Author Archives: Decorating Elves

15 Nov

Three Reasons to Hire a Contractor for Your Holiday Lighting

The holidays are fast approaching, and it’s past time to think about your holiday lighting. Many homeowners choose to put up their holiday lights on their own, but there are several good reasons why you should hire a contractor instead.

Safety First

While it is sometimes tough to admit, some people really shouldn’t be on ladders or roofs. If you have bad knees, arthritis, or other health conditions, you probably shouldn’t be putting up holiday lights. Even if you are very healthy, you put your safety at risk when you install holiday lighting, especially if you do it with the wrong equipment. Hiring a contractor will keep you safely on the ground, while the contractor will use the appropriate tools, equipment, and safety measures. Read More →

15 Oct

Benefits of RGB Color Control in Holiday Lighting

There is a new trend in holiday lighting, using RGB LED color lights. RGB LED lights have many benefits beyond being able to control the color scheme of your lighting. Here are some of the great benefits of this holiday lighting trend.

Color Control

With RGB LED holiday lights, you have complete control over the colors that you display. You can get wireless capable holiday lights that can be controlled from your smartphone, so that you can even change up your holiday lighting while you are away from home or on the go. You can control the colors of the LED lights, as well as control when they shine. Read More →

15 Sep

Three of the Latest Halloween Lighting and Decorating Trends

Halloween is just around the corner, and it is never too early to start planning. If you really want to go all out for Halloween, it is a good idea to hire a professional lighting decorator and installer to assist you. These professionals know all the latest trends and have the time and means to give your home the look you desire. Here are three of the latest Halloween lighting and decorating trends that we can assist you with.

Spooky Lights

Just as you can get colored or clear Christmas lighting, your professional installer can also install spooky lighting. Spooky lights could be shaped like skulls, jack o’ lanterns, ghosts, witches, or another spooky character, and they can be nearly any color you want. You can also get spooky lights in trees and other landscaping elements that are different colors. Read More →

15 Aug

Why Preventative Maintenance of Your Lighting is Important

When it comes to preventative maintenance of your home, often you think of things like the lawn and garden, the furnace inspection before winter, or changing out blown breakers. One of the things that often gets overlooked is preventative maintenance of your outdoor lighting. While most systems installed today need little maintenance, there are some things that you will need to consider. If you do not carefully maintain your outdoor lighting, it will not last as long as you wish.

Trees and Plants

When outdoor lighting is first installed, it is placed away from trees and plants in the area in an attempt to avoid damage from the roots or limbs. However, overtime trees do grow, and gardens can quickly expand. If you do not use preventative maintenance to make sure that your lighting remains clear of these hazards, you could wind up with lighting fixtures grown into plants—a situation that could lead to losing both the plant and the fixture. Read More →

15 Jul

Unique Needs of Commercial Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting takes on a new meaning for commercial buildings. It is important that you choose a lighting contractor that is familiar with the unique needs of commercial outdoor lighting. There are several factors to consider when you are designing the outdoor lighting for your commercial applications.

Security

Commercial building owners and leasers are generally much more worried about security than the average homeowner. You want to make sure that your outdoor lighting scheme complements your other security measures, such as security camera placement. Lighting should also be bright enough to be discouraging, but not so bright that it interferes with the camera’s operation. Read More →

15 Jun

Patio and Deck Lighting Techniques for Entertaining

Summer is here, and with it come barbeques and get togethers of family and friends. When your deck becomes the hot spot of the summer, you want to make sure that you are prepared for constant entertaining. Patio and deck lighting can help keep you and your guests comfortable and safe so that you can enjoy the outdoors long into the night.

