Tag: raleigh landscape lighting

Showcase Your Home in Raleigh NC with Landscape Lighting

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

Soft accent and security lighting for an outdoor patio in Raleigh NC

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

Outdoor Patio Lighting Raleigh NC

Photos of the lower patio area with brick columns before outdoor lighting.

outdoor patio lighting outdoor patio lighting

Night time demo with only 2 different lighting fixtures to demonstrate how the lighting would work and create 3 distinct lighting effects.

outdoor patio lighting

Yes that’s right

3 separate lighting effects, by mounting the lights as high as possible on the columns results in an accent effect on the architecture of the brick column.

You also get a nice soft pool of light on the concrete patio area below the column.

The soft pool of light on the concrete reflects itself back up onto the soffits and ceiling panels above to give you a beautiful soft light effect all over the patio area.

This also created some much need security lighting around the back patio area under the homes lower level.

Now isn’t this a much nicer effect than a security flood light or spotlight blinding you out on the patio?

outdoor patio lighting

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

Ambiance with soft outdoor lighting in Raleigh

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

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 I come from working in a creative field around lighting design and lighting effects my whole life, I sometimes visualize things other people simply can’t. I feel I have been blessed with this gift.
Years ago when I talked to my mom about a privacy fence in the backyard she just said no way. After it was installed, the first thing her and my sister said was WOW, we never really noticed the plant material in the yard.
Yes, I said, do you know why?
We simply took some material and created a backdrop for the plants that were already in place to make them really POP .
We  do the very same thing with outdoor landscape lighting. Why would you have beautiful landscaping or hardscaping that you paid good money for only to have it all disappear in the evening hours? By using several different lighting techniques we create depth and dimension and pull your eye away from looking into your neighbor’s yard.
Have you ever noticed a home with all the lights on inside? If your home has outdoor lighting, peoples eyes are pulled away from the inside lights when they see your home with outdoor lighting.
Let us create some outdoor evening ambiance for you to enjoy tonight in the Raleigh area.
Lite Visions outdoor lighting and landscape light can make your home and yard safe secure and beautiful into the evening hours.
Call us today 919-518-9950

What is Outdoor Security Lighting & Why is it Important in Raleigh NC?

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

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

 

Designing a landscape lighting system in Raleigh NC

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh
There are many different factors that come into play when designing a professional outdoor lighting system in the Raleigh NC area.
Are we retrofitting an older system?
Are we working on new construction of a project?
Fixture materials, aluminum, brass or copper, any custom finish on path lights.
Are we installing fixtures with a drop in LED bulb or integrated LED fixtures with a longer warranty.
Access to power for transformers and cable runs to fixtures.
Standard control vs smartphone control.
How many feet of low voltage cable have to be run .
Ease of running cable to fixtures
Ease of access behind plant materials walkways etc.
Location of fixtures,ground mount,gutter mount ,tree mount , mounted to brick or stone.
Are we using custom light diffusing filters, louvers or color filters to replicate a moonlight effect?
Are we installing fixtures with color changing lamps?
No two professional outdoor lighting systems are designed alike.
While your neighbor’s home might have only required 14 lighting fixtures to do the front of their home, your home might require 21 lighting fixtures to do the front of the home and the two trees in the front that you love.
If you are budget conscious, we can always try to work with you and install your outdoor lighting project in different phases.
Call us today for your  design consultation
                          919-581-9950

Outdoor Lighting ,Do one thing and do it right

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

I have been working in the music industry since I was 18 years old, being a Roadie for bands and doing lighting. I have always worked in the lighting industry and coming into the world of architectural and outdoor lighting seemed very natural transition to me.

I, however, have NO desire to be a

landscaper, pond builder, hardscaper, irrigation company or a pool company.

I did not simply buy a lighting franchise.

On the other hand, it seems nowadays everyone thinks they can add landscape lighting as a sideline to their existing business. After attending an hour-long manufacture seminar they now a certified lighting designer. Unfortunately, many of the companies are profit driven and encourage these other industries to install lighting as a profit sideline to their existing business.

