Homeowners across the Greater Dayton area ask a lot of the same questions before committing to outdoor and landscape lighting.
What kind do I need? Will it hold up through the winter? Do I need to pull a permit? It’s a big investment, is it worth the money?
These are all great questions, and here, we’ll answer four, and talk about what Dayton Landscape lighting looks like in practice, from the basics to the specifics.
Is low-voltage outdoor lighting worth it in Ohio?
It is, and you can blame the weather!
The fixtures that Outdoor Lighting Perspectives installs in Dayton and surrounding service areas are solid brass and copper. That means they can hold their own against everything Ohio can throw at them, from repeated freeze-thaw cycles to summer heat. These are not solar stake lights that dim by October.
But beyond that, low-voltage systems use 12-volt power. That makes them a lot safer to install, less expensive to run, and more flexible when it comes to design.
It’s also entirely reasonable to think about operating cost. Professional LED low-voltage systems draw a lot less power than the older halogen systems used to. For homeowners running landscape lighting through long spring and fall evenings, that efficiency adds up over a season.
What's the difference between landscape lighting, architectural lighting, and permanent roofline lighting? How do I choose?
Landscape lighting focuses on the grounds, meaning trees, garden beds, pathways, water features, and the transitions between them. It’s the most common starting point and the category of lighting with the widest range of applications. Everything from uplighting mature trees to lighting walkways falls under landscape lighting.
Architectural lighting focuses on the structure itself, such as the home’s facade, columns, roofline, dormers, and other exterior details. Where landscape lighting presents the grounds, architectural lighting presents the building.
Permanent roofline lighting is a distinct category that's grown significantly in recent years. These are low-profile LED fixtures permanently mounted along the roofline. They can change color and pattern on demand, which means they can do everything from provide elegant everyday white to holiday lights around November and December.
So you might wonder: how do I choose? For most homeowners, landscape lighting will have the biggest impact per dollar. Once you get that sorted, architectural lighting can let you take your property to the next level. As for permanent roofline lighting, this is a good idea if you find yourself putting up and taking down lights every year and you’re tired of doing that.
Do I need a permit to install outdoor lighting in Dayton or the surrounding suburbs?
If you use low-voltage fixtures, you probably won’t need a permit. That’s because these fixtures are generally safer than line-voltage alternatives. So the regulations don’t need to be as tight.
Because you (likely) won’t need a permit, that also makes installation faster. You don’t have to wait for an inspection to get the system up and running.
Of course, every neighborhood and town has different rules. So if you happen to live somewhere that has requirements that apply to a particular project, the team will identify that during the design process. It's not something that you, as the homeowner, will be tasked with researching on your own.
Can outdoor lights withstand Ohio winters?
Only quality fixtures will last through repeated winter weather. Cheap stamped-metal hardware with plastic lenses might work in places where it never gets cold. But, regrettably, that is not something that can be said about Ohio.
Brass and copper fixtures are built to last. They can handle freeze-thaw cycles without corroding, cracking, or losing their shine. The reasons why this is the case come down to material density, corrosion resistance, and construction.
And they really do work for a long time. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives has installed Dayton outdoor lighting on properties that are still running their original fixtures after more than a decade of Ohio weather.
The color changing lights and LED modules used by our team are rated for sustained outdoor exposure in exactly these conditions. It also helps that LED technology also handles cold better than older halogen alternatives did, with consistent output and no warm-up time.
Looking for Dayton Landscape Lighting Near You?
The best way to get started is with a complimentary design consultation. The COLT-certified technicians of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives can come to your property, discuss what you have in mind, and figure out what’s possible from there. You can even ask for a nighttime lighting demonstration so you can better imagine how you’ll use your lights after dark.
Call Outdoor Lighting Perspectives for outdoor lighting companies near me.
For experts in outdoor lighting design, installation, and maintenance, call one of the most trusted names in the business. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives is eager to speak with you. Call us today at (937) 421-8101.