Tag: outdoor lights raleigh nc

WHAT IS OUTDOOR SECURITY LIGHTING & WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

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OUTDOOR SECURITY LIGHTING RALEIGH

Security lighting should provide security by discouraging trespassers. A well-lit home is less likely to be broken into.

Outdoor landscape lighting adds beauty and dimension to a home. Lighting is also an integral part of an effective home security system. Outdoor security lighting discourages would-be intruders from targeting your home by increasing the risk of being caught. The best lighting design allows physical detection and facial recognition minimizes hiding spots and increases your sense of safety.

You don’t have to light your home like a football field to feel safe. Over-illumination with floodlights pointed all over can draw unwanted attention to valuable items in your home or business and can cause light pollution. In this guide, we offer an overview of security lighting and simple tips to help you identify potential safety and security risks, select the best security lights, and determine their placement to ensure your safety and security.

A 2007 Washington Post article found burglars search for homes that appear to be unoccupied. Lighting adds an element of surprise and establishes an occupancy pattern that deters intruders from targeting a home in the first place. Residents that use outdoor lighting as part of their security plan significantly decrease their chances of being burglarized.

Outdoor Security Lighting Raleigh

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) further explains that good security lighting anticipates potential threats and predators, and increases the means necessary to commit a crime, discouraging would-be criminals from breaking into a home. This security approach is known as target hardening. In other words, the longer it takes to plan and execute a break in, the less likely criminals are to target that home. According to the IES, home security lighting must have the following aims:

  • Provide a clear view of the area; including people and objects such as fences, walls and barriers
  • Allow facial recognition at a minimum distance of 30 feet
  • Make tasks such as finding your keys, retrieving the mail, or walking the dog easier and safer
  • Help people avoid criminal threats and/or defend themselves when a threat is perceived
  • Enhance your sense of safety when spending time outdoors

Call us Today 919-518-9950 Lite Visions Outdoor Lighting and Landscape Lighting Professionals Raleigh NC

BUILDING A NEW HOME? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE THE LED LIGHTING OPTION

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I did a home and garden show recently and spoke to a lot of couples who were building homes. When we started talking about things they were doing I was surprised to find out LED lighting isn’t a standard in every home built today. I can’t imagine installing landscape lighting today with the old, not efficient halogen light bulbs that do not last. With most LED manufactures giving a warranty of 5 years or 50,000 hours I can’t imagine why LED lamps are not required and why the old very un-efficient halogen can lights used in most homes are still installed in this day. If you are building or remodeling a home, please do yourself a favor and ask the builder or electrician about the many LED options available from can lights to very nice track lighting and wall sconces. Visit a professional lighting showroom and have them go over the options with you. Most LED sources are also able to work with dimmers and if you are installing a beautiful stone fireplace, do yourself a favor and have them install some LED track lighting just above the stone with the lights focused down along the stone. There are also many nice outdoor LED fixtures for garages and floodlights. There is ever a very interesting LED candle flame effect that looks really nice in the outdoor lantern type fixtures. Do yourself a favor and use energy-saving green friendly LED lights in your home and watch the power bill go down.

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/

LED RETROFIT INTO OLDER OUTDOOR LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SYSTEMS RALEIGH

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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.

Best Outdoor Lighting Warranty and Maintenance

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When I started Lite Visions landscape lighting, I decided to take myself over the top by giving a warranty along with the Manufactures warranty. I also give a FREE Annual maintenance agreement as well. I do this simply to show my gratitude for my customers and I want to help keep their lighting system looking 100% always.

Coming from my music and touring background. I feel confident in my skills as a lighting technician and lighting designer, as well as lighting fixtures and installation methods I choose.  I back our systems with the best warranty and Annual year service contract in the Raleigh area! It’s not about the sale, it’s about providing a stunning lighting design for our clients for years to come.

I want you to tell your friends & neighbors about us!

Most of my landscape lighting business is word of mouth referrals from friends and neighbors who saw your night time demo or lighting system.

From cleaning your fixtures, adjusting them due to growth or simply cutting a few small branches that are in front of a light fixture, I always want your lighting to look 100%

Has your outdoor lighting designer worked on concert tours as a lighting designer/technician?

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Has your outdoor lighting designer worked on concert tours as a lighting designer or lighting technician? Lite Visions founder Joe has toured with Alan Jackson Whitney Houston, Tim Mcgraw, 3 Doors Down,Joan Jett,Dan Fogelburg and the Christmas sensation The Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Lite Visions was founded after Joe decided to install outdoor lighting at his personal home and could not find anyone in the area who knew what he knew about lighting design.

Lite Visions is the area’s leader with innovative outdoor lighting design, the best long life LED lighting fixtures and easy to operate lighting systems add FREE maintenance on top of their installation warranty and Lite Visions simply OUTSHINES the competion.