Railings and Steps

One of the permanent lighting techniques that we use for patios and decks is unobtrusive lights along deck rails and illuminating steps. This lighting is important for the safety of your family and guests. When you have lighting on the railings and steps it is much less likely that someone could become injured from tripping or stumbling in the dark. This is a must if you are planning on nighttime entertaining. Read More →

15 May

Advantages of Permanent Holiday Lighting for Your Home

Each year in the fall, you struggle with putting up holiday lights. Then, in the midst of the winter, you have to take them back down. If you don’t have the ability or time to do this for yourself, you could be spending quite a bit of money each year to have your holiday lights installed and removed. Instead of dealing with lighting every season, permanent holiday lighting can be installed that removes this cost and hassle.

Saves Money Over Time

If you are paying for someone to install and remove your holiday lighting, you may be able to save money over time by getting permanent holiday lighting installed on your home. The permanent holiday lighting is only installed once, and is rated for up to 100,000 hours. You will rarely need to worry about replacing lights or repairs to the installation. After the first few years, the permanent lighting pays for itself. Read More →

15 Apr

The Best Outdoor Lighting for Handicap Accessibility

With a little specialized knowledge, you can create an outdoor lighting design that is both beautiful and handicap accessible. There are just a few key aspects of your outdoor lighting design you need to keep in mind to create that accessibility. It is important to pay attention to the glare of your lighting, how well-lit your pathways are, and how easily switches can be accessed.

Reducing Glare From Lighting

Glare causes visibility issues for those who use wheelchairs. The reason for this is that many people who install lights hanging from cabinets, coming from the ground, or hanging downwards are thinking of the visual effect for people of an average height who are standing. Many lights can, accidentally, be placed in a way that shines light directly into the eyes of someone traveling through your outdoor space in a wheelchair.

To reduce the glare coming from your outdoor lighting design, keep the various eyeline levels of people in mind when placing lights. You can position some lights at a lower level so they won’t shine in anyone’s eyes. Frost-tinted bulbs are another way to reduce glare and make your space more handicap accessible. Read More →

15 Mar

The Importance of Using a State Licensed Contractor for Lighting

When you are ready to install lighting on your home, it can be tempting to try to do it yourself or hire the cheapest contractor. There are a lot of very good reasons that you should not do either. If you want outdoor lighting installed on your home, hiring a state licensed contractor is your best bet.

Trained and Certified

State licensed contractors are trained and certified in electrical work. When outdoor lighting is installed on your home, it must be wired and connected to electricity. In order to be safe and durable, lighting must be installed by a trained professional. The state is very thorough in licensing contractors, and by using a state licensed contractor, you know that your lighting will be installed correctly and safely. Read More →

15 Feb

Top Lighting Techniques for Outdoor Security

Everyone wants to keep their family home safe. You worry about your family all the time when you are away from home or tucked in for the night. One of the best ways that you can protect your family and home is with outdoor lighting. Outdoor security lighting techniques can add beauty to your home while providing a safe environment.

Listen to the Experts

Outdoor security lighting may not guarantee that your home will be safe from burglary, but it certainly can make a difference. It is well known that well-lit avenues have less crime than poorly-lit streets. The same philosophy can be applied to your home. If the robber feels that they could be seen by a neighbor or passing car or patrolman due to the outdoor lighting, they may be deterred from the crime.

Lighting up your outdoor areas, especially around doors and easily accessible ground floor windows, can also help you know if you are safe. Even if a criminal is undeterred by the lights and you have some indication such as a noise outside, you can easily see the perimeter of your home from the safety of your windows, calling police if necessary.

Safer for Your Family

Outdoor security lighting is also safer for your family. When you can see the paths around your home clearly, it prevents many trip and fall accidents that might otherwise occur. This is particularly important during seasons of inclement weather.

Outdoor Security Lighting Techniques

The best outdoor security lighting will brighten the entry points of your home while being aesthetically pleasing. Low-level lighting combined with accent lights can illuminate your entry points while accenting the more beautiful aspects of your home. The low-level lighting is bright enough for you to see at night and for any security cameras you have to capture footage, but is low enough that they do not disturb your rest or that of your neighbors.

For more information about how we can help you with your outdoor security lighting in Florida, contact us today. We can help you design the perfect lighting scheme for your home.