The Art of Outdoor Lighting in Raleigh NC

Nothing beautifies your home more than outdoor LED lighting. Low voltage LED lighting’s purpose is to unify your home and the surrounding landscaping into the evening hours. There are few things that will impact your home’s value and curb appeal better than a correctly designed and professionally installed outdoor LED lighting system.

The many advancements in today’s LED out lighting fixtures have made your choices even more attractive and can add long term value to your property.

 

When designing your outdoor lighting,we take into account your personal style and adapt your exterior environment to evoke a particular mood or place that is soothing to you.

Even modest homes or those with limited yards can benefit from outdoor landscape lighting.

You have a substantial investment in your home and homeowners are looking more and more to outdoor landscape lighting to increase their outdoor living spaces well into the the evening hours.

Call us today to get started with your outdoor lighting project ,the summer evenings are already growing shorter in NC

 919-518-9950

 

 

Lite Visions Outdoor and Landscape Lighting of Raleigh’s Professional Memberships

 

 

Raleigh,North Carolina

Is proud to be one of a small handful of members of 

The Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals

whose mission is To Promote and Advance the Outdoor Lighting Industry

Mission of AOLP

To promote and advance the landscape and architectural lighting industry for lighting designers and installers.

Here is a link to AOLP’s consumer webite with some great outdoor lighting information

http://www.youroutdoorlighting.com/consumersite/

Do one thing and do it right

5 Ways to Determine the Cost of Your Landscape Lighting

5 Ways to Determine the Cost of Your Landscape Lighting

By: Brandon Kuehler, CLVLT, COLD
http://blog.lightitright.com/blog/5-ways-to-determine-the-cost-of-your-landscape-lighting

When it comes to landscape lighting there is no standard cost structure – it is not a One Size Fits All world. Pricing of lighting can and does vary from State to State, City to City, and Provider to Provider – everyone uses something different and designs very differently than another. So when looking at landscape lighting and what you think the system of your dreams is going to cost take these 5 tips into consideration.

1) Quality of Materials

First and foremost – Quality of the materials being used by a certified lighting designer over a landscaper or handyman are going to be substantially higher and of higher and the warranties will meet the demands of these designers. Lighting designers have taken the time to increase their education in lighting and the differences in fixtures and their proper uses, LED options, quality installation methods, and have mastered the fine art of tricky installs. All of this training has taught designers how to spot a quality fixture over a cheap one and they prefer to use the best quality they can get to give their customers the experience they expect, and demand. Remember fixtures are NOT all the same – many are made of plastic or powder coated aluminum, and depending on the climate where you live those materials will crumble in a few years. For example, if you are in Houston, we have salt in the air from the Bay and that salt will eat away aluminum before you know it. You should be looking for fixtures made of SOLID brass or copper – those will withstand any climate and…..yardcrew!

Solid Brass FixtureSolid Copper Fixture

2) Design

Are you looking for something straight forward or something with more detail? Depending on the difficulty of the design and installation your cost will vary. If you are looking just to up light the front of your house and there are only flower beds in front, well for most certified lighting designers that would be considered a straightforward installation. Now on the other hand, if you are looking to up light the front of your house, driveway with concrete, backyard with waterfall lighting in your pool and fence lights around the whole perimeter, and then add some lights into your fire pit that would be trickier and take a true expert to install so expect the cost of that to be substantially more than the straightforward up lights.

LED Putting Green

3) Special Features

Do you have a Fire Pit? Waterfall? Fountain? Putting Green? If you do and you want to highlight them to be able to enjoy them at night that takes extra time, special lighting, and special installation techniques. The end result is beautiful, but does cost more than just placing a light in the ground as a fair amount of labor goes into making these lights look like they have been there all along.

LED Fire Pit Lighting

4) Concrete?

Do you have concrete in the way of where lights need to go to up light your house, along your pathway, do you want lights on your garage? Many think that because there is concrete present a light can’t go there….NOT TRUE! Now, is it easy – for a real professional lighting designer and their crew – YES! It does take a little more time but with the use of proper tools and experience, getting a light into already existing concrete is doable. Of course if you are in the process of pouring concrete and know you want lighting where it will be poured have your lighting expert get the prep work for your lights in before the pour happens, that will save you money and your lighting team time. NOTE: Not all lighting companies can do this – if you are quoted a “core” ask to see examples that company has done if they did not show you one at the time of your onsite meeting.