Durable & Long-Lasting Outdoor Lighting
The Lighting fixtures we install are long lasting with the best warranties in the industry,engineered to let the LED lamps run as cool as possible to extend lamp life.

Integrated LED fixtures are warrantied for a minimum of 10 years

LED Lamps are warrantied for a minimum of 5 years

Transformers have a lifetime warranty.

Customization

We differ from most other outdoor lighting companies who have a cookie cutter lighting system they use. we customize your outdoor lighting system to your home and yard.

Superior Outdoor Lighting System Design

With a wide variety across multiple product lines, We have alot of different tools available for our custom lighting design from different lamp wattages, beam spreads,lamp color temperatures along with filters and different shrouds and even colored lights .We  figure out what is the best fit for your home, landscaping and your personal style.

Let Lite Visions Create Some Nighttime Magic At Your Home Today

Working With A Landscape Lighting Designer to design your outdoor lighting system.

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As a landscape lighting designer , I work with homeowners in and around the Raleigh NC area to determine how you enjoy your outdoor space, particular features or a structure that you would like to highlight with outdoor landscape lighting. What you like most about your homes architecture, specific trees or a plant you like. A walkway or path you would enjoy or use more if it was illuminated. A favorite pond or water feature. Features you love most in your outdoor kitchen or along your hardscaping that would look great with outdoor landscape lighting.

Accent landscape lighting,which is light gently grazing the surface of the stone, stucco, and brick will add depth and dimension your home’s architecture as well as showing the features. This home is a great example. Accent outdoor lighting such things as an arbor, fence a statue or structure and trees will give you a dramatic and attention-getting visual lighting effect, creating a lighting scene with a backdrop as well as mimicking moonlights natural effects.

Water feature landscape lighting. Illuminating a water feature, pond or pool combines 2 effects, you might have some trees or plantings near the water that will look interesting with up lighting. You also get stunning mirrored images on the water’s surface, creating dreamlike effects rippling across the water’s surface.

Accent and illuminate a bridge over a water feature with outdoor lighting to highlight it’s features and create safety. . Path way outdoor lighting will create a sense of security along stone pathways and lawn walkways as well as adding a hint of intrigue to plant beds and boulders along the way

Down lighting with lights placed up in trees shining thru the trees creates stunning shadows on the ground below mimicking moonlighting effects. . Patio and deck lighting will feature and accentuate all of the architecture, beauty and detail of your deck, patio, outdoor kitchen, hand railings, steps and more while creating safety. Hardscape outdoor lighting brings out your stone features along with your outdoor kitchen, retaining walls, steps and more.

Call us Today 919-518-9950 Lite Visions Outdoor Lighting and Landscape Lighting Professionals Raleigh NC

Good Outdoor Landscape Lighting Isn’t Cheap, Cheap Outdoor Landscape Lighting Isn’t Good

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I am writing this blog after taking out several old and poorly installed outdoor landscape lighting systems this year.Good Outdoor Landscape Lighting Isn’t Cheap, Cheap Outdoor Landscape Lighting Isn’t Good.

I swear one of the lighting fixtures were made so poorly it felt like an aluminum beer can,see photos below.I felt bad the homeowner had spent so much money and trusted this person to install quality fixtures that would not have to completely replaced in only 3 years time. These same fixtures were almost impossible to re lamp. When I have a customer say” we decided to go with someone else who had a cheaper price ” it scares me for them. I can only try to educate the customers about the difference in fixtures,lamps and installers who sometimes can’t even troubleshoot their own installs, but do not install proper waterproof connections or do great wiring jobs. I just had the nicest compliment from a customer the other day while doing an annual maintenance and cleaning and adjusting lights for growth. She said,I can’t believe we have not had any problems with our outdoor lighting. My background as a concert lighting tech taught me if you do things properly you will never have a problem. That is why I stand behind my installs 100% and use the best products in the outdoor lighting business. Some of these fixtures do not even have any type manufacture tag in them due to the fact they are not proud of their CHEAP fixtures and do not want a name on them.

We spend a lot of time replacing old poorly installed outdoor landscape lighting systems with cheap fixtures,please remember your outdoor landscape lighting should last 15 plus years no problem with only replacing LED lamps when needed. Do yourself a favor and if someones quote sounds too good to be true in any trade,remember it probably is.

