There is no doubt that if you are looking for a way to spruce up the outside of your home, garden lights are a great way to go.
They are fairly inexpensive, reasonably easy to install, and when done properly, can create a stunning effect.
This is especially true when you consider all of the different styles, colors, and light intensities available.
The question for many of us then becomes; what kind of garden lighting do I purchase? Whereas it would be difficult to cover all of the different types of landscape lights available, and their pros and cons, we can pretty easily break it down into two main categories: low voltage garden lights and solar garden lights.
Since solar lighting costs nothing to run, it should be the first choice for the environmentally aware homeowner.
In just the last few years, manufacturers have come out with a huge assortment of different styles of solar lights, so finding the right set for your application, should not be at all difficult.
They are sturdy, very low (to no) maintenance, and have the added benefit of being powered by the sun.
They do not, however, come without their drawbacks.
One of the biggest drawbacks is that they depend on direct sunlight to charge their on-board batteries.
This means that do not work so well in areas where sunlight is sparse.
The other major drawback is that they are typically not as bright as their low voltage counterparts.
This is fine when using the lights for accents, and even for a lot of path lighting applications.
Where they have a problem is when large quantities of light is needed.
Low voltage landscape lights, on the other hand, can be very bright.
This makes them ideal for situations where you may need more light than solar lights are capable of producing.
Be careful though, because even though they use low voltage, low voltage is still electricity.
That means that using them will reflect on your energy bill.
It also means that they require electrical wires to be run, which not only make them much more difficult to install, but also means that they can be dangerous.
Either way that you decide to go, make sure that you do your research and purchase from a reputable merchant.
Good luck and enjoy your newly lit garden.
They are fairly inexpensive, reasonably easy to install, and when done properly, can create a stunning effect.
This is especially true when you consider all of the different styles, colors, and light intensities available.
The question for many of us then becomes; what kind of garden lighting do I purchase? Whereas it would be difficult to cover all of the different types of landscape lights available, and their pros and cons, we can pretty easily break it down into two main categories: low voltage garden lights and solar garden lights.
Since solar lighting costs nothing to run, it should be the first choice for the environmentally aware homeowner.
In just the last few years, manufacturers have come out with a huge assortment of different styles of solar lights, so finding the right set for your application, should not be at all difficult.
They are sturdy, very low (to no) maintenance, and have the added benefit of being powered by the sun.
They do not, however, come without their drawbacks.
One of the biggest drawbacks is that they depend on direct sunlight to charge their on-board batteries.
This means that do not work so well in areas where sunlight is sparse.
The other major drawback is that they are typically not as bright as their low voltage counterparts.
This is fine when using the lights for accents, and even for a lot of path lighting applications.
Where they have a problem is when large quantities of light is needed.
Low voltage landscape lights, on the other hand, can be very bright.
This makes them ideal for situations where you may need more light than solar lights are capable of producing.
Be careful though, because even though they use low voltage, low voltage is still electricity.
That means that using them will reflect on your energy bill.
It also means that they require electrical wires to be run, which not only make them much more difficult to install, but also means that they can be dangerous.
Either way that you decide to go, make sure that you do your research and purchase from a reputable merchant.
Good luck and enjoy your newly lit garden.
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