Monday, February 10, 2014 - 3:36pm
When installing a brand new lighting system, the main goal is to meet the requirements of the people at the actual property. But there are quite a few others who will experience the effects of the lighting every night as well — the neighbors. When designing the lighting plan, it’s important to avoid placing lights where they can spill into another yard or even hit another house accidentally. Here are some tips to make a lighting system the envy of the neighborhood rather than the accidental annoyance.
Where houses are close together such as in urban areas or where there are smaller yards such as in California, it’s best to keep the lighting placed as low and dim as possible while still achieving your lighting goals. Utilizing smaller fixtures will require accurate aiming of each light on each subject and will minimize over lighting a structure or plant.
Light inward where possible. Pointing the lights toward the yard is also another way to make sure that light won’t peek through a fence or strike a structure even after it passes the intended subject. This method isn’t always possible, but in areas where things get crowded, it can help.
Use as much glare shielding as possible on fixtures. Most manufacturers offer some type of extended shroud or cover to aid in glare control. Use this option whenever you can, especially in downlighting where a light is located high in a tree. A hex louver is another option. Installing one on each fixture can minimize glare in all directions except straight forward.
Use a control system to dim the lights later at night. Adding a system that allows lights to be zoned or dimmed at certain times can allow lighting to be more intense at times of activity and less intense at bedtime. Try to use as much reflective light as possible and turn off or dim any uplights that are illuminating large structures. If too much light is still spilling over into other yards, use only the necessary entry lights after 10 PM.
Lighting usually catches on quickly in a neighborhood once the first house installs a system. Make sure yours is installed correctly and works in harmony with the area to increase the chances of getting more installations in each neighborhood.