Core Lighting

5) Scale

How large of an area are you looking to add lighting too? Do you just want the front of the house for security? Looking to have soft lighting in the front and back? Do you have a pool, putting green, dog run? Is your yard on a small plot or are you on acreage? The size of your home, property, and your end goals will really give you a better idea of what your lighting system cost will be. If you are acreage you should expect to spend more than someone in a master planned community. If you go into your onsite meeting thinking OK for my 5000 sq foot house on 1 acre with a pool I should expect a quote for $2500 you are going to be very surprised and sticker shocked when your quote comes in. Now if you go into your meeting thinking I will be looking at about $10,000 then you will be close to the ballpark. But, if you are only looking for certain areas to be done let your designer know this up front so that they do not provide you a quote for everything – you may want to see everything quoted, but don’t do this because you will just be hurting yourself in the long run and wasting the designers time as you will then decline their quote since it was more than you wanted to spend – even though they did exactly as you asked, showed you EVERYTHING when you really only wanted the front yard.

Large Scale Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting can cost you $2500 or it can cost you $200,000, it is all up to you and what you want done and want to spend. Keep these 5 tips in mind when you start searching for your lighting designer. Remember hire a certified lighting designer and you will get the best product, design, and service for the right price – this is an investment, not something you should be redoing every few years (read this article to learn how to find the right expert). Nothing is apples to apples and professionals are not going to compete with your landscaper or handy man on price or materials, and there is a reason why, we know what we are doing and it is all we do.

We Fix Outdoor Lighting Installed By Landscapers or Homeowners

One of the sad things in this industry is how many outdoor lighting manufacturers trying to push their products by giving a short class to landscape industry companies who stick lights in the ground and never come back to focus them properly and do not use good installation methods. Here are a few recent examples of what we fixed.

VOLTAGE PROBLEMS Outdoor lights getting 16 volts to a 12 volt light fixture and blowing bulbs on an old halogen system, we corrected the voltage and then installed all new LED lamps.

BAD WIRING  Outdoor older halogen system browning out due to getting only 8 volts to some of the lights, there was corrosion in many wire splices and poorly done wire connections. We fixed the voltage and now they have an energy efficient LED system.

NO MAINTENANCE, system not working due to tree roots damaging cables and lights actually growing into tree roots. We ran some new wires replaced fixtures and re-lamped with new LED lamps.

DIFFERENT LAMP TEMPERATURES, lamps had been purchased at several different chains and were not all the same color temperature or beam spreads. We took out and reinstalled all new same color temperature LED lamps and the system looks brand new.

WHITE LIGHTS ON CREPE MYRTLES : There are several different color temperatures of LED lamps, some DO NOT look right on certain trees. We installed correct color temperature lamps along with a filter and now the Crepe Myrtles look natural lit up at night.

A Lighting Designer is someone who understands the science of working with light and shadow,using a pallate of many different outdoor lighting fixtures,lamp types,different color temperature lamps for different purposes as well as different lamp beams and shields, filters or louvers to shield light from peoples eyes so they can see only the effect, not the source. He might only use one fixture from a certain manufacturer that does one thing better for the specific outdoor lighting job.

A customer recently called and asked if I could look at updating their older lighting system and that they were getting a quote from their landscaper also after telling him about their lighting interest, I said No Problem I can guarantee my quote won’t be as low as his but feel free to call me to fix the landscapers work as I do it all the time.

A lighting designer installs the outdoor lighting system correctly the first time, with the bulletproof waterproof connections that will not be a problem down the road. He also checks to make sure all the light fixtures are getting the correct voltage and comes back the evening after the lighting install to properly focus the outdoor lighting system.

As a Lighting Designer who only installs outdoor lighting , we stand behind our outdoor lighting installs and use the best-LED lamps available to the professional outdoor lighting designer,I have overheard pond people and landscapers talking about once they pickup their check they simply do not care how long the lights last.

We are a member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals, we are one of only a small handful of professional lighting designers in the NC area.

Please read our 5 star reviews on Google and give us a call about seeing your home in a new light

https://www.google.com/search?q=lite+visions+raleigh&oq=lite+visions+raleigh&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3.7727j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x89ac596758afaaab:0xe909f0828895089b,1,,,

