The Most Common Types of Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting does more than just illuminate your yard after the sun sets—it enhances your home's curb appeal, boosts security, and creates an inviting atmosphere. Whether you're looking to light up a patio, highlight your landscaping, or add a touch of elegance to your garden, outdoor lighting can transform your space. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of outdoor lighting that work great in Kansas, and how they work well for Kansas homeowners.

1. Pathway Lighting

Pathway lights are essential for safely guiding guests along walkways, driveways, and garden paths. These lights provide the perfect balance of visibility and safety, especially during the long, dark winters Kansas experiences.

• Benefits: These lights help prevent trips and falls, while also marking the edges of walkways to guide visitors to your home.
• Placement: Pathway lights are typically spaced out along paths or driveways. Installing them on both sides of the path ensures uniform lighting without any dark spots.
• Design Options: Choose from classic lantern-style fixtures, modern sleek designs, or even solar-powered lights that offer energy efficiency and minimal maintenance.

2. Flood Lights

Flood lights are versatile and powerful outdoor lighting fixtures. They're designed to cast a wide, bright beam that can illuminate large areas, such as the exterior of your home, large trees, or security zones.

• Benefits: Flood lights are perfect for illuminating broad areas and offering a high level of security. They can also highlight large landscape features such as sculptures, or the architectural beauty of your home.
• Placement: These lights are often mounted on walls or poles, directed towards the area you want to highlight. They’re great for both front and backyards.
• Design Options: Choose LED flood lights for greater energy efficiency or halogen bulbs for brighter, warmer light.

3. Spot Lights

Spotlights are designed for more focused, directed lighting. They’re perfect for highlighting specific features in your landscape, such as trees, fountains, or a flagpole.

• Benefits: Spotlights offer a higher level of illumination on specific features. They provide dramatic lighting effects, perfect for showcasing the beauty of your landscape.
• Placement: Spotlights are usually placed at ground level and directed upwards to shine on a specific object or feature. They’re ideal for trees, garden statues, or architectural details.
• Design Options: Adjustable spotlights allow you to change the angle of the beam, offering more flexibility in your landscape design.

4. Deck and Patio Lighting

For Kansas homeowners who enjoy spending time outdoors, deck and patio lighting is an essential element. These lights add both ambiance and functionality to your outdoor living spaces.

• Benefits: Deck lights provide safety for stairs and walkways while enhancing the overall mood of your outdoor spaces. They create a warm, inviting atmosphere for gatherings and relaxation.
• Placement: Install deck lights along the edges of your deck, steps, or railing posts. LED strip lights are a great option for illuminating the perimeter of the deck, while individual fixtures can light up stairs or specific areas.
• Design Options: Low-voltage options are common for deck lighting and help reduce energy consumption. Solar-powered options are another popular choice.

5. String Lights

String lights are a popular and versatile lighting option for adding charm and festivity to your outdoor space. They're perfect for everything from casual get-togethers to special occasions.

• Benefits: String lights create a soft, glowing effect that feels cozy and intimate. They’re excellent for creating a laid-back ambiance during outdoor dinners or parties.
• Placement: Drape string lights across fences, tree branches, or pergolas for a whimsical effect. They can also be hung along a porch or patio to brighten the space.
• Design Options: Choose from traditional fairy lights or larger bulb options for a bolder, more vintage look. Solar-powered string lights offer an eco-friendly alternative.

6. Bollard Lighting

Bollard lights are short, pillar-like fixtures that are often used for pathways or accent lighting. They’re typically installed in rows to line walkways or driveways and provide a soft, ambient glow.

• Benefits: Bollard lights offer a modern, low-profile option for illuminating areas that need soft, consistent lighting. They’re also often used in commercial settings but are becoming popular for residential use.
• Placement: These lights can be placed along pathways, around gardens, or at the edges of lawns to create a beautiful visual boundary.
• Design Options: Bollard lights come in various heights and styles, from sleek, contemporary designs to more traditional looks.

7. Security Lighting

Kansas homeowners who want to increase security around their property will benefit from security lighting systems. Motion-sensor lights, in particular, are excellent for deterring intruders by illuminating dark, secluded areas.

• Benefits: Security lighting enhances safety by lighting up dark areas automatically when motion is detected. This can also help identify potential security threats.
• Placement: Place security lights around your home’s entryways, driveways, and dark corners of your yard.
• Design Options: Motion-activated flood lights or motion-detection path lights are common choices. These lights can be paired with security cameras for a more comprehensive system.

8. Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting helps to showcase the beauty of your yard, adding a layer of depth and visual interest to gardens, trees, and other features. It creates a stunning effect in both daytime and nighttime.

• Benefits: Landscape lighting highlights the natural beauty of your lawn, flowers, trees, and shrubs. It’s perfect for creating mood lighting during the evening.
• Placement: Install landscape lights near flowers, shrubs, trees, or sculptures to illuminate specific areas. For a subtle effect, use downlighting (which we’ll cover below) to cast gentle light from above.
• Design Options: Soft LED lights can create a calm, serene look, while brighter fixtures can highlight more prominent features in your landscape.

9. Uplighting

Uplighting involves placing lights at ground level and directing them upward to illuminate trees, sculptures, or architectural features. It’s a popular technique for creating drama and height in your outdoor lighting design.

• Benefits: Uplighting creates striking shadows and highlights that can dramatically change the visual impact of your landscape. It’s perfect for making tall trees or statues stand out against the night sky.
• Placement: Position uplights at the base of large trees, near tall shrubs, or against walls to cast beautiful shadows.
• Design Options: Uplights can be focused on individual landscape features or used to create a more general wash of light in an area.

10. Downlighting

Downlighting involves placing fixtures high above the area you wish to illuminate and directing the light downwards. It’s perfect for creating a soft, moonlight-like glow in your garden or patio area.

• Benefits: Downlighting creates a natural, ambient effect that mimics daylight. It's great for providing widespread, soft illumination across patios, gardens, or larger yard spaces.
• Placement: Install downlights in trees or overhead structures like pergolas or porches. They work well for illuminating broad spaces while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.
• Design Options: LED lights are the most common choice for downlighting because they provide clean, bright light without consuming too much energy.

Wetland Irrigation and Turf LLC's Landscape Lighting Service

At Wetland Irrigation and Turf LLC, we understand that the right lighting can transform your Kansas landscape into something truly special. Whether you’re looking to brighten up your garden, create a cozy outdoor retreat on your deck, or add security around your home, our landscape lighting services can help bring your vision to life.

We offer custom landscape lighting design that takes into account the unique characteristics of your property. From soft downlighting for your garden to dramatic uplighting on your favorite trees, we can create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. Our team uses durable, energy-efficient lighting solutions that are built to withstand Kansas’s diverse climate, from hot summers to snowy winters.

With Wetland Irrigation and Turf LLC’s landscape lighting service, you can enhance your outdoor spaces and enjoy them well after the sun sets. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let us light up your world.