Jun
10
Landscape Design For Homes in Houston Texas
Filed Under Home Improvement | Comments Off
Jeff Halper asked:
Have you cut out and collected pictures of great landscaping ideas, but now wonder how to actually put them onto your own property? Have you wanted to capture the vision of a stately French mansion on your property in Houston, Texas? Would you like to know whether the plants you’ve admired in European and New England countryside estates will grow on the Texas coastal plains?
If so, you need the services of an experienced residential landscape design professional. A competent landscape designer or landscape architect takes you through the entire design development process, which includes: consultation and program development, analysis of the existing site, conceptual landscaping design, construction documentation and permitting. And then on towards turning the vision in your mind from virtual reality to actual reality.
Landscape design and Analysis of the Site
An essential part of the initial consultation with your landscape designer or landscape architect is a walk around your property. Here is where you get to share your overall vision, detail your wants and needs and desires. It should be a free-flowing discussion about aesthetics, which includes your likes and dislikes of materials, preferences on arrangements-all the “wouldn’t it be nice if…” things you’ve been considering.
Try to be as specific as you can. For example, you may want a deck to seat a party of ten people or a large lawn area on which your three- and five-year-old can play with your Labrador retriever. This detailed information will be brought together by your residential landscape designer or landscape architect to create a program of uses. The program organizes uses by their relationship to one another, much like the inside flow of your home. In fact, the architecture and flow of your home should relate to the architecture and flow of your landscaping. Understanding these relationships and interpreting them well separates the artist-architectural designer from a landscape horticulturalist-contractor.
Residential Landscaping Design
The next step in the design process develops out of the meeting notes, site analysis, program of uses, and the design professional’s experience. At this conceptual level, the landscape designer or landscape architect conveys the overall design intent, such as the general use areas and their sizes, swimming pools and other hardscapes, outdoor kitchens and outdoor fountains, lawn areas, and plantings. This phase will also be the time when it is determined which wish list items are possible on the site and which are not. An overall cost study is developed from the conceptual landscaping design as well.
Moving Forward with you Landscape Design:
Once you have agreed on the overall design intent, sizes of use areas, general material selections and their applications, you are ready to begin the landscaping design development and construction phase. The documentation for this phase can be broken down into three groups: 1) landscaping design drawings for permitting. 2) landscaping design drawings to convey final design intent and material selections for you and the installation contractor 3) landscaping design drawings, called construction documents, with specifications for materials, specifications for their installation and installation methods.
These drawings may be accompanied by a full package of additional drawings to include an existing site survey, tree disposition and elevation plan, tree preservation plan, demolition plan, swimming pool plan, landscape drainage systems, irrigation systems, hardscape plan including outdoor kitchen and outdoor water fountains, landscape planting plan, landscape lighting plan, and construction details for the above plans.
As for permits, each city has its own unique requirements for landscape plan approvals. The norm is a submittal of the entire permitting package to be approved or rejected by a committee board. For this reason, it is important to hire a landscaping company that is fluent in these areas, one who knows what vital information to include, such as lot coverage ratios, engineered drainage plans, pool fencing layout and specifications. It is equally important to omit unnecessary information that could create confusion or send up a red flag that would keep the project from getting approved. A knowledgeable residential landscape designer or landscape architect helps win approval as quickly as possible.
Garden Design and the End Results
Whether your project is a simple landscaping design that only encompasses landscape planting or is a complex construction package, it is vital that you hire a landscape designer or landscape architect that is competent in the skill sets detailed here. For your satisfaction, it is also important to distinguish between off-the-shelf landscaping design and a designer who can reflect your unique style. Always ask to see a portfolio and visit the website to determine if the landscaping company under consideration has the sense of style you appreciate and is one who can design a landscape that complements your home and lifestyle.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that you utilize a landscaping design company that not only does the design work, but also performs project management and landscaping installation. There is a world of difference between someone who has great ideas and another person with great ideas who also knows the availability and best use of local materials, local contractors and their methods of construction, overall cost and budget development, and can then maintain the finished product. In short, you want a landscape designer or landscape architect who can deliver a landscape design solution that flourishes in the Houston climate over the long term.
FREEMAN
Have you cut out and collected pictures of great landscaping ideas, but now wonder how to actually put them onto your own property? Have you wanted to capture the vision of a stately French mansion on your property in Houston, Texas? Would you like to know whether the plants you’ve admired in European and New England countryside estates will grow on the Texas coastal plains?