  • Cheap path light I took out and redid the entire lighting system
  • what happens to your wiring if connectors are not properly connected
  • cheap light fixture that can’t hardly be relamped



  • This fixture is like an aluminum beer can and most were split up the middle,this system was supposedly professionally installed and was only 3 years old
  • old cheap lighting system in around pool area mostly path fixtures and a few up lights not properly installed
  • old transformer a landscaper tried to fix with ducttape

What makes Lite Visions an outdoor lighting expert

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting

Please read our educational outdoor lighting blogs and ask us about a LED night lighting demo. Lite Visions is an outdoor lighting expert due to our years in the concert lighting industry. We give the best warranty available and also include a free annual service contract with each new lighting system. We also specialize in repair and maintenance of older non working lighting systems. We are so confident in our lighting design skills, materials, and lighting fixtures, we back our systems with the Best Warranty in the outdoor lighting business! It’s not all about the initial sale, it’s about providing a beautiful outdoor lighting design for our clients for years to come. We want you to tell your friends & neighbors about us! Read our 5 star Google reviews on our website link.

www.litevisions.com

Why you should hire a lighting designer to design and install your outdoor lighting.

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Poor Outdoor Lighting and Installations. Sadly, this happens more than we’d all like to see. In most cases, Poor lighting installations occur when service providers are rushed, or just don’t care enough about the outcome of the lighting project. Take for example another service provider who is rushing his installer so they can go to the next irrigation or pond project and probably do not care about your lighting like a Lighting designer who does 100% lighting only. In some cases, they occur because the service provider just chose the easiest or simplest or even the cheapest way to install light fixtures. If we consider those jobs that are rushed or those which are simple and easy, then we will generally find the lighting installer is performing in a “production-oriented” environment. This seems to happen a lot with outdoor lighting franchises.They see most every job as the same—to get in and out of the job quickly, because time is money. They tend to provide ‘cookie-cutter’ projects (ones that look the same), because that’s what they know with cheap fixtures and lamps. Lighting should never be installed under windows that shine into an occupied part of the home and we see this alot on franchise lighting installs. The other reason in understanding why these combined flaws occur is Only because the lighting installer truly is ineffective and lacks knowledge.Some of the franchises run ads on a regular basis for installers. This is very unfortunate because it hurts everyone—the professional, the industry, and the consumer. This type of behavior is part of the profession and how this profession is viewed. There is No governing authority to correct Poor Practice and these Poor Techniques from being provided. We at Lite Visions attend several continuing education seminars and are a member of the Association of outdoor lighting professionals. We also have a lengthy history in the live music industry as a lighting technician and lighting designer.

The only way to prevent this from becoming more prevalent is through Education and Understanding what is right and wrong. Poor Techniques include poor practices & standards, as well as the use of poor products. Landscape lighting products are another area of concern because there are so many available on the market. We can only try to educate the public ,but sometimes the consumer simply does not know. The best way to ensure this quality is to do research and to make the best selection of your Lighting Designer as you can—and choose those with lighting design and installation experience as well as troubleshooting skills. Believe it or not we have heard horror stories about a lighting installer who a week after the install when 1/2 of the lights were out could not troubleshoot his own installation.

Avoid a poorly installed outdoor lighting installation

Call us today

Lite Visions

919-518-9950



Why your outdoor lights don’t look like mine.

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting

I have taken out more outdoor lighting systems than I can count,from poorly wired lights a lot to lights strung on a way too long cable with horrible voltage drop,the customer said his lights were browning out. What most people do not understand is how outdoor lighting systems are designed. Here are a few reasons why your outdoor lights don’t look like mine.

Transformers

Most professional grade transformers have the availability to use taps from 12-15 volts depending on length of wiring runs to get proper voltage to the light fixtures

Wiring

Wiring size along with length of wire is critical. While we might do a long run of wire to a certain area,we will use a higher gauge of wire and possibly a 13/14 volt tap to make sure the lights at the end of the long run are getting a minimum of 12 volts

Lamps

LED lamps come in many wattage sizes,beam spreads and lumen output. Just the other day someone showed me a lamp they bought at a big box store that was only 200 lumens, that is a very low light output. Beam spreads start at a narrow 15 degrees and go up to 120 degrees very wide. For example I might light a tall tall tree with 3, 7 watt 60 degree lamps but a small crepe myrtle I might light with only 2 30 degree 4 watt lamps.

Kelvin

Kelvin is a lamps color temperature, in our industry we use 2700 kelvin lamps to 5700 kelvin lamps depending on what type surface we are lighting.

As a lighting designer we know what lamps look best in certain places,while one lamp type might be good for a homes facade,we will probably use a different lamp on certain plants.

Dimmers

With LED lamps there are dimmers available,some integrated fixtures even have a dimming capability right on the fixtures.

Fixtures

We have many fixtures at our disposal,I might prefer a certain integrated fixture in a hardscape wall due to it creating a soft illumination of the stone.

I might use several different uplighting fixtures on a job due to being able to control light output and the actual spread of the light.

Filters

I might use many tools to create a soft light with no hot spots such as a spread lens filter to diffuse the light as well as a hex louver near an entry so you can’t see the light source when walking past it.

Call Lite Visions today and let us show you how to make your outdoor lighting stand out from the crowd.

919-518-9950