Types of Outdoor Accent Lighting

July 9th, 2010 by yardsurfer Leave a reply »

Outdoor accent lighting provides a way to truly bring an outdoor environment to life. Accent lighting focuses on specific features in the yard and brings them out to prominence. Unlike the harsh light sources pre-installed into many homes, accent lights are more subtle and surreal. The addition of accent lighting turns a cookie-cutter home into a personalized haven.

Outdoor accent light fixtures come in many forms which have different uses around the yard. Path lights are a common and widely used type of accent light. Path lights are used to border walkways and line edges, increasing safety and providing a wonderful accent effect to a yard. These lights use a stake to sit securely in the ground. The light pod on top shines down to make interesting patterns below. Physical features like rocks, bricks or plants can be accented using path lights.

Flood lights are another type of light that can be used to accent physical structures in the yard. Flood lights project a wide beam of white light onto a specified area such as a patio or flower bed. They increase safety by making everything easy to see. Flood lights are a no-fuss type of light that is purely functional in nature. To use them for accenting, some people like to put them on the ground in their gardens and point them upward to create random pockets of light among the fauna.

Water features like ponds and pools can be accented with floating or submersible outdoor accent lighting. Floating lights are placed on the water surface where they float around with the current. A waterfall feature enhances this by pushing the light around in the ripples. Floating accent lights are safe to use in water because of their waterproof casing. LED lights project their light into the water, onto the sides of the water feature or in the form of a soft glow beyond a colored opaque cover. Submersible lights are used in ponds to light up features under the water. They usually consist of several wired lights in a set which are pointed upward from the bottom of the pond. Aquatic plants, fish and decorative objects can be accented with ease.

Outdoor accent lights such as the spot light can be used to target a specific area or object. Features in the yard such as a support column, palm tree, fountain or furniture piece can be accented using spot lights. Unlike flood lights, spot lights focus their light on a tight area. They are usually placed on the ground and pointed upward at the object.

String accent lights consist of a long powered cord with a series of light bulbs across their length. String lights are quite flexible in where they can be placed. They work well when hung from hooks or when wrapped around trees. String lights are a great way to add some quick and unexpected color to an outdoor space.

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