Installing Outdoor Lighting in Fall and Winter
What is the best time of year to install outdoor lighting?
Many homeowners assume Spring is the best time to install outdoor lighting. And this is true for various reasons. Spring is a wonderful time to complete home improvement projects. In Spring, the days start getting longer, and the weather starts getting warmer. Spending time outdoors is in the forefront of many homeowners’ minds – and it makes sense to install outdoor lighting just in time to enjoy it through the warmer months, right? Right.
Keep in mind, however, that there are many reasons to install outdoor lighting and the benefits of a thoughtfully designed and professionally installed exterior lighting system can be enjoyed year-round.
Security Has No Seasonality
One of the key benefits of installing custom outdoor lighting is that it provides an extra layer of security for your home. Not only will a well-lit home deter trespassers, but landscape lighting that extends to the outer edges of your property will also create an extra ring of security and allow you to establish visual control over your property. And the best part? Security lighting doesn’t have to be unsightly or boring. Custom outdoor lighting will enhance the security AND beauty of your home and property alike.
Year-Round Safety
Safety is another year-round benefit of installing professional outdoor lighting. A professional lighting designer will survey your property to identify areas that could present safety hazards in the evening. Lighting driveways, pathways, patios, decks, and steps will facilitate safe navigation throughout the year and particularly in the winter when days are shorter, and frost/ice could compound the situation.
Outdoor Living Spaces and Entertaining
Outdoor spaces are an extension of your home. Installing outdoor lighting will allow you to take full advantage of these multi-functional spaces at night and enjoy even into the cooler seasons. Task lighting will make outdoor activities like grilling and eating easier while ambient lighting will create a welcoming environment for you and your guests to enjoy throughout the year. This is especially true In Charlotte where we are fortunate to have a four-season climate and yet experience a mild winter each year. This allows us to remain active outdoors year-round. Lounge by the pool and enjoy your landscaping on a warm summer night, then curl up with a warm drink by the fire pit on a cool fall evening.
Architectural & Landscape Lighting
Why allow your beautiful home to go unseen at night? A thoughtfully designed outdoor lighting system will highlight the best features of your home for you and others passing by to enjoy. A combination of well-placed uplights and downlights will gently illuminate and accentuate the architectural features of the home itself. Highlighting these structural features provides year-round curb appeal especially into the winter months when landscaping becomes less of a focal point.
As mentioned before, landscape lighting that extends to the outer edges of the property will create an extra ring of security. Aesthetically, landscape lighting also highlights various features throughout your property including trees and plants, pathways, and other hardscape features like retaining walls or stairs. Not only does this provide you with an opportunity to determine which areas you want to highlight, but it also creates beautiful depth of vision in areas that would normally be flat and dark.
Your landscape will be enhanced by landscape lighting in every season provided it is thoughtfully designed and installed by an experienced lighting professional. For example, well-lit trees will be a beautiful focal point throughout the year whether you’re enjoying the Spring and Summer blooms, or accentuating the vast colors of Autumn, or simply appreciating the natural shape of the trunk and branches in the Winter. Furthermore, illuminating evergreens will add color and vibrancy to your landscape, especially in Winter. Sit back and watch as your property takes on new character throughout the seasons. Continue to enjoy these changes even after the sun goes down. There is truly no seasonal limit to the beauty of a professionally designed outdoor lighting system.
5 Reasons to Install Outdoor Lighting in the Fall and Winter
While it’s clear outdoor lighting will enhance the beauty of your home and property throughout the seasons, some homeowners still assume Spring is the best season to install outdoor lighting. Here are five reasons to consider installing outdoor lighting in Fall and Winter.
1. Days are Shorter
With shorter days you spend more time awake after the sun has gone down – install your lighting now so that you can start enjoying it. As noted earlier, a well-designed lighting system will artfully illuminate your home and property throughout the seasons. There is nothing better than driving home after a long day to a beautifully illuminated and welcoming home. Also consider that you will be able to enjoy your lights from the inside your home. Relax by the fireplace in the winter and enjoy your property every time you glance out the windows. Instead of dark, flat windowpanes, transform your windows into living landscape portraits.
2. Focus On Your Lighting Project
While projects like landscaping and concrete are seasonal projects, lighting can be installed year-round. Spring cleaning, yard work, and other spring projects can be labor intensive and time consuming. By installing your lighting system while no other projects are going on, you can allocate more time, energy, and money towards the well-designed and professionally installed outdoor lighting system you desire.
3. Plants Become Dormant
With dormant plants and bare trees, the installation of outdoor lighting may be an easier process. You will not have to worry about disturbing newly planted or recently sprouted plants. Furthermore, you can give proper attention to the architectural features of your home and hardscapes throughout your property. As with Limelight Outdoor Lighting, most lighting companies will be more than willing to return to your property to ensure that your lighting is perfect when your plants and foliage return in the Spring and Summer.
4. Prepare for the Holidays
Prepare for the holidays with custom outdoor lighting! Welcome your holiday visitors and guests with a beautifully illuminated, inviting, and safe home. And if you are feeling extra festive, prepare for the holidays with color changing exterior lighting. While outdoor lighting companies often advertise professionally installed string lights, avoid the annual hassle and expense of this by installing color changing outdoor lighting as a permanent feature of your lighting system. With a couple taps on your phone, instantly color your home with festive light. The color options are endless – consider the traditional red and green for Christmas or opt for blue and white for a cool, fresh New Year’s look. And don’t forget – colored exterior lights can be utilized year-round! Try purple or orange for Halloween or red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. Change the lights to support your favorite team on gameday or surprise your little ones with their favorite colors on their birthdays. (We love color changing lights – can you tell!?)
5. Be Ready for Warm Weather
When the weather gets warm again, spend less time trying to coordinate home improvement projects and more time entertaining friends and enjoying your outdoor spaces! By installing your lights in the fall and winter, you will be able to sit back and enjoy your light instead of scrambling to find a lighting contractor that can accommodate your lighting project. Don’t wait! Start enjoying your outdoor spaces at night with custom outdoor lighting now.
Thinking about hiring a professional landscape lighting company?
At Limelight, outdoor lighting is all we do. We offer design, installation, and maintenance services and would love to help you design a system that lets you make the most of your landscape — day and night!
We understand that client satisfaction is the key to our success, and we enjoy working with our clients throughout the process to deliver an outdoor lighting system that fits your vision and budget. Getting started is simple, call Limelight Outdoor Lighting at (704) 989-3635 or click the link below to get a FREE quote for your landscape lighting project!
Looking for More Outdoor Lighting Inspiration and Ideas
Maybe you’re just starting to research outdoor lighting and you’re not ready to get a quote or schedule a consultation just yet. No problem! We’re here to help. Follow along with the Limelight Outdoor Lighting Blog. We offer outdoor lighting inspiration and ideas as well as expert lighting tips and advice.