I drive thru high-end subdivisions all the time at night after leaving a job location and focusing the client’s lights after dark, I see all kinds of badly done lighting installations that someone paid a lot of money for. From just the other night seeing an entrance to a subdivision that has lights pointing in your eyes as you drive by with no lighting shields to seeing a water feature at a Japanese steakhouse I eat at on a regular basis have a pond company install a bad lighting job.

Being able to simply stick a lighting fixture in the ground by no means makes you a lighting designer

Lighting is an Art and I believe I am painting with light, by knowing the proper use of different types of bulbs, beam spreads, wattages ,color temperatures.  There are many many tips and tricks to keep lights your of your eyes.

I might use a combination of lights up in a tree pointing down with a moonlight lens filter along with a combination of path lights to create a unique vision for your walkway.

I might create a backdrop in your backyard to not only visualize your property but to keep your eye from your neighbor’s property

I might use a combination of different light fixtures along a brick or stone wall to create texture, interest, and shadows.

I might place a few lights at angles alongside a privacy fence to create beams of light dancing in between plant material.

No two projects are alike and that is what makes lighting interesting to me, anyone can stick lights in the ground and believe it or not some of those other companies never even come back at night to properly focus the lighting.

At Light Visions Landscape Lighting of Raleigh, We do one thing and do it RIGHT.

We also offer the best warranty and FREE maintenance contract in the Raleigh area

Please make sure to read thru our google reviews

 

 

Lighting Systems That We Had To Repair or Fix

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting

I don’t like having dissatisfied clients. So, I work hard to make sure that my approach leaves everyone pleased with the results. I’m big on quality control and I work hard to perfect our process so we can eliminate failures in the field. If I don’t think something is right for my customer, I’ll let them know. I won’t compromise quality and their overall satisfaction just to make a sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to outdoor lighting fixtures,I know what will and won’t fail down the road. You may not think that you need your lighting fixtures to hold up for 10 to 20 or more years and perhaps you’d be right. But I bet that you’d like them to hold up for more than 3 to 5 years. I am always amazed when we are called out to service a lighting system we didn’t install that is failing in under 3 years or less.

 Recently I received a phone call from a potential client who explained that the lighting system her landscape contractor installed 3 years earlier was having problems. Her contractor added the lighting system into the landscape they built for her. She claimed that “They are really good landscape lighting fixtures”, and yet she couldn’t “figure out why they keep breaking”. Out of curiosity, I asked why she hadn’t called the original installers about the issues she was experiencing with the system they installed. She explained that she had, but that they weren’t returning her calls. I get calls all the time from someone who had their landscaper or hardscaper or even pond guy install their lighting that has failed in a short time and they did not offer any kind of warranty and are not returning phone calls. Seems everyone thinks they can install a professional landscape lighting system.

I’m sure you are starting to get the picture: seemingly good fixtures, and actual high quality fixtures, are two very different things. Even when they seem to be “really good lighting fixtures”, the tendency for low quality fixtures to fail is high enough that I refuse to even offer low quality fixtures to my clients. To better understand what can constitute a poor fixture, and why you may want to be careful when selecting a professional landscape lighting designer, let us understand a few key guidelines.

 

 

LED Lamps

LED’s  are here to stay.

They aren’t going anywhere for quite some time. LED’s have truly changed the way we see and are doing things in our daily lives. With greatly improved energy efficiencies, longevity and quality of light there is no reason that LED shouldn’t be the lamp in your landscape lighting fixtures.

However, as great as LED lamps are, they do have a few setbacks. Because they are technically electronic devices they have a couple of rules that must be followed to ensure there long lamp life of up to 50,000 hours.