If so, you need the services of an experienced residential landscape design professional. A competent landscape designer or landscape architect takes you through the entire design development process, which includes: consultation and program development, analysis of the existing site, conceptual landscaping design, construction documentation and permitting. And then on towards turning the vision in your mind from virtual reality to actual reality.
Landscape design and Analysis of the Site
An essential part of the initial consultation with your landscape designer or landscape architect is a walk around your property. Here is where you get to share your overall vision, detail your wants and needs and desires. It should be a free-flowing discussion about aesthetics, which includes your likes and dislikes of materials, preferences on arrangements-all the “wouldn’t it be nice if…” things you’ve been considering.
___________________________________________________________________
Try to be as specific as you can. For example, you may want a deck to seat a party of ten people or a large lawn area on which your three- and five-year-old can play with your Labrador retriever. This detailed information will be brought together by your residential landscape designer or landscape architect to create a program of uses. The program organizes uses by their relationship to one another, much like the inside flow of your home. In fact, the architecture and flow of your home should relate to the architecture and flow of your landscaping. Understanding these relationships and interpreting them well separates the artist-architectural designer from a landscape horticulturalist-contractor.
Residential Landscaping Design
The next step in the design process develops out of the meeting notes, site analysis, program of uses, and the design professional’s experience. At this conceptual level, the landscape designer or landscape architect conveys the overall design intent, such as the general use areas and their sizes, swimming pools and other hardscapes, outdoor kitchens and outdoor fountains, lawn areas, and plantings. This phase will also be the time when it is determined which wish list items are possible on the site and which are not. An overall cost study is developed from the conceptual landscaping design as well.
Moving Forward with you Landscape Design:
Once you have agreed on the overall design intent, sizes of use areas, general material selections and their applications, you are ready to begin the landscaping design development and construction phase. The documentation for this phase can be broken down into three groups: 1) landscaping design drawings for permitting. 2) landscaping design drawings to convey final design intent and material selections for you and the installation contractor 3) landscaping design drawings, called construction documents, with specifications for materials, specifications for their installation and installation methods.
These drawings may be accompanied by a full package of additional drawings to include an existing site survey, tree disposition and elevation plan, tree preservation plan, demolition plan, swimming pool plan, landscape drainage systems, irrigation systems, hardscape plan including outdoor kitchen and outdoor water fountains, landscape planting plan, landscape lighting plan, and construction details for the above plans.
As for permits, each city has its own unique requirements for landscape plan approvals. The norm is a submittal of the entire permitting package to be approved or rejected by a committee board. For this reason, it is important to hire a landscaping company that is fluent in these areas, one who knows what vital information to include, such as lot coverage ratios, engineered drainage plans, pool fencing layout and specifications. It is equally important to omit unnecessary information that could create confusion or send up a red flag that would keep the project from getting approved. A knowledgeable residential landscape designer or landscape architect helps win approval as quickly as possible.
Garden Design and the End Results
Whether your project is a simple landscaping design that only encompasses landscape planting or is a complex construction package, it is vital that you hire a landscape designer or landscape architect that is competent in the skill sets detailed here. For your satisfaction, it is also important to distinguish between off-the-shelf landscaping design and a designer who can reflect your unique style. Always ask to see a portfolio and visit the website to determine if the landscaping company under consideration has the sense of style you appreciate and is one who can design a landscape that complements your home and lifestyle.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that you utilize a landscaping design company that not only does the design work, but also performs project management and landscaping installation. There is a world of difference between someone who has great ideas and another person with great ideas who also knows the availability and best use of local materials, local contractors and their methods of construction, overall cost and budget development, and can then maintain the finished product. In short, you want a landscape designer or landscape architect who can deliver a landscape design solution that flourishes in the Houston climate over the long term.
FREEMAN
Jun
7
Using Landscaping Software
Filed Under Home Improvement | Comments Off
Mr.Andrew Caxton asked:
Landscaping software can help you plan your landscape design simply and easily. By using software, you will be able to see exactly how your landscape will look.
Landscaping design can be made much easier by using landscaping software. If your creativity is running low concerning your lawn, then landscaping software can help you to get some ideas on how to design your landscaping plan. This is a great tool to help you design your landscaping plan because you can input your dimensions, determine your plan, and then print it off so that you can go buy the materials needed.
