Lighten up: Homes, landscapes glow when night falls

Accent lights create mood and drama while enhancing curb appeal. Enlarge

Lights can be pieces of artwork as well. Enlarge

Let there be light.

But not too much. When it comes to outdoor accent lighting, less is more.

It gives "a classy look," says Mark Hetrick, assistant manager of The Andersons' Talmadge Road store.

Al Hatfield, owner of Hatfield Lawn & Landscape in Sylvania, agrees, saying that subtle lighting gives a home "a nice soft, mellow entrance."

Done correctly, landscape lighting will bring out the best features of your home and yard, improve curb appeal and security, add drama, and enhance safety on walkways and steps.

Done badly, it will make the place look like a parking lot — or an airport runway.

"You don't want to light up your whole yard," advises Laurie Gross, president of Gross Electric on North Reynolds Road. "Look at what you consider a focal point of your yard or what you love to look at, and then highlight that."

Those choices are among a series of decisions that a landscape lighting project calls for: what you can spend, what kind of system to install, and whether to hire a professional or do it yourself.

The cost runs from not much to a whole lot, starting with individual solar lights for as little as $3 to $5 apiece. A DIY low-voltage kit, depending on quality and the number of lights it includes, can be purchased for less than $50, including a transformer and light sensor. A do-it-yourselfer also can purchase the components separately; for example, four high-quality lights, a transformer with capability to expand the system, and wire for $500. And a professionally designed and installed layout with the highest-quality components and best warranties probably will cost $1,000 and up.

Operating the lights ranges from nothing (solar) to minimal (low voltage).

"There are a lot of variables," Mr. Hatfield says. "You get what you pay for."

There's an art to lighting the landscape, so deciding what to accent, how to aim the lights, and where to place them is one of the keys to a successful project.

The idea is to cast light on structural and natural features, not make the display all about the light itself. Techniques include uplighting, downlighting, spotlighting, silhouetting, shadowing, and washing. The light should make you see the rough texture of stone on a house, or the spray of water in a fountain, not a line of bulbs marching like little soldiers along a sidewalk or the front of the house.

Dave Helminiak, owner of Total Lighting Illumination in Springfield Township, says that while his customers want to beautify with light, their primary aim usually is to improve home security, particularly in the front yard.

He maps out a plan to do both, he says, with a few well-placed lights.

The plan takes into consideration the home's lines — maybe a striking arch or gable — and texture, such as fancy brickwork. The type of light fixture varies depending on its purpose — shooting up the side of a two-story house or down onto low shrubs, for example. In the landscape, particularly at a new home with immature trees and foundation plantings, the plan has to anticipate future growth.

The art of lighting also involves knowing how to aim the lights, Mr. Helminiak continues. Even a slight movement can make a big difference in the effect because of the way the beam spreads or hits a plant. "I moved a light about four inches and tilted it, and it erased a shadow on the house from another light," he says.

Solar lights are wildly popular in the Toledo area, according to The Andersons' Mr. Hetrick. Quality has improved, selection has expanded, and prices are low, but the real attraction of solar is probably the ease of installation.

"You don't need any tools, you just have to have a yard and a little time," he says. Buy as many as you want, shove the light stakes into the ground, and you're done.

But while solar lights cost nothing to operate, their power supply isn't reliable — in our area, anyway. We often don't have enough sunlight to fuel them to full capacity, which even then isn't as bright as an electric bulb.

The lights should be placed in a position to get maximum rays. "Ideally, six to eight hours [of direct sunlight a day] is best; even four to six hours will recharge it to some extent," Mr. Hetrick says.

Like solar landscape lights, DIY low-voltage light systems are affordable and have improved in quality, "but you're still digging and burying and making sure you have an outlet," he notes.

Contractors say that homeowners often start with lighting in the front yard and like it so much that they have it installed in the backyard too. But while the primary goal in front may be security, in back it's more likely to be about mood.

When Larry and Sue Mullins built their Perrysburg Township home in 1994, they had a contractor illuminate steps leading to the front door and uplight some nearby trees. Mrs. Mullins planted lavender in the space between the edge of the steps and the lights, so the beam creates a lacy effect when it shines through.

"Last year we decided we needed some highlights in the back," Mrs. Mullins says. They chose stylish little fixtures on small posts to shine down on flower beds.

Front and back, "I think it just makes it so much more lovely in the evening to have those lights there," she says.

Contact Ann Weber at:

aweber@theblade.com

or 419-724-6126.