Garden Lighting Specialists
Garden lighting ideas and tips, get the best out of your exterior lighting.
While we all appreciate the importance of getting the lighting right in our homes, balancing task ambient and accent lighting. How much consideration is given to how we light our gardens? Good outdoor illuminacion can transform any external space creating practical illuminacion for safety and security as well as creating a beautiful ambience and highlighting existing features.
When planning your garden lighting it is important to identify where you will need lighting and what type of lighting you will need. For example, are you looking to create a warm welcoming enviroment in a dedicated seating area or do you wish to flood light over passageway or driveway for security? Whatever the application or desired result there are plenty of differnet styles of lighting available, below are a few pointers and examples to consider when planning your garden lighting project. Dont forget we offer a full lighting design service and we can help you create the perfect lighting design for your garden
Installation and useful information
When planning the installation of lighting in your external space there are a few things to consider. Firstly all outdoor lighting solutions should be IP rated, this means the fittings have been designed and manufactured with protection to stop penetration of solid objects or water entering the fitting. IP stands for ingress protection, as in how well protected the fitting is. This is then followed by two numbers which tell us how well protected the fitting is against solids or liquids. Digit one represents the protection against solids and runs on a scale of 0-6, zero being no protection and six being dust tight. The second digit is partidularly important for our garden lighting as is shows how water tight the fitting is and runs from a scale of 0-8. Zero indicates there is no protection at all and 8 means the light is suitable for continuous immersion in water (ideal for pools and ponds).
Once you have drawn up your lighting plan for outdoor lighting, showing what you want and where you want it you will need to either notify building control if you intend to carry out the electrical work yourself or it must be installed by a Part P qualified electrician. Cables buried underground must be covered in a buried warning tape according to regulations, prefereably using steel wire armoured (SWA) cable. You must ensure that mains voltage outdoor lighting and electrics stays within building regulations. All outdoor cables, wires, sockets, appliancesand lights have to be protected by residual current device which instantly cuts off power in the event of an emergency. We keep all the main sizes of SWA in stock and have a full range of RCD's, RCBO's etc. If you live in or near Bristol we have a great network of electricians who use our wholesalers and we would be happy to recommned someone to do the job for you.
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=CAB6943
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=RCD
Security and Task Lighting
An important aspect of external lighting is the security and taks lighting. These lights are positioned to cover dark areas of improtance to deter unwanted intrusions, increase visability and ease of access and exit. These lights have many different styles but the most common is the ' LED Flood Light'. We strongly recommend the Collingwood FL range, with Colour Controlled Temperature (CCT) you can switch the colour of the light between 3000k, 4000k and 6500k. Thes lights also have a changable mounting bracket which is fantastic for allowing you to position the light into the exact area you want it. Backed up with a 3 year guarantee for peace of mind these lights follow Collingwoods famed reliability. We have a great selection of these on display in our Bristol showroom, or you can view them online now.
Festoon Lighting and LED Tape
Using Festoon lighting and LED tapes are a great way to add ambient lighting and highlight certain features and areas, you can hang festoon around a BBQ area to 'frame it' or alternatively drap across a patio or seating area above head height to provide a warm overhead source of light. Changing the lamps in these fittings can completely change the atmosphere created, use warm white lamps for a cosy intimate feel or perhaps coloured golf balls for a fun party feel. We supply Festoon Kits in 5m or 10m lengths or we can make it bespoke to your specification:
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products/light-fittings/5-and-10-metre-outdoor-festoon-lighting-sets
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products/light-fittings/bespoke-made-measure-festoon-lighting-ip44-rubber-cable-uv-rated
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products/light-bulbs/jazz-coloured-led-golf-ball-set-5
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products/light-bulbs/pop-coloured-led-golf-ball-set-5
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products/light-bulbs/2watt-e27-2000k-90lm-amber-filament-led-golf-ball
With LED tape we often use this to provide low level lighting and wall wash light, we have oftern used this under external built in seating and around ponds and waterfeatures.
When using an LED tape it is important to ensure the colour temperature matches the surrounding decorative lighting so it compliments it rather than clashes with it, our bespoke LED tape is available in both 2700k and 4000k to ensure it matches exactly rather than cheaper versions which are produced at 3000k. Our tape is available in 3 different wattages, 4.8w, 9.6w and 14.4w per metre for highlight, task and wash applications, is IP65 as standard and can be cut, soldered and sealed to your exact specification for easy install on site. All tape is dimmable with the correct LED driver. We also offer a great range of metal profiles and trims designed to house the tape and get the best out of the lighting.
To talk to one of our experts please feel free to call on 0117 9435355 or email; sales@ablectrtics.com .
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=abltape
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=ABLDRIVER
Driveway and Path Lighting
Properly lit pathways and driveways make it easier to navigate around our homes after dark – and provide us with welcoming, guiding light when we return to them. ... Whether they lead up to the entrance of your home, along the side of it or through your garden, well lit path or drive will add both style and safety to your property.. There are three main ways of lighting paths and driveways;
1) Bollard Lighting and post lights-
Bollard, Post or Pedestal lights are an excellent and stylish choice for lighting pathways with space along their sides. Simply position them at regular intervals along the edges of your path and they will provide you with the angled down-lighting you need to illuminate the way. Alternatively use post lights for wide or longer paths and drives spaced out at greater intervals.
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=bollard+
2) Low level Lighting and ground lights -
If space is tight or you particularly like low level lighting then recessed marker lights in the path itself (or running parallel) are another excellent option. Again, simply install them at regular intervals to provide ambient up-lighting that will guide you while providing a beautiful and striking image. These can be mounted in open areas or the the base of a guiding wall to provide a lovely 'V' of light washing the wall.
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=walkover
3) Wall lights -
Finally, if space is limited on the ground then exterior wall-mounted lights are another great alternative. Depending on the length of your path, simply install one - or a series of them -along a wall to provide guiding light from above or low level. When positioning these lights take care with the mounting height to ensure they are not mounted at eye-level to avoid any unnessecary glare. If mounting at a low level (.5m high and below) perhaps consider angled downlights to create a decorative beam effect on the pathway.
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/product-category/outdoor-lighting?f%5B0%5D=field_product_category%253Aparents_all%3A467&f%5B1%5D=field_product_category%253Aparents_all%3A881
Lighting Control
Once you have all your plans in place and know what styles of lighting you like and what areas they are going in, it is worth taking a second to consider how you would like to control the lighting. We sell a selection of IP rated switches, sockets and our own unique outdoor dimmers, alternatively you may wish to set 'scenes' and have more control of timers and security settings when away. In which case we strongly recommend the RAKO Controls system This fantastic system allows you to control multiple circuits and scenes with ease, can automatically turn your exterior lights on and off in conjunction with sunrise and sunset (if desired) and can replay your last 5000 button presses whilst you are away for security, providing the impression the property is not empty. We have a working display of this Rako kit in our showroom. We also sell it all online. If you would like more information about this fantastic system please call 0117 9425355 or alternatively email us at sales@ablectrics.com.
https://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext=wpdimmer
