Sometimes, people who’d like to add lighting to their landscapes are reluctant to add it to their homes’ exterior because they hear conflicting stories about things like LED lights, high costs and maintenance issues. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Kansas City sets the record straight, once and for all, by debunking 6 common myths about lighting your home’s exterior:
THE MORE LIGHT THE BETTER: This is a claim made by someone who’s just trying to make a big sale, and who has no interest in educating you about outdoor lighting that’s effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible. Besides, too much light actually reduces visibility due to glare!- LED LIGHTS ARE COLD AND UNFLATTERING: When LED lights were first introduced, they were bluish and harsh, but they’ve come a very long way since then. Today’s LED lights can produce virtually any color imaginable. (After all, today’s flat-screen TVs are LED.) An ordinary LED bulb today casts a warm white light, which is very flattering.
- OUTDOOR LED LIGHTS AREN’T AS BRIGHT AS INCANDESCENT LIGHTS: Another myth! Today’s LED lighting is used to light up bridges, monuments and even high-rise buildings. It’s popular because of its high lumen output and color versatility.
- LED LIGHTING IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN TRADITIONAL 12-VOLT LIGHTING: Actually, the exact opposite is true. The 90% savings over traditional lighting systems easily offsets the initial cost of the project. In many cases, LED lightingis cheaper to install because it’s so efficient, fewer transformers and less cable are needed.
- DIY LIGHTING WILL LOOK JUST AS GOOD AS A PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED SYSTEM: Wrong again. Professional landscape lighting designers have years of experience, know the right fixtures to use, and how to place lighting to achieve the most beautiful effects. They also understand that an understated effect is best and won’t overdo it the way may well-meaning DIYers do.
- ALL OUTDOOR LIGHTING CONTRACTORS ARE THE SAME: This is one instance where “You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all” is a complete fallacy. A top-rated outdoor lighting contractor uses safe, high-quality, low-voltage components and creates an outstanding design. A good outdoor lighting company will also offer a maintenance plan to ensure that your system works properly for years.
Don’t be fooled by false information. Investing in professionally designed outdoor lighting from the right company will enhance your home beautifully, and increase nighttime safety and security. It’s an investment that will actually increase the value of your home both aesthetically and literally!