The biggest thing to understand is that Moisture and Heat are not friendly to LED lamps. Your landscape lighting system must be built and designed to protect and warrant the use of LED products in today’s landscape. NC’s outdoors can be very harsh. Wind, rain, snow, freezing, thawing, irrigation, lawn and garden equipment will be threatening your lighting system throughout the year. We make sure that the fixtures can protect your LED lamps from damage.

Outdoor Light Fixtures

I am amazed when I hear that there are some tradesmen who will actually hand a client a manufacturers catalog and ask them to pick out some fixtures and let them know where to place them around their landscape.

This is a completely unacceptable practice. Who better to know which products will, not only create the desired effect but also have the ability to withstand the elements that will test them over years to come, than an experienced outdoor lighting professional? We will never use an untested product, no matter how pretty or convenient it might appear to be.

Your landscape lighting fixture must be built to keep the LED lamps inside of them dry and protected at all times. A good rule is to only use fixtures that are built and designed with the ability to dissipate heat. Failing to use a fixture that can do this will assure that your LED lamp will fail or fall short of its intended lamp life.

All products that we use and install in our professionally designed lighting systems must also be serviceable. No product is perfect, should a failure occur your installation company should always be able to respond with the appropriate repair in a timely manner. Warranties must be clearly understood and honored.

Connections

What goes on with connections is just as important. As previously mentioned, the outdoor environment can be brutal. Improper wire connections, such as big box store piercing connectors should NEVER be used. This is the number one fail point of any outdoor lighting system. Properly tightened connectors are the only acceptable wire connection.

Warranties

Get them in writing! Your landscape lighting warranty should be Ironclad and in writing. It should be clear and concise as to what is and what isn’t covered. Lighting fixtures and transformers should have a great manufacturer warranty.

 

 

 

 

In Conclusion, it’s important to look for a Professional landscape lighting designer and installer who knows which fixtures, connections and lamps will work best for your lighting system. This doesn’t mean that they simply give you assurances that everything will work fine; get it in writing. A written warranty explaining clearly what will be covered is what you should expect. Hiring a  contractor who offers anything less than this and you might have to deal with them not returning your calls in 6 months years when the poorly installed system starts to fail. Remember, trusting in an experienced professional is always the best option.

Give Us a Call: 919-518-8850

Concert lighting to outdoor and landscape lighting Raleigh NC

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

I have had several people ask me recently, what makes me and Lite Visions Landscape Lighting and outdoor lighting in Raleigh NC different from everyone else who does outdoor lighting and landscape lighting in Raleigh NC.

First and foremost I have been a lighting technician and lighting designer since 1979 in the music business when I started working with local bands.I went on to tour with bands from theatre to arena concerts and when home in Raleigh worked as a stagehand in lots of the local concert venues and still do to this day part-time. From climbing in the ceiling and focusing stage lights to operating a spotlight for a show at Memorial Auditorium. I simply love being creative and feel fortunate to have been able to travel a lot of my life and see many different cities and sights. I love the feeling I am an artist who simply paints with lighting.

My first huge TV special and first major arena tour I was a lighting tech on was this 1984 Kool and the Gang show at the New Orleans Worlds Fair for HBO’s video jukebox, the Light Designer most recently lit up the American Idol TV Series and it was a learning experience. The beautiful venue was built right on the river. We had a giant heart that came down from the ceiling during the show’s opening.I got to run lights for KC and the Sunshine band, some new band called Run DMC  and a girl singer called Shannon, her hit was called Let the music play, they were some of our opening bands on the tour. My job was to set up one of the lighting trusses as well as connect all the wiring to the lighting dimmers and babysit our dimmer area during Kool and the Gangs show beside the stage.

Here is the video from that concert.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TesMhfSMgRk

Call us today about lighting up your outdoor area or landscaping in Raleigh NC

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

working with a lighting designer and planning to enjoy your home and lifestyle after the sun goes down

Posted on by admin in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, outdoor lighting professionals raleigh

As an outdoor landscape lighting designer in Raleigh NC, we work with Triangle area homeowners to determine how you enjoy your outdoor space, particular features or a structure that you would like to highlight. What you like most about your homes architecture, specific trees or 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.