Help With Your Landscaping Design
If you are looking for some ideas for landscaping, then you will want to consider getting some landscaping software. By using this software, you will be able to get a firsthand look at how your landscape will look after you complete your work. It will be displayed on the screen just as if you were watching a television show.
Landscaping Instructions
Most of the landscape software packages will also give you step-by-step directions on how to complete your project. This will give you clear direction from start to finish. This is the right choice for you if you are someone who needs detailed directions to complete a project completely. It will also help you with determining what materials that you need to complete your project. What could be better than that?
Creating Software For Your Ideas
Creating your own landscaping software is a great way to show other people your effort and work. This is also the best way to sell your imagination and creativity. You can even sell your own software if you want to. Building software can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home and you can find directions on how to do this online or at your local computer store.
Find the Software Needed
You can find landscaping software in many different places. The most common sources are an electronics outlet or computer store, but other sources for landscaping software is catalogs or even online. There is a big price range in landscaping software, but in this case, the more expensive ones may be easier to use and better for your landscaping planning.
Whether you are purchasing software for yourself or for your business, you will find that using landscaping software makes your planning easier. With landscaping software, you can see exactly what the landscape design will look like. In no time at all, you will be enjoying the landscaping design that you have yearned for.
REFUGIO
___________________________________________________________________
Landscaping software can help you plan your landscape design simply and easily. By using software, you will be able to see exactly how your landscape will look.
Landscaping design can be made much easier by using landscaping software. If your creativity is running low concerning your lawn, then landscaping software can help you to get some ideas on how to design your landscaping plan. This is a great tool to help you design your landscaping plan because you can input your dimensions, determine your plan, and then print it off so that you can go buy the materials needed.
Help With Your Landscaping Design
If you are looking for some ideas for landscaping, then you will want to consider getting some landscaping software. By using this software, you will be able to get a firsthand look at how your landscape will look after you complete your work. It will be displayed on the screen just as if you were watching a television show.
Landscaping Instructions
Most of the landscape software packages will also give you step-by-step directions on how to complete your project. This will give you clear direction from start to finish. This is the right choice for you if you are someone who needs detailed directions to complete a project completely. It will also help you with determining what materials that you need to complete your project. What could be better than that?
Creating Software For Your Ideas
Creating your own landscaping software is a great way to show other people your effort and work. This is also the best way to sell your imagination and creativity. You can even sell your own software if you want to. Building software can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home and you can find directions on how to do this online or at your local computer store.
Find the Software Needed
You can find landscaping software in many different places. The most common sources are an electronics outlet or computer store, but other sources for landscaping software is catalogs or even online. There is a big price range in landscaping software, but in this case, the more expensive ones may be easier to use and better for your landscaping planning.
Whether you are purchasing software for yourself or for your business, you will find that using landscaping software makes your planning easier. With landscaping software, you can see exactly what the landscape design will look like. In no time at all, you will be enjoying the landscaping design that you have yearned for.
REFUGIO
May
12
Using Landscape Lights
Filed Under Home Improvement | Comments Off
Mr.Andrew Caxton asked:
Landscape lights have many benefits that can help make your home safer and more visual appealing. There are two different kinds of landscape lights for you to choose from to allow you to find the ones that are best for your needs and your yard.
If you are searching for a way to add a touch of color and excitement to your gardens, then you may want to try landscape lighting. They are not only beautiful and stylish. They also help to give your home more security. The good news is that you can add landscape lighting to any kind of landscaping design. They can be easily installed anywhere that you choose, whether it is in your front or back yard.
Security Benefits
Adding landscape lights are an easy way to add some security to your home. The lights will help to brighten up any dark corners of your yard, as well as illuminating the steps or other areas in your landscaping design for ease of use.
Garden Accents
Enhancing your garden area is easily done by installing landscape lights. There is a great variety of landscape lights that will allow you to landscape your garden with style and finesse. They are also relatively inexpensive ways to update a boring garden area. If you need a new feature in your rock garden or flowerbed, then look no further!
Types of Lights
Landscape lights are usually powered in two different ways. One is solar powered and the other is electric. Solar powered landscape lights have a solar cell that takes the energy from the sun and stores it inside of its rechargeable batteries. Solar landscape lights are not very expensive, but, depending upon the solar batteries, they may not shine very long or brightly. They are easy to install, however, and are easy to maintain.
