Another beautiful Richmond summer has ended, but as always, the great weather continues. On nice nights, families continue to spend time outdoors on their decks, porches and patios or in their yards. Now that the nighttime darkness is sneaking in a little earlier, you may find that you can’t see everything quite as clearly. Custom outdoor lighting systems will not only increase the curb appeal of your property, but also the safety by properly illuminating key areas that can cause concern for slipping and falling.
As clients contact us with respect to lighting their properties, our trained designed pay attention to the areas we know that must be lit: pathways, steps, and entrances.
Pathways guide owners, their families and friends as they travel throughout a property. They can be both paved (with brick, concrete or other product) or they can exist in a more natural form. It is not uncommon, however, for something to fall or be left on them, be it wet leaves, sticks or children’s toys. If the surface isn’t illuminated, someone could trip, but not with outdoor lighting! In most cases, just a few path lights can effectively illuminate a pathway when the sun goes down.
If pathways need to be lit, it’s probably not a surprise that Outdoor Lighting Perspectives recommends that all steps and stairs on a property are addressed by any lighting designer. It’s one of the first structures we look for! The number of lights will depend on how many steps you have, but they can be addressed in several ways. If there are only one or two steps, it may be best to use a path light that can transition a path to the steps, but if there are several steps, you may look at step lights or deck lights. Step lights are illuminated in the step risers while deck lights are installed to the railing post and shoot light downward onto the treads.
One of the best areas to illuminate from a curb appeal perspective is also important with respect to safety: the entrance of a home. Lighting the entryway instantly makes the home look more welcoming, but also provides a transition from the bright interior of the home to the darkness outside. Whether it’s a porch with columns or a simple stoop, OLP’s designers will ensure that the doorway to your home doesn’t fade into the night.
If you’re looking to add lighting to your property, please contact us at 804.874.9985.