919-581-9950

Creating a private escape in your own backyard

Outdoor Lighting for safety and beauty in Raleigh NC

A lot of us in the Raleigh NC area like to spend as much time as possible outside during the summer months. However, that fun can often be cut short when night falls and you can no longer see or enjoy your outdoor space. Instead of moving indoors or trying to stay outside while blind, consider outdoor lighting as an option. Designed to work with the layout of your outside space, outdoor landscape lighting can make your outside space a more usable and enjoyable living area. You get a larger living space and you get to stay outside as long as you want to–it’s the best of both worlds!
Safety and visibility are the most important practical points to consider when it comes to changing an exterior space like a garden or patio area for outdoor living. If people are moving around in the dark, they can hurt themselves, hurt someone else, or even trample your plants because they can’t see. Especially if you’re moving between the house and your outdoor living area with food and drinks, visibility is extremely important. Nobody wants to be the one who ruins the party by spilling dinner on the floor on the way to the table! An effective way to deal with this issue is to install a few path lights to illuminate paths, walkways, and obstacles. If people can see where a path is, or where the terrain of the garden changes, they can move around in the space with much more ease and confidence. With outdoor lighting in place, both you and your guests can move around your outdoor living area with added safety, no matter how late you stay outdoors.
Looking at the practicalities of lighting is a necessary step when you’re looking to make your yard or garden into a prime living location during the hot months, but there is also the artistic side of the situation to consider as well.  Lighting a space is not all that difficult, but no one wants to have bright floodlights hurting their eyes on a summer evening or to have a garden eyesore lit up at night so it becomes the focus of attention.
When you’re in the process of making your outside space into a living space, you can use your lighting to help create a sense of background and space, and to highlight (or hide) specific features. In many ways, your outdoor lighting plan is a way of decorating your garden or yard, much as you’d decorate or furnish a room. Landscape lighting design professionals can advise you regarding where to use solar landscape lighting for a soft glow and where to use wired lights for illumination that you can control more discretely. They can help you decide on the placement of lights that will highlight special garden features and take attention away from spots on your property that still need work! With the right lighting design, you can create an artistic space that you and your friends and family will be able to enjoy all summer long.
Outdoor living spaces are a wonderful addition to any home. Outdoor Landscape Lighting can help to make these spaces both practically and artistically pleasing so that you can eat, drink, and relax outside to your heart’s content, no matter how late it gets.

a few of our recent outdoor lighting reviews

Setting Your Raleigh Business Up To Shine With Outdoor Lighting

 

When the sun is shining and the day is bright, your commercial landscape is at its visible best.  Outdoor Lighting can help you bring that same life to your business at night.

Illuminating the grounds of commercial landscapes, buildings, and unique features, is one of our specialties. Knowing what kind of commercial outdoor lighting is needed and the proper placement/installation is important to accomplish the most effective overall look.

These are some of the reasons you should consider having our outdoor lighting designer assist you in your design for your Raleigh businesses outdoor lighting.

Minimize Energy Use While Maximizing Lighting

According to the U.S Small Business Association, lighting can account for 20-50% of a business’s electricity consumption.

Outdoor lights can use a lot more energy than you probably think. If you are still running conventional incandescent outdoor lighting, you are probably paying far more than you should to light your property.

Today’s Green Friendly Energy Efficient  Long Lasting LED lamps are capable of delivering the same amount of illumination while cutting energy use by up to 80%.  Outdoor lighting can really bring a business to life once the sun sets.

Make Your Business Look It’s Best

It’s the perfect way to give people a much better impression of your business when they drive by or pull up — and is great for attracting new customers.

Beautiful landscape lighting can turn your premises into a sophisticated calling card, just with a few well placed lights or colored LED lights.

 

Increase The Safety and Security of Your Property

One of the most immediate benefits of adding landscape lighting to commercial properties is the increase in personal safety for employees, customers, and guests.

 

A commercial lighting designer in Raleigh will strategically place landscape lighting which can help reduces the likelihood of falls and trips, reducing potential liability for commercial property owners.

Enjoy state of the Art Outdoor Lighting

There is a good chance that you do not know about all the options that are available for your Raleigh business. Luckily, at Lite Visions Outdoor Lighting, we only offer top of the line professional grade lighting fixtures and transformers that are extremely reliable and durable.

Lite Visions Outdoor Lighting ’s professional outdoor lighting designer, has the knowledge and experience to design a system tailored to your specific situation. We can help you determine what type of lighting your business needs, whether that means a few lights or a complete lighting system.

Lite Visions Outdoor Lighting proudly serves commercial properties and businesses in Raleigh and the surrounding area. Let us design the perfect outdoor lighting solution for your business today. Email or give us a call at 919-518-9950 for a free estimate!

Showcase Your Home in Raleigh NC with Landscape Lighting

Showcase Your Home with Landscape Lighting

By: Jason Sponzilli, CLVLT
https://sponzilli.com/showcase-your-home-with-landscape-lighting/

Strategically placing landscape lighting throughout your property is an essential part of showcasing your home. Illuminating your exterior allows neighbors and guests to share in the design and style you have created in your outdoor space. Whether inserting lights by a green screen of evergreens or highlighting one particularly beautiful tree in your yard, creating a lighting design that complements your home and suits your lifestyle provides a welcoming and safe entrance for family and guests.