Another option for landscape lights are the ones that are powered by an electrical source. The wires are run underground and they are then powered into your home’s electrical system. This type of landscape light is best used for larger areas and can be installed yourself if you are comfortable with working with electricity.
Decorating With Landscape Lights
Using landscape lights to decorate your yard is a wonderful idea. You can line your walkway with the lights or make a path to your home using the landscape lights. They will not only illuminate your way, but they can also add interest and charm to your home. If you choose the electric lights, then you can change out the light bulbs to go with the seasons - red and green for Christmas, orange for the fall and Halloween, and pastel colors for the spring and Easter. This is a simple way to integrate your lights into your decorating scheme.
Partying with Landscape Lights
If you enjoy entertaining, then you will definitely want to add landscape lights to your yard. Installing lights around your yard will make an ideal setting for all of those outdoor parties. It is also a great way to show of your newly designed landscape.
Landscape lights are a great way to light up your yard and feature the special parts of your landscaped area. You, your friends, and your family will enjoy the ambiance that the landscape lights help to add to your home and yard.
JESS
Landscape lights have many benefits that can help make your home safer and more visual appealing. There are two different kinds of landscape lights for you to choose from to allow you to find the ones that are best for your needs and your yard.
If you are searching for a way to add a touch of color and excitement to your gardens, then you may want to try landscape lighting. They are not only beautiful and stylish. They also help to give your home more security. The good news is that you can add landscape lighting to any kind of landscaping design. They can be easily installed anywhere that you choose, whether it is in your front or back yard.
Security Benefits
Adding landscape lights are an easy way to add some security to your home. The lights will help to brighten up any dark corners of your yard, as well as illuminating the steps or other areas in your landscaping design for ease of use.
Garden Accents
Enhancing your garden area is easily done by installing landscape lights. There is a great variety of landscape lights that will allow you to landscape your garden with style and finesse. They are also relatively inexpensive ways to update a boring garden area. If you need a new feature in your rock garden or flowerbed, then look no further!
Types of Lights
___________________________________________________________________
Landscape lights are usually powered in two different ways. One is solar powered and the other is electric. Solar powered landscape lights have a solar cell that takes the energy from the sun and stores it inside of its rechargeable batteries. Solar landscape lights are not very expensive, but, depending upon the solar batteries, they may not shine very long or brightly. They are easy to install, however, and are easy to maintain.
Another option for landscape lights are the ones that are powered by an electrical source. The wires are run underground and they are then powered into your home’s electrical system. This type of landscape light is best used for larger areas and can be installed yourself if you are comfortable with working with electricity.
Decorating With Landscape Lights
Using landscape lights to decorate your yard is a wonderful idea. You can line your walkway with the lights or make a path to your home using the landscape lights. They will not only illuminate your way, but they can also add interest and charm to your home. If you choose the electric lights, then you can change out the light bulbs to go with the seasons - red and green for Christmas, orange for the fall and Halloween, and pastel colors for the spring and Easter. This is a simple way to integrate your lights into your decorating scheme.
Partying with Landscape Lights
If you enjoy entertaining, then you will definitely want to add landscape lights to your yard. Installing lights around your yard will make an ideal setting for all of those outdoor parties. It is also a great way to show of your newly designed landscape.
Landscape lights are a great way to light up your yard and feature the special parts of your landscaped area. You, your friends, and your family will enjoy the ambiance that the landscape lights help to add to your home and yard.
JESS
Apr
9
Landscaping Basics
Filed Under Home Improvement | Comments Off
Mr.Andrew Caxton asked:
You can make your lawn into that refuge that you want and need. All you need to do is plan and prepare the landscaping design so that you will be ready to carry out your plan.
I am sure that you have many different landscaping ideas that are inside your mind and heart. This is the best way to find the right landscaping design for your particular yard, because it assures your satisfaction. You, too, can make your lawn into that relaxing and tranquil spot that you deserve and need. You don’t have to be a professional landscaper to make your lawn look great. All you need is some time and energy, as well as creativity, to make your lawn into the oasis that you desire.
Plan Your Landscaping Design
Planning and preparation are the most important parts of landscaping design. You first need to lay it all out on paper. This will allow you to see exactly what you need and how it will work space-wise. Take the time to plan your landscaping design carefully so that you will be properly prepared. Keep trees and buildings in mind when you plan your landscaping design, so that you will not have problems once you start doing the work. Make them fit into your landscaping design now so that you will have a cohesive plan in mind.
