Limelight Outdoor Lighting

02/27/2023

How do I get a quote for my landscape lighting project?

Schedule a FREE landscape lighting consultation with Limelight Outdoor Lighting. (Meeting with you onsite helps us give you an accurate quotation for your project.) After the consultation, we will email you a formal proposal to review. It is as simple as that!

If you are planning a landscape lighting project and would like to get a quote, follow the link below or give us a call at (704) 989-3635.

Limelight Outdoor Lighting provides landscape lighting design, installation, and maintenance services to Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas.

02/25/2023

Who says you have to stop playing when the sun goes down?

We love when our clients get creative with task and ambient lighting.

With the addition of lights, this playset is now SAFE and USABLE at night. This type of lighting is perfect for backyards as well as residential and community play areas.

For more information about this and other landscape lighting objectives, follow the link below.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/outdoor-lighting-objectives

02/23/2023

"I just want lights on the corners of my house."

While this is a common request from potential clients, our goal as lighting designers is to accent the unique features of your home.

Depending on the size and shape of your home, simply placing lights on the corners could leave unwanted darkspots and will almost always make your lighting look unprofessional.

Well designed architectural lighting combines up lights, downlights, and occasional gutter-mounted lights to ensure that the light reaches the highest roofline.

Click below to read more about architectural lighting.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/lighting-to-the-highest-roofline

02/21/2023

What is Wall Washing?

Wall washing is a lighting technique that creates a smooth and even glow on the side of a building, a landscaping wall, or even a stretch of fence. We recommend using low wattage lights (for decreased lumen output) and positioning the lights a significant distance from the feature and angled indirectly.

For more information about this and other landscape lighting techniques, follow the link below.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/11-outdoor-lighting-techniques

02/19/2023

What is the proper spacing for path lights?

If possible, avoid spacing path lights too closely. This will clutter the design and make your landscape lighting look unprofessional.

We suggest spacing path lights every 8-10 feet.

To learn more about navigational lighting, follow the link below.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/navigational-lighting

02/17/2023

How long to LED lights last?

While you may find yourself constantly replacing solar lights and incandescent/halogen bulbs, high quality LED landscape lights can last for 20+ years with proper maintenance.

If you're tired of constantly replacing you landscape lights, schedule a FREE consultation with Limelight Outdoor Lighting - and don't forget to ask about our warranties!

https://business.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/schedule-consultation

02/15/2023

Find out why solar landscape lights may not be as cost effective and eco-friendly as you may think...

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/solar-lighting-vs-wired-led-landscape-lighting

02/13/2023

Low voltage lighting simply means energy efficient lighting.

Wired LED systems are connected to a power source called a transformer. The transformer converts the high voltage 120 Volts down to only 12 Volts.

This will decrease the amount of electricity being used to power your system and will be reflected on your monthly utility bill.

To calculate the cost of running a low voltage lighting, follow the link below...

Are solar lights good for landscape lighting? How do solar lights compare with LED landscape lights? What are the pros and cons of solar lights? Learn more as we talk about the difference between solar and LED landscape lights.

02/11/2023

Well-lit trees will be a beautiful focal point throughout the year.

Whether you’re enjoying the spring and summer blooms, or accentuating the vast colors of autumn, or simply appreciating the natural shape of the trunk and branches in the winter, lighting will help you enjoy your trees regardless of the season.

Check out these GORGEOUS winter trees from a recent project in Piper Glen. Illumination really brings out the unique shapes and textures of each species.

02/09/2023

What is the recommended Kelvin Temperature for Architectural Lighting?

This is a great question! We recommend using either 2700K or 3000K lamps to illuminate the architectural features of your home.

2700K lamps will produce a warmer (more yellow) light in comparison to the bright white light of 3000K lamps.

Many times, Kelvin temperature is a personal preference. However, you may want to consider the color of your stone, siding, and/or brick when choosing the best color temperature for your home.

02/07/2023

🏠🏣⛪️🕍🏘 vs. 🌲🌷🌻🌳🌹🌴

What is the difference between architectural lighting and landscape lighting?

Architectural lighting accentuates the architectural features of a home. Landscape lighting illuminates features such as flowers, plants, retaining walls, decorative rocks, etc.

While some homeowners may choose to focus on architectural lighting, others prefer to focus on landscaping features.

At Limelight, we encourage our clients to layer architectural, landscape, and navigational lighting to create a cohesive design.

02/05/2023

Why is Landscape Lighting Maintenance Important?