Adding exterior lighting to your landscape design increases the amount of useable space that you and your family can share. Imagine doubling the size of your livable space by utilizing your outdoor areas well into the evening hours!

lighted-putting-green

Introducing low-voltage, energy efficient lights to your backyard and patio can create a variety of settings throughout your landscape. Visualize a family-friendly patio with a wood burning stove, pizza oven, putting green, water feature, and comfortable lounge seating. Or envision a backyard oasis that spotlights your spectacular pool, pergola, fire pit, lush plantings, and intimate spa. Appropriate lighting enables you and your family to use your sport court for practice or recreation long after the sun goes down. Illuminating your backyard, walkways or paths, side yards, and driveway spaces creates more versatile outdoor spaces and leaves a lasting impression.

landscae-lighting-design

Properly positioned lighting not only highlights the features of a home, it offers a higher level of safety for the people you care about most. Icy sidewalks and driveways are dangerous but proper lighting can make them safer to negotiate during the winter months. Pesky deer and rodents can be deterred by placing motion sensors on some of your landscape lighting to give the illusion that they may be spotted. Dark pathways in side and backyards can also be lit for safe use.

Lighting-13

A good landscaper uses many techniques such as silhouetting, shadowing, up lighting, and cross lighting — even moon lighting and more. A good design can highlight features you want to highlight and hide features you don’t. Allow the beauty of your home to shine anytime and be the envy of your neighborhood. The secret is in the design.

Set Your Business Apart with Architectural LED Lighting

If you own a commercial or industrial property in the Raleigh or RTP area, one of the most effective ways to improve the look of it is to install architectural lighting outside of it. Architectural lighting can be used to highlight the features of your company’s building, and it can call attention to the most appealing aspects of your property. If you don’t have lighting, people will probably drive by it at night without even noticing it, but architectural lighting can help shine a spotlight on your business – quite literally – and increase the aesthetic appeal of both the building and the landscaping that surrounds it.There are many other benefits that come along with adding architectural lighting, too. Let’s look at the advantages of having high-quality architectural lights shining at your building.

Make Your Property Safer

You want your commercial or industrial property to be as safe as possible, don’t you? Well, architectural lighting will you keep employees and customers protected. Not only will adding architectural lighting help those who walk in and out of your building feel safe when the sun goes down, but it will also help to illuminate features like stairways or doorways and prevent people from tripping and falling on any obstructions. Plus, if your property is better lit, it will deter thieves from striking and give everyone the impression that you care about safety first.

Separate Your Business from Competitors

When running a business, you want to do whatever you can to set yourself apart from other neighboring businesses. There are many ways to do this, but few of them will prove to be as effective as adding architectural lighting around your building. At night, people will have no choice but to look at your property when you have it lit up. Make your property draw the eye with attractive colored lighting or lights that shine on unique fixtures or structural aspects, showing off your property’s features in the best light possible.

Make Your Landscaping Even More Effective

During the day, everyone can see all of the effort that you’ve made to install landscaping that makes your property look great. But once the sun goes down, how many people are missing out on your landscaping when they drive by your property at night? Architectural lighting allows you to show off your landscaping all day and all night long. Plus, when you use LED lighting, you won’t have to use much energy to get these great effects.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits that will come along with adding architectural lighting to your commercial or industrial property. Lite Visions Landscape Lighting of Raleigh can help you choose the right architectural lighting based on your specific property and its features. Reach out to us today to speak with a representative about the architectural lighting options we have to offer for your business.

LED Retrofit into older outdoor landscape lighting systems Raleigh

LED RETROFIT INTO OLDER LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SYSTEMS

Sometimes I will get a phone call from a customer in the Raleigh asking if it is possible to come and look at their 15 year old landscape lighting system in and around the Raleigh area and possibly retrofit it to the new LED bulbs. I am always glad to come look at an older existing system as long as it is a professionally installed system with professional landscape lighting fixtures and not some of the big box store lighting that someone installed themselves. If the light fixtures are high grade materials and there is an existing professional transformer in place and the wiring and connectors are still in good shape, it is possible to upgrade an older landscape lighting system to the new energy saving and green friendly LED bulbs. There are many options available ,from just retrofitting the existing fixtures with drop in LED lamps,to redoing the system’s connections,updating wiring and installing the new long lasting LED chip on board landscape lighting fixtures. Some of these nice fixtures even have a variable wattage and focus on the fixture.

Give me a call today to look at your old outdoor lighting system in the Raleigh NC area.

Light Visions Outdoor Lighting and Landscape Lighting

Raleigh NC

919-518-9950