights were high voltage in nature, you can become electrocuted.
Plus, the low voltage capacity also works in favor of lower electrical bills although it must be emphasized that the ambient light is also on the lower scale of brightness. The installation of driveway lighting with use of electrical-powered lights is easy but an electrician’s help may be necessary if DIY is not one of your strongest suits.
But if you want to install the driveway lights in DIY fashion, the steps are easy to follow. First, measure the driveway so that the right number of driveway lights can be purchased since equal measurements between each light fixture has already been determined. Second, dig small holes and a shallow trench into the sides of the driveway where the light fixtures and its wires will be laid out.
Third, press the metal or plastic stake of the driveway lights as well as its wires into the soil and then backfill over it. The small transformer at the end of the wire can then be plugged into a 120-volt outlet.
Solar-Powered Lights
The second types of driveway lights are the solar-powered ones, which are gaining in popularity over their electrical-powered counterparts for many reasons. These driveway lights save on money because there are no connections to the main grid – only the sunlight is required to recharge the batteries.
And because the sun is the most renewable source of energy, solar-powered driveway lights are also eco-friendly. Homeowners can lessen their use of the fossil fuel-powered electricity plants.
Add in the fact that solar-powered lights require no-fuss, no-wire and no-outlet installation and you have a winner on your driveway. Of course, the driveway must still be measured but there’s no need to make the shallow trench and find an electrical outlet. Just drive the metal or plastic stakes of the driveway lights into the soils and you are done with the task.
Indeed, the importance of the installation of driveway lighting cannot be overemphasized. Beauty, functionality and security are rolled into one with these small lights. See more outdoor tutorials and ideas here.
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