Homeowners often focus on items like new gardens, patios, walkways, or outdoor living areas when they think about improving their outdoor spaces. While these updates add so much value to your property, even the most stunning landscapes can disappear into the dark without the right lighting.
Outdoor lighting that is professionally designed and installed can make a huge difference to the amount of enjoyment you get from your property, but not all types of landscape lighting are created equal. There are many aspects, such as the quality of the fixtures, how they were installed, and how they are placed, that affect how your property looks when lit up, as well as how long the lighting will last. When you choose to have high-quality outdoor lighting designed and installed professionally, you’re more likely to enjoy beautiful, reliable lighting for many years instead of needing to constantly replace inexpensive fixtures or troubleshoot the many problems that can come with them.
Quality Fixtures Are Built To Handle Fluctuating Weather
Outdoor lighting has to endure the many changes in weather. In Southwestern Ontario, lighting fixtures face heavy rain, snow, freezing temperatures, ice, summer heat, humidity, and everything in between. Low-quality fixtures often struggle to survive conditions like these, leading to rusty, cracked, damaged, or fading fixtures after only a few seasons.
Professional-grade fixtures are specifically engineered for outdoor use and are oftentimes manufactured from durable materials such as solid brass, copper, or powder-coated or anodized aluminum that resist corrosion and weather damage way better than inexpensive plastic alternatives. Lenses are also UV-resistant, resisting fade and yellowing for a longer period of time. Electrical components are always sealed to minimize the chance of damage as well. All of these factors result in an outdoor lighting system that continues to perform season after season with far less maintenance than cheaper alternatives.
Fade-Resistant Finishes
Landscape lights that are low-quality often begin fading, peeling, or discoloring even after just one year of exposure to sunlight. The plastic components on these fixtures may also become brittle and prone to cracking, and painted fixtures may begin to chip.
Professional lighting fixtures use finishes that are specifically designed for the outdoor environment in which they perform. Quality plastics are used that withstand constant UV exposure and, regardless of the finish color, will maintain their appearance much longer without excessive fading.
Landscape lighting is meant to complement your home’s architecture and gardens, not draw attention to the fixtures themselves. Because of this, maintaining that subtle, attractive finish helps to preserve your property’s overall appearance.
Clear Lenses
A common issue with inexpensive fixtures is that the lenses turn yellow or cloudy. This is because many entry-level fixtures use lower-grade clear plastic material that can’t withstand the constant UV exposure. As the lens becomes discolored, less light reaches your landscape, which reduces the light’s brightness and alters the color it produces.
Higher-quality fixtures use premium optical materials and sometimes even glass lenses that are designed to resist UV damage. These non-yellowing lenses stay clear so that the fixtures consistently produce good-looking lighting throughout their lifespan.
Quality Underwater Lights
Water features can be beautiful focal points after dark, but only if they are illuminated correctly. Underwater lighting needs fixtures that are specifically engineered for continuous submersion. These submersible fixtures have waterproof seals and are constructed to safely protect the internal electrical components while operating beneath the surface of the water. Attempting to use fixtures that are not designed for underwater use can lead to premature failure as well as potential safety concerns.
Hidden Wiring
One of the biggest differences between professional landscape lighting and do-it-yourself installations is what you don’t see. Planning and hiding outdoor lighting wiring is a large aspect of the designs we provide. Wires that are visible become a nuisance and detract from an otherwise beautiful landscape.
When possible, professional landscape lighting installers carefully place and hide wiring under mulch, soil, or hardscape materials, and they also ensure that the connections are placed strategically and protected to reduce exposure to moisture and physical damage. This helps to keep the focus on what the lights are showing off and not the lighting components. Proper wire placement also helps reduce the risk of accidental damage during lawn maintenance or future landscaping projects.
Integrated LED Technology
Integrated LED technology is one of the greatest advancements in landscape lighting. Unlike traditional lighting systems that rely on replaceable bulbs, many professional fixtures now have built-in LED light sources that are designed to last for many years under normal operating conditions. This offers so many benefits to homeowners, with lower energy consumption, consistent light output, and reduced annual maintenance.
Low-Voltage Lighting Outperforms Solar Lighting
Solar landscape lighting is cheap and easy to install, which makes it appealing to many homeowners, but while solar fixtures are applicable in certain situations, it often struggles to provide the consistent performance needed for permanent landscape lighting.
Solar fixtures depend entirely on daily sunlight to recharge their batteries, and during cloudy weather, shaded conditions, or short winter days, they often produce dimmer light or stop working much earlier in the evening than property owners would like them to.
Low-voltage landscape lighting has many advantages:
- Reliable performance regardless of the weather
- Consistent brightness throughout the night
- Better light output
- Greater selection of fixtures
- More precise lighting design
- Longer-lasting performance
Since low-voltage systems receive power from a transformer that is connected to your home’s electrical supply, they deliver dependable illumination night after night without relying on sunlight. And with a completely connected system, features such as timing automations, lighting zones, and dimming options are available to add more value.
Fixtures That Blend Into Your Landscape
Great landscape lighting shouldn’t stand out during the day.
Today’s professional lighting fixtures are available in a wide variety of finishes, sizes, and styles designed to complement different homes and landscapes. Whether your property has a modern, traditional, rustic, or natural aesthetic, there are a variety of fixture options that blend seamlessly into the surroundings.
Smaller accent fixtures can virtually disappear among plants and garden beds, while architectural fixtures can complement stonework, brick, or wood features without becoming visually distracting. The goal of landscape lighting isn’t to showcase the fixtures; it’s to showcase your home and landscape when the sun goes down.
Invest in Quality That Lasts
Landscape lighting is more than simply placing fixtures around your yard. A truly exceptional lighting system will combine premium-quality materials with a well-thought-out design and expert installation to create an outdoor space that looks its best every night of the year.
Professional installation ensures that every fixture is positioned in a way that allows it to perform its best without any harsh shadows or glare. Wiring is carefully concealed, electrical connections are protected from the elements, and the entire system is designed to provide balanced, reliable illumination.
While inexpensive lighting may seem like a cheaper option upfront, fixtures often end up needing more frequent maintenance and replacement. Investing in high-quality, low-voltage lighting with Moon Glow Lightscapes means that you’ll enjoy durable fixtures, dependable performance, and timeless curb appeal for many years to come.