It is very common for us to find fixtures that have been knocked over or repositioned by landscapers. Notice in the picture below that the light is not positioned properly to illuminate the tree. This is an easy fix and will ensure that your lighting system continues to look great.

If you aren't interested in maintaining your system yourself, or you are unsure of correct fixture placement, consider contacting Limelight to set up an annual maintenance appointment.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/contact

02/03/2023

What is a heat sink? And why should you care?

Quality fixtures are more efficient and last longer because they effectively dissipate residual heat into the air and away from the lamp. The integrated fixtures we offer come with built-in heat sinks. These work to dissipate the heat and protect our fixtures from failure.

If you are considering installing landscape lighting, we encourage you to ask if the fixtures have heat sinks. This will give you a great indication of the quality of fixtures being sold.

02/01/2023

Is your landscape lighting not shining like it once did?

Maybe you moved to a new house that has an existing system, but it doesn’t have the wow factor you were hoping for?

Perhaps you’re just frustrated by burnt out lamps and broken fixtures?

Here are 10 of the most common problems we see with outdated lighting systems... (And what can be done to fix them!)

As a landscape lighting contractor, we are constantly getting calls to repair and/or replace old, outdated lighting systems. Here are 10 of the most common problems we see with outdated landscape lighting and how to fix them!

01/30/2023

Researching Landscape Lighting?

Learn about the following fixture options in our FREE Landscape Lighting Guide.

✅ Solar vs. Wired LED
✅ Integrated vs. Non-Integrated
✅ Fixture Material Options
✅ Commercial vs. Professional Grade

https://business.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/landscape-lighting-guide-opt-in

01/28/2023

It was a pleasure designing and installing custom landscape lighting for this GORGEOUS Ballantyne home.

For this project, we installed a combination of the following:

✅ Bollard Path Lights
✅ Directional Path Lights
✅ Driveway Lights
✅ Architectural Lights
✅ Hardscape Accent Lights

In total, it took 35 low voltage landscape lights to achieve the desired look. BEAUTIFUL!

01/27/2023

What is Kelvin Temperature? And why should you care?

Kelvin indicates the "temperature" or the COLOR of the light.

The range of temperatures in landscape lighting is from about 2700K to 4200K and up, with 2700K being yellower, “warmer” light; 3000K being a clearer, “pure white” light; and 4200K being bluer, “cooler” light.

Understanding Kelvin Temperature is especially helpful when designing architectural lighting.

For the white brick home, we chose 3000k. The red brick home is lit with 2700K.

Which color temperature do you prefer?

12/31/2022

2022 was a good year! Here's to 2023!

12/27/2022

What landscape lighting techniques should you use to light an outdoor water feature?

✅Underwater Lights
✅Downlighting
✅Landscape Accent Lighting

For this project, we combined all of these lighting techniques to create a gorgeous nighttime scene. Notice how the downlights gently illuminate the surrounding rocks while the landscape lighting creates depth by illuminating the surrounding plants and trees.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/water-feature-lighting

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas!

12/21/2022

Happy 1st Day of Winter!

One of the best reasons to install landscape lighting in WINTER is that plants become dormant.

With dormant plants and bare trees, the installation of outdoor lighting may be an easier process. You will not have to worry about disturbing newly planted or recently sprouted pants. Furthermore, you can give proper attention to the architectural features of your home and hardscapes throughout your property.

When you hire Limelight Outdoor Lighting to install your lighting in winter, we will return to your property to ensure that your lighting is perfect when your plants and foliage return in the Spring and Summer.

To learn more about installing landscape lighitng in the fall and winter, check out this article from the Limelight BLOG!

Enhance the beauty of your home and property throughout the seasons! Five reasons to install outdoor lighting in the Fall and Winter. Don't wait to enjoy your outdoor spaces at night. Schedule a FREE design consultation today or get a quote online.

12/13/2022

What is SHADOWING?

Shadowing is a landscape lightiing technique that creates interesting shadows on a wall behind an object or on the ground in front of an object. To create a wall shadow, an up light is positioned in front of the object and aimed at the wall. To create a ground shadow, a downlight is positioned behind the object and aimed toward the ground.

To learn more about this and other landscape lighting techniqes, check out this post from the Limelight BLOG.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/blog/11-outdoor-lighting-techniques

12/11/2022

Repairing vs. Replacing Landscape Lighting Fixtures

If you have an existing landscape lighting system that needs a refresh, how do you know when you should repair the existing fixtures or replace them with new fixtures?