Landscaping Ideas From Everywhere
There are many different ways that you can find landscaping ideas. Gardening magazines, stores, or books is one way that you can find some ideas. Online pictures and websites can also help, as well as driving around and looking at other people’s landscaping designs. This will help you to get your own imagination and creativity jump-started.
Evaluate the Landscaping Area
Keep the dimensions of the area and where the area is located in mind when you are determining your landscaping plan. Does the area receive lots of sun or is it shady? This is a very important determination to ensure that you choose the right plants for your area. You also need to see if there are any drainage problems and evaluate how you are going to keep the area watered. All of these considerations are very important to make sure that your landscaping will thrive and not die.
Adding Layers to Your Landscaping
You will find that there is a great variety of materials that are available to use to create artificial walls and borders for your landscaping. You will find that this can help to add texture and interest to an otherwise flat landscape and can help increase the visual beauty of your lawn. You can use many different things, including stones, rocks, lumber, railroad ties, or even cement blocks in your lawn. Some of these items can even be transplanted from other areas of your lawn. Use these materials creatively to help turn your lawn into the refuge that you want.
Taking Care of Your New Landscape
No matter what materials you base your landscaping design around, you will want to make sure that you understand how to care for and maintain the landscaping. If you are using live landscaping materials, then you need to determine how to feed and water them so that they will thrive. You don’t want to waste the effort and time that you spent planting by not taking proper care of your plants or you will have a dead, brown landscape instead of one that thrives. Keep your landscape looking neat and trim by weeding and trimming it as necessary. If your landscaping design is centered around rocks and lumber, then you still will need to maintain it by keeping it clean and neat so that it will last for many years.
With some imagination, creativity, and a lot of time and effort, you will find that you lawn landscaping will give you a great deal of pride and relaxation. Doesn’t that sound great?
DEREK
You can make your lawn into that refuge that you want and need. All you need to do is plan and prepare the landscaping design so that you will be ready to carry out your plan.
I am sure that you have many different landscaping ideas that are inside your mind and heart. This is the best way to find the right landscaping design for your particular yard, because it assures your satisfaction. You, too, can make your lawn into that relaxing and tranquil spot that you deserve and need. You don’t have to be a professional landscaper to make your lawn look great. All you need is some time and energy, as well as creativity, to make your lawn into the oasis that you desire.
Plan Your Landscaping Design
Planning and preparation are the most important parts of landscaping design. You first need to lay it all out on paper. This will allow you to see exactly what you need and how it will work space-wise. Take the time to plan your landscaping design carefully so that you will be properly prepared. Keep trees and buildings in mind when you plan your landscaping design, so that you will not have problems once you start doing the work. Make them fit into your landscaping design now so that you will have a cohesive plan in mind.
Landscaping Ideas From Everywhere
There are many different ways that you can find landscaping ideas. Gardening magazines, stores, or books is one way that you can find some ideas. Online pictures and websites can also help, as well as driving around and looking at other people’s landscaping designs. This will help you to get your own imagination and creativity jump-started.
Evaluate the Landscaping Area
Keep the dimensions of the area and where the area is located in mind when you are determining your landscaping plan. Does the area receive lots of sun or is it shady? This is a very important determination to ensure that you choose the right plants for your area. You also need to see if there are any drainage problems and evaluate how you are going to keep the area watered. All of these considerations are very important to make sure that your landscaping will thrive and not die.
Adding Layers to Your Landscaping
You will find that there is a great variety of materials that are available to use to create artificial walls and borders for your landscaping. You will find that this can help to add texture and interest to an otherwise flat landscape and can help increase the visual beauty of your lawn. You can use many different things, including stones, rocks, lumber, railroad ties, or even cement blocks in your lawn. Some of these items can even be transplanted from other areas of your lawn. Use these materials creatively to help turn your lawn into the refuge that you want.
Taking Care of Your New Landscape
No matter what materials you base your landscaping design around, you will want to make sure that you understand how to care for and maintain the landscaping. If you are using live landscaping materials, then you need to determine how to feed and water them so that they will thrive. You don’t want to waste the effort and time that you spent planting by not taking proper care of your plants or you will have a dead, brown landscape instead of one that thrives. Keep your landscape looking neat and trim by weeding and trimming it as necessary. If your landscaping design is centered around rocks and lumber, then you still will need to maintain it by keeping it clean and neat so that it will last for many years.
