Now is the time to evaluate your outdoor and landscape lighting needs in preparation for the summer season.  Follow our step-by-step landscape lighting design plan and get the job done right.

Learn how to get luxurious landscape lighting effects and make your home shine by Memorial Day 2014…

Step One:  Review the perimeters of your home, including surrounding outdoor property—front yards, back yards, side yards—to see which features you would like to accentuate, such as fountains, sculpture, or flower boxes. Choose a few areas that will stand out and add a luxurious element to your home at night.

Step Two:  Scout out areas where you will need security lighting—leading up to and at all home entryways.  Take note of areas where path lighting, step lighting, and task lighting are needed.

LED strip lighting under steps, railings and benches provides excellent security lighting and may be custom-tailored to your decor. LED light strips are especially suitable for outdoor areas, as they are long-lasting and extremely durable, radiate very little heat, and use up to 80 percent less electricity than standard light sources.

Step Three:  If you have existing outdoor lighting—review your property at night to see where you can upgrade your lighting design.  Check that everything is in working order and adequate illumination is provided at all significant locations.

• Where there are large areas blanketed in darkness, consider installing a floodlight equipped with energy-efficient lamps and lighting controls.

• Equally important is to check for areas that are excessively bright. Overly bright outdoor lighting, including path lighting and patio lighting, creates glare and can actually make it harder to see at night and diminish safety and security.

Your landscape lighting should be soothing and comfortable.  Make sure that  landscape and outdoor fixtures do not cast light into your neighbors’ property.  Keep “light trespass” from invading your own home at night.

Step Four:  If you like to entertain outdoors—see that your property is safely lit for guests—pay attention to elevation levels and unusual dips or risings; boundaries defining rock gardens, Koi ponds, and small shrubs should be clearly visible.  Make sure you have enough ambient illumination for safe navigation, as well as sufficient task lighting for cooking and food preparation.

Step Five:  Lighting techniques, such as shadowing, silhouetting and cross lighting add artistry and depth to your landscape at night.  But do not overdo it.  Depending on the size of your property, select one to three key areas that will expand and complement your overall landscape lighting presentation.

• Conceal lights behind and below a statue or small tree to highlight form and create definition.

• Show off a sculpted garden,  a textured rock wall or a unique architectural feature of your home that will stand out at night.

Light responsibly.  Keep an eye on the safety.  Having top-quality outdoor lighting makes for the best “Neighborhood Watch Program.”

Light conservatively.  The most wonderful aspect of outdoor and landscape lighting is that you only need a few well-chosen light sources to deliver a great deal of illumination and an overall luxuriant feel to your home.  Compared to other home improvement projects, top quality landscape lighting adds substantially to the value of your property.

Light efficiently.  You will save money in the long run, if you invest in automated lighting systems and LED landscape lighting now.  For maintenance-free, durable, long-lasting illumination—buy your LED landscape lighting and automated control systems from a reputable dealer.

Top-quality LED landscape lighting fixture are built to last with finishes guaranteed to withstand harsh weather conditions; many come with life-time product warranties.

Find qualified lighting professionals and electricians.  Professional lighting consultants will help you design your landscape lighting to exact specifications with outdoor fixtures that are UL-listed for outdoor use; electricians, familiar with updated LED lighting systems, should be licensed and aware of current electrical codes and ordinances in your town or city.

Order your fixtures early, set the job up now with energy-efficient security lighting and luxurious landscape illumination to ensure you will be ready for summer holiday celebrations.

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Even though the summer brings high temperatures, don’t let it bring high electric bills with it as well. Did you know that you could find huge savings on your electric bill in your attic? With functioning attic ventilators, savings can be yours. Let the experts at Mr. Electric® help you understand what method will be of greatest benefit to you.

Brad Richards with Mr. Electric of Tucson offers his expert opinion on attic ventilators and will explain how to save money on your electric bill in the summertime.

Mr. Electric: What exactly does an attic ventilator do?

Brad Richards: An attic ventilator fan is essential in the summer because it evacuates the hot air that accumulates during the day from the attic and draws air in from the outside. Think of it as a means of cycling the trapped air out with fresh air from the outside. It ensures that the temperature of the air in the attic is closer to the air temperature outside. With stagnant air, the sunlight on the roof heats the air inside the attic greatly. It is best to evacuate that hot air in the summertime so that you can save money on your cooling. If you’re air conditioning unit (A/C) is running and you don’t have a functioning attic ventilator, your attic is acting like a radiant heater while you’re A/C is trying to cool the room at the same time. Essentially, they are working against each other and costing you more money.

Mr. Electric: What are the different types of attic ventilators?