This is a great question! We recommend considering the following factors:

✅ Do you have a warranty?
✅ When was the system installed?/How old are the fixtures?
✅ What material are the fixtures made of?
✅ Is the fixure broken or does the lamp just need to be replaced?

WARNING - Whether you're replacing lamps or fixtures, be careful to select new lamps/fixtures that have the same Kelvin Temperature, Beam Spread, and Lumen Output to maintain consistency with your existing fixtures.

If you are still unsure whether you should repair or replace your system, give Limelight Outdoor Lighting a call. We would be more than happy to take a look at your existing system and give you a FREE quotation for you project.

https://www.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/contact

12/09/2022

Landscape Lighting Fixure Material Options

One of the most important decisions you will make as you plan your landscape lighting project is the type of fixture material.

Common fixture materials include:

❌ Plastic
❌ Aluminum
✅ Brass
✅ Copper

The type of material you choose will ultimately affect the style (aesthetics), cost, and durability of your system. We recommend using BRASS or COPPER. To learn more about these fixture options, download our free landscape lighting guide today!

https://business.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/landscape-lighting-guide-opt-in

12/07/2022

At Limelight, we love working with other talented designers and contractors. For this gorgeous landscaping project in Charlotte, NC, we were asked to install outdoor lighting designed by a local landscape architect. We especially love how this project highlights the versatility of traditional path lights.

Path can be used to light the following:

✅ Paths & Walkways
✅ Steps & Stairs
✅ Driveways
✅ Landscaping features

How will you incorporate path lights into your lighting design?

If you're planning a landscape lighting project, we would be happy to come to your home for a complimentary design consultation!

Custom landscape lighting highlights the best features of this home and property in Charlotte, NC. and create instant nighttime curb appeal. For this outdoor lighting project, we were asked to install a combination of accent lighting and path lights designed by a local landscape architect.

12/06/2022

How much will it cost per month to run my landscape lighting?

To give you an idea of the monthly cost to run a low voltage outdoor lighting system, use the following formula:

Watts X Hours per night / 1000 X KWH rate X 30 days

EXAMPLE

Estimated cost to run 20 lights for 6 hours each night assuming a rate of $0.11/kW. (Each LED light will consume about 5 Watts.)

100 X 6 / 1000 X .11 X 30 = $1.82/month or $21.84/year

In this example, the cost to run a system with 20 lights for an ENTIRE YEAR would be less than 25 dollars! As you can see, LED fixtures are very cost effective AND energy efficient.

11/30/2022

Looking for Landscape Lighting Ideas and Inspiration?

Check out our NEW Landscape Lighting Guide!

Get landscape lighting inspiration, design advice, and practical information about choosing fixtures, hiring contractors, and so much more!

https://business.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/landscape-lighting-guide-opt-in

11/28/2022

Which landscape lighting technique will you use to light your trees?

There are two options for accenting lighting your trees:

Uplighting is the most common technique for lighting trees because the lights are relatively easy to install, and they beautifully illuminate the tree from the base up. Uplighting works best in situations where you want to draw attention to the trees themselves and avoid casting too much light on the ground below.

Downlighting (sometimes referred to as "moonlighting") requires fixtures to be mounted high in trees to allow light to naturally shine through the branches and leaves. This gently illuminates the ground below and can create interesting patterns of light and shadows. Moonlighting is a great option in areas that need low-level lighting on the ground such as driveways, lawns, and patios.

Tell us, which is your favorite option, and why? ⬇️

Ready for a FREE landscape lighting consultation? Simply click below and pick a day and time that works best for you.

https://business.limelightoutdoorlighting.com/schedule-consultation

11/25/2022

Resist the urge to buy those Black Friday solar lights!

Solar lights are inexpensive, easy to install, and seemingly eco-friendly, but are they the BEST choice for landscape lighting?

While it may seem like the easiest option, DON’T BUY INTO THE HYPE!

Solar landscape lights are NOT as cost effective and energy efficient as you think!

And THEY DON'T LAST!

The good news is, there is a better alternative! Our landscape lighting systems are:
✅ Easily Installed
✅ Safe
✅ Reliable
✅ Energy Efficient
✅ Will Last a Lifetime!

Are solar lights good for landscape lighting? How do solar lights compare with LED landscape lights? What are the pros and cons of solar lights? Learn more as we talk about the difference between solar and LED landscape lights.