If you’re planning landscape lighting for your home and grounds, of course you want it to look as good as it possibly can. But what if you have other expenses to consider? What if you have to balance your desire for a functional and attractive nighttime lighting display with a need to not spend too much money?

If money is tight, then try to set a budget beforehand, and then decide what you want within that price range. Make a list of priorities. Your first priority should be good lighting for the entryway. Before anything else, you need to sure you can safely get in and out of the building after dark. Then move on to illuminating paths through the yard, outdoor features such as decks and gazebos, and places where you might need to do some work — especially if there’s a spot where you like to read during the day. Pools of light from overhead features work well in spots like this. If you still have some money left over in your budget, uplighting particularly attractive trees and shrubs can create a dramatic and beautiful effect with a minimum of energy and expense.

Maximum effect without maximum energy

Even if money is no object, there’s no reason to waste energy. Glare is something to avoid, because it makes the things you’re trying to show off harder to see, rather than easier. It may also make it harder to spot a prowler, which would otherwise be one of the side benefits of landscape lighting.

The goal is to get the maximum possible effect out of the light you use — not to banish the darkness, but to make your property stand out against it. One trick you can use for this is to aim broad beams of light against the walls of your house, revealing the texture of your walls. This does a lot to call attention to your house with a fairly small amount of light. Instead of illuminating the whole yard, try to illuminate the spots you’re most proud of. LED lights are energy efficient and come in many styles, shapes and colors. Try using the warmer shades of light, from 2700K to 3000K.

Landscape lighting services in Fort Mill

Pyramid Electric Service are, among much else, landscape lighting licensed in North and South Carolina and serving the greater Charlotte area, including Charlotte, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Marvin, Weddington, Matthews and Waxhaw. We offer a range of interior and exterior lighting services. Expertise.com rated us one of the top 25 electrical contractors in the Charlotte area. Call the electricians you can trust. We have been serving York, Lancaster, Mecklenburg and Union Counties since 1963.