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.

THE SEASON’S TOP PICS:

Alexai Erchak, while a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is credited with developing the first prototype high efficient LED in 2001.  These LEDs use specialized mirrors and tiny photonic crystals to generate more usable light from the semiconductor materials.  Erchak observed that the Swallowtail butterfly highlights their fluorescent blue and green colors with a natural illumination much like that of his specialized prototype, and he was astounded at the similarity between the natural brightening structures in the butterfly’s wings and his own LEDs.

So much we learn from nature! The appeal of new designer outdoor lighting captures the essence of natural beauty and wonders of the world.  Make way for the butterflies and new designer outdoor lighting.

The “butterfly effect” is a phenomenon or belief that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one sector of the universe may be related to a tornado occurring in another part of the world. Could it be possible that the gentle vibrations in the wings of a butterfly could be the pivotal mechanism that leads to the ultimate surge of a storm cloud?  Is it science fiction or is there some truth to it?

Either way, there is no denying that the effect of designer outdoor lighting significantly increases the beauty and property value of our home.  And, the latest designs are eco-friendly, sustainable and made to last.

Bask in the splendor of summer style with these super natural compositions.

Novel summer finishes include this Raw Copper with iridescent glass from Arroyo Crafsman.  Arroyo Craftsman designs and manufactures fine outdoor lighting that honors the traditions of elegant simplicity combined with a quality craftsmanship established by the founders of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Arroyo’s designer outdoor lights are inspired by famed styles such as the California Mission, Swiss Chalet and English Tudor. Each piece from Arroyo Craftsman is meticulously hand crafted in the United States and available with several hand applied finish and glass options.

Glowing Butterflies Shine With Natural LEDs

Almost every home has Wi-Fi connectivity nowadays; and with so many devices using the Internet, it is more of a necessity rather than an exception. However, it’s also very common for people to find that they don’t really get reliable data speeds in every room or area of their homes and that can be a little frustrating. This is especially true if you have a home office and need to get some work done at a particular pace.

This is why you need to have the right kind of data cabling installed in your home. We know what it takes to install excellent data cable systems; and these add to the reliability and performance of your wireless network. This is because hardwiring is always more reliable than Wi-Fi connectivity as there are chances of interference in the latter; and this reduces the quality of the Internet speeds and connectivity.

However, there are times when data cabling might not work in every type of building layout and it’s when we may work on providing solutions that help extend your wireless network as well. Regardless of the kind of solutions you require and the size and complexity of the installation, we can handle the job for you in the best possible way. Once you have a good wired network, you will find that you have high speed Internet access for IP security cameras, online gaming as well as file sharing and media streaming etc.

When you hire professionals to handle data cabling for you, it’s important to look for a company that will provide you with comprehensive solutions such as installation, repairs and maintenance too. You only have to tell them where you need the Internet connections and they will design a plan for data cable installation that extends to all these places. The different data point and cabling services include:

It is necessary that you hire registered cablers for all data cabling jobs. We at Allround Electricals have expert and experienced data cablers on our team and you have the assurance that all the work is being carried out by qualified specialists to the highest quality standards. We are the data cablers that handle it all – ranging from phone sockets and Internet sockets, Video distribution and LAN sockets; we can tackle every job with the highest levels of expertise.

Every job we handle is compliant with the existing telecommunications and safety regulations. We understand that there will be times when you don’t want to be shackled to a desktop and may be using your mobile devices when you are at home too.

And when we install any type of data cables etc., you can be sure that you will get the kind of connectivity you want and enjoy watching movies, TV via your mobile devices. In short, we are the experts that can handle every type of data installation and Wi-Fi connectivity requirement on your residential premises.

For more information, simply speak with the experts at Allround Electrical and take our advice on various aspects of electrical and data installations. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address. You may also reach us through this online contact form.

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