With some imagination, creativity, and a lot of time and effort, you will find that you lawn landscaping will give you a great deal of pride and relaxation. Doesn’t that sound great?
DEREK
Mar
1
Planning Landscape Lighting
Filed Under Home Improvement | Comments Off
Russell Neal asked:
An effective landscape lighting plan requires harmonizing your indoor and outdoor lighting systems to create a sense of uniformity and style between the two. Your yard and landscape are very much a part of your home, and should be treated as an extension of the living experience you enjoy inside the walls of your house. Covered patios, screen porches, pergolas and other outdoor entertaining spaces may require indoor lighting techniques. Recessed down lights and ceiling fans now come into play, as do special lights for illuminating the grill. By using wall box dimmer controls, one can adjust light levels to adapt to the event this shows off the structure and illuminates the structure. If up lights are used adjacent to house, elegant shadows are created which dance on the facade of the house on windy evenings. Setting the tone between the threshold of your home and your yard in this fashion establishes the conceptual and emotional foundation of your outdoor garden lighting design that will then extend outward into the green and open spaces beyond.
Plan your landscape lighting to use shadows to your advantage.
It is a common misconception among homeowners that shadows are a bad thing, and that the purpose of light is to brightly illuminate everything to the extent that no dark spots appear. The opposite is actually true. Houston landscape lighting works best as a blend between light and shadow, so use a balance of darkness and light when planning your landscape lighting system. Depending on the degree to which you vary this contrast, you can create all sorts of luminary effects and varying states of mind. Bathing exceptionally dark areas of your yard in soft ambient light from tree lights mimics the effects of moonlight and is highly romantic. Up lighting statuary, bird baths, and other ornaments creates an elevated sense of emotion ideal for garden parties. Hiding light fixtures within shrubs and flower beds creates a mystical effect where objects appear to glow with a light of their own. How you plan your landscaping lighting layout and landscape lighting maintenance program is really a matter of how you plan to feel when you look outside your window or spend warm summer nights on the patio. Start by evaluating plant materials, shrubs, trees, and gardens. These are forms that create shadow, and serve as guidelines to follow that are literally already growing right behind your home.
Plan your landscaping lighting with multiple layers of light in mind.
To achieve the type of depth and dimension we are talking about it, is necessary to use more than one layer of light. ILD landscaping pros typically plan a design around four distinctive layers of illumination, some of which distinctly overlap one another; others of which blend and synthesize together. Every landscape lighting design is different and must be planned around the unique dimensions of a yard and the contents within it. Fountains, sculptures, rock formations, bridges, and ornamental structures all provide accent or feature lighting opportunities. Trees provide moonlighting opportunities with concealed mercury vapor lights. Depending on the overall emotional tone you plan to create, any number of light fixture types can be used to illuminate these objects. You may want to install fixtures that are completely hidden so as to only illuminate objects of interest, or you may go the other route and use highly visible, decorative fixtures that add an additional aesthetic to your yard. If you are uncertain as to what type of fixtures to use, call one of our professionals and ask about specialty commercial grade fixtures that are made for specific types of landscapes and particular mood-setting lighting effects.
Be safe and practical when planning a landscape lighting system.
We recommend that the DYI homeowner stick with low-voltage landscape lighting equipment exclusively. 12-volt lights are generally all that you need to illuminate an outdoor area, and represent much less of a shock hazard to children and pets. They are also much safer to install. Do not forget to pay attention to the smaller practicalities of landscape lighting, either. Trip hazards such as steps, sidewalks, and driveways are good candidates for outdoor path lighting. Uplighting around trees can provide a visual aid that helps family and guests navigate in uncharted territory. Since these aspects of lighting involve safety as well as aesthetics, we recommend you consult with a professional firm for a free evaluation of your landscape lighting plan. This will help ensure that that you have thought of all the necessary contingencies, and will eliminate surprises, mishaps, and needless additional expense in the future.
Plan on contacting a landscape lighting professional.
Our landscape lighting crews are some of the best in the business. They understand how light works and where the light should go to maximize your visual nighttime enjoyment. No tree is too high for our professional tree climbers! We are experienced in all forms of outdoor landscape lighting from simple low voltage systems to more complicated high voltage mercury vapor lighting systems. We stock a full range of landscape lighting materials such as fixtures, lamps and replacement parts. We not only service what we sell, but we can assist you with repairs or maintenance to existing outdoor landscape lighting systems installed by our competitors. All of our technicians are experienced licensed professionals and we subcontract no work to outside vendors. The results will be spectacular!