 

 

Accent outdoor lighting  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

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Adding outdoor lighting to 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 outdoor 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.

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Add outdoor lighting and illuminate a bridge over a water feature to highlight it’s features and create safety

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Adding path or walkway 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.

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Adding down lighting with lights placed up in trees shining thru the trees creates stunning shadows on the ground below mimicking moonlighting effects.

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Patio and deck outdoor 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

 

Lite Visions Landscape Lighting at the Raleigh Fairgrounds Home Show

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Nice blog about Lite Visions Landscape Lighting on The Raleigh Fairgrounds Fall Homeshow page

 

EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT: LIGHT VISIONS LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

Aug 22, 2018

We’re excited to have Light Visions Landscape Lighting joint us at the Fairgrounds Southern Ideal Home Show. Lite Visions is not a outdoor lighting franchise, but a locally owned outdoor lighting design and installation company. They pride themselves on delivering the best LED Outdoor Fixture, workmanship and customer service to our clients in Raleigh and the surrounding areas. They do custom outdoor lighting to both residential and commercial properties.

Before you see the Light Visions team at booth #2129 get a sneak peek at what they’ll be bringing to the show by reading our brief interview below.

Describe your products and services.
Outdoor Landscape and Architectural Lighting Design and Installation done right by someone who worked in the concert and live music industry for over 30 years as a lighting technician and lighting designer.

What are your best home or garden tips for this season?
As a 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 lighting. What you like most about your homes architecture, specific trees or 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 lighting.

What are your featured items this season?
I am installing a new series of lighting this season designed by an architectural company. The lights are groundbreaking in the fact that not only can you adjust the beam spread and angle, but you can also adjust the wattage output and color temperature of the lights to the right temperature no matter what type of surface you are lighting. These fixtures give off a very soft subtle lighting effect. Too many outdoor lighting companies tend to over light a home. As always I am offering a discount to anyone who signs up for a lighting quote at my booth during the show. My company is different I am different in the fact that I am the lighting designer and installer.

What are your home or garden pet peeves?
People who only light items one sided and have no design knowledge or thoughts of the customer seeing this flat lighting effect when they pull up to their home, but not being able to see it from the home itself. Example a beautiful Crepe Myrtle or Riverbirch tree light from the front with only one light. A tree should always be lit up 3 dimensional to bring out it’s structure and beauty.

What is the strangest client request you’ve ever received?
I get people who don’t understand what I do and sometimes I will get requests to install floodlights over a garage.

What is your favorite part about the home show?
I love meeting people and talking to new potential customers, it seems alot of people are building outdoor kitchens. I try to give alot of advice to people remodeling or building as I want to make sure they are prepared as they deal with the builders, electricians stone contractors etc. to make adding their outdoor lighting as easy as possible for them. I am working right now on a project at Hyco lake near Roxboro on a amazing outdoor kitchen for a customer I met at the last home show.

Any additional company info you’d like to include?
I feel I bring something different to outdoor lighting as I come from a concert lighting background, from working with local bands such as the Embers right out of school to local recording acts Glassmoon and Nantucket to working huge arena concerts such as Kool and The Gang, Joan Jett, Alan Jackson, Tim Mcgraw, Dan Fogelburg, 3 Doors Down, Whitney Houston to the Christmas sensation Trans Siberian Orchestra. I still do a few concerts now and then and also work at the Memorial Auditorium venues when I can.

I do maintenance on older existing systems as well as LED retrofits. I am a member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals a small group of professionals who are some of the best in the business.

The Fairgrounds Southern Ideal Home Show will be taking over the North Carolina State Fairgrounds September 21-23, 2018. With hundred of home improvement experts to speak with, like the team at Light Visions Landscape Lighting, this is a must attend event. What are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!

SAVE $3 – BUY TICKETS ONLINE

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