Brad Richards: There are two types. One of them is a roof-top unit that draws air directly out through the roof and pushes outside air into the attic to regulate the temperature. The other type is a 120-watt gable fan system. This system consists of one fan that blows air into the attic and another fan that blows air outside, creating airflow that is constant to reduce the temperature in the attic. The gables are triangular in shape and are located on opposite ends from each other on the sides of the attic.

With both types of ventilation systems, there is a solar option. The system that we recommend most often is the roof-top solar fan. Hot air rises and the fan tends to pull the air up and out of the attic, while both gable openings are open for the fresh air to come in. This is the most efficient and best money saver because when the sun comes up, the solar cells power the fan and the fan speeds up the more the sun becomes more direct. Then, when the sun goes down, it naturally turns itself off because there’s no more direct sunlight on the attic.

Mr. Electric: What are the benefits of a homeowner installing an attic ventilator?

Brad Richards: The number-one benefit of having an attic ventilator in the summer is you are able to keep your home cooler for less money. Solar-powered fans offer an even higher return on investment because you aren’t paying for electricity to run the fan. Using natural sunlight to cool your attic is a great way for homeowners to save money in the process.

Mr. Electric: Do you have any additional tips or recommendations?

Brad Richards: Regardless of whether you choose roof-top vents, gable fans, or solar powered fans, any home in the summer would benefit from attic ventilation. In other words, if you have an attic, there is a benefit to having ventilation.

For more information about attic ventilators and how they can benefit you, your home and your wallet, check out this article from the experts at Mr. Electric. 

Anyone who has ever tried to plug in an appliance only to find that it wouldn’t turn on is familiar with how frustrating electrical outlet wiring problems can be. The whole purpose of having outlets is the convenience, but that goes right out the window when they stop working without warning. Although a dead outlet might automatically seem like a big problem, sometimes it can be due to a simple issue. This isn’t always the case, of course — sometimes there will be electrical outlet wiring problems that can only be addressed by a professional, particularly when the issue is with your outlet’s wiring.

You might be able to save yourself a call to an electrician if your outlet problem is something easily fixed. You can even resolve some minor issues without the use of tools! If you know what steps to take, you may be able to figure out if the dead outlet is something you can remedy yourself. If you discover the problem is something that should be handled by a professional, don’t take any chances. Messing around with wiring can put you in danger and damage your electrical system instead of making the problem go away.

A simple issue can quickly turn into a very expensive one if you aren’t careful. Here are some easy things to try that won’t put you in any danger:

When homeowners think about licensed and bonded electricians, they mainly think about them in terms of fixing broken outlets in the bathroom or kitchen. Sometimes they know they need a pro for landscape lighting needs. But there are a multitude of jobs that residential electrical repair services perform.

Moving to a new home?

What you say you are moving to a new home it doesn’t always mean you’re are moving into a recently built home. Many, many people like to purchase older homes and put their own personal marks on them. Usually this means updating the kitchens and baths. A plain kitchen it turned into a chef’s kitchen with all the updated appliances. Will the electrical panel be able to handle the current for all these appliances?

Luxurious master baths are now the norm with the look and feel of an expensive spa. Along with the spa comes the jetted tub. Can the prevailing electricity run the current needed for the tub? Oftentimes the panel needs an addition to accommodate the tub jets working while other appliances are in use.

Remaining in your current home?

If you are staying where you are, you still may be thinking about making updates. The same situations apply to you. So many people like to watch the television programs about flipping homes and those about modifying homes to sell or to live in. It is not a surprise to the slippers or the construction crews when they tell their hosts that a totally new electrical panel needs to be installed or that the whole house needs rewiring. The only way you will know if you have these issues is to have your electrical system inspected by a licensed electrician.

Has your cooktop or range exhaust stopped working on your electric range? It’s time to call in an electrician. Maybe your ceiling fan has quit working and you are waiting to purchase a new one. Have you had an electrician look at it to determine the problem? He may be able to repair it and save you from buying a new one.

Want to protect you and your family with outdoor lights that come on when someone walks past your windows or doors? Your local electrician can handle that job for you. Are you considering a new hybrid car that runs on electricity? You will need a licensed electrician to install your charging station.

Trust your electrician

One you have used a bonded and insured electrician you trust, he can be your friend for life. He may even become a member of the family. When you are having electrical problems or you want to add services, he will look at the situation 360 degrees. He will view it from all angles. He knows you and your family. He will make recommendations – sometimes there will be several options. Ultimately it is your decision.

The bottom line is that you want to keep your family safe. You also want your most expensive investment to be in perfect working order.