DON
An effective landscape lighting plan requires harmonizing your indoor and outdoor lighting systems to create a sense of uniformity and style between the two. Your yard and landscape are very much a part of your home, and should be treated as an extension of the living experience you enjoy inside the walls of your house. Covered patios, screen porches, pergolas and other outdoor entertaining spaces may require indoor lighting techniques. Recessed down lights and ceiling fans now come into play, as do special lights for illuminating the grill. By using wall box dimmer controls, one can adjust light levels to adapt to the event this shows off the structure and illuminates the structure. If up lights are used adjacent to house, elegant shadows are created which dance on the facade of the house on windy evenings. Setting the tone between the threshold of your home and your yard in this fashion establishes the conceptual and emotional foundation of your outdoor garden lighting design that will then extend outward into the green and open spaces beyond.
Plan your landscape lighting to use shadows to your advantage.
It is a common misconception among homeowners that shadows are a bad thing, and that the purpose of light is to brightly illuminate everything to the extent that no dark spots appear. The opposite is actually true. Houston landscape lighting works best as a blend between light and shadow, so use a balance of darkness and light when planning your landscape lighting system. Depending on the degree to which you vary this contrast, you can create all sorts of luminary effects and varying states of mind. Bathing exceptionally dark areas of your yard in soft ambient light from tree lights mimics the effects of moonlight and is highly romantic. Up lighting statuary, bird baths, and other ornaments creates an elevated sense of emotion ideal for garden parties. Hiding light fixtures within shrubs and flower beds creates a mystical effect where objects appear to glow with a light of their own. How you plan your landscaping lighting layout and landscape lighting maintenance program is really a matter of how you plan to feel when you look outside your window or spend warm summer nights on the patio. Start by evaluating plant materials, shrubs, trees, and gardens. These are forms that create shadow, and serve as guidelines to follow that are literally already growing right behind your home.
Plan your landscaping lighting with multiple layers of light in mind.
To achieve the type of depth and dimension we are talking about it, is necessary to use more than one layer of light. ILD landscaping pros typically plan a design around four distinctive layers of illumination, some of which distinctly overlap one another; others of which blend and synthesize together. Every landscape lighting design is different and must be planned around the unique dimensions of a yard and the contents within it. Fountains, sculptures, rock formations, bridges, and ornamental structures all provide accent or feature lighting opportunities. Trees provide moonlighting opportunities with concealed mercury vapor lights. Depending on the overall emotional tone you plan to create, any number of light fixture types can be used to illuminate these objects. You may want to install fixtures that are completely hidden so as to only illuminate objects of interest, or you may go the other route and use highly visible, decorative fixtures that add an additional aesthetic to your yard. If you are uncertain as to what type of fixtures to use, call one of our professionals and ask about specialty commercial grade fixtures that are made for specific types of landscapes and particular mood-setting lighting effects.
Be safe and practical when planning a landscape lighting system.
We recommend that the DYI homeowner stick with low-voltage landscape lighting equipment exclusively. 12-volt lights are generally all that you need to illuminate an outdoor area, and represent much less of a shock hazard to children and pets. They are also much safer to install. Do not forget to pay attention to the smaller practicalities of landscape lighting, either. Trip hazards such as steps, sidewalks, and driveways are good candidates for outdoor path lighting. Uplighting around trees can provide a visual aid that helps family and guests navigate in uncharted territory. Since these aspects of lighting involve safety as well as aesthetics, we recommend you consult with a professional firm for a free evaluation of your landscape lighting plan. This will help ensure that that you have thought of all the necessary contingencies, and will eliminate surprises, mishaps, and needless additional expense in the future.
Plan on contacting a landscape lighting professional.
Our landscape lighting crews are some of the best in the business. They understand how light works and where the light should go to maximize your visual nighttime enjoyment. No tree is too high for our professional tree climbers! We are experienced in all forms of outdoor landscape lighting from simple low voltage systems to more complicated high voltage mercury vapor lighting systems. We stock a full range of landscape lighting materials such as fixtures, lamps and replacement parts. We not only service what we sell, but we can assist you with repairs or maintenance to existing outdoor landscape lighting systems installed by our competitors. All of our technicians are experienced licensed professionals and we subcontract no work to outside vendors. The results will be spectacular!
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