11 tips on lighting the cottage and suburban area

Contents

1. №1.Basic requirements for lighting area
2. №2.Charting the lighting area
3. №3.Types of lighting area
4. №4.Features of the functional lighting section
5. №5.Decorative lighting
6. №6.The main types of fixtures for the site
7. №7.Types of street lamps at the place of installation
8. №8.Types of fixtures for the light source
9. №9.Automation of switching on and off of country lights
10. №10.What to consider when choosing garden lamps?
11. # 11.Original do-it-yourself site lighting

• Lamps from glass bottles
• Tin lamps from
• Luminaire from wood or ropes
• Plastic lamp

At the end of

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№1.Basic requirements for lighting the area

When organizing a lighting system, it is necessary to take into account a lot of nuances, so that in the dark of the day the territory is safe and does not lose its aesthetic qualities. The main requirements for the suburban and suburban plots are as follows:

• wiring should be non-hazardous, and it is better to include an RCD and a circuit breaker in the circuit;
• lighting control should be convenient;
• All lighting elements, including light bulbs, lamps, switches, must be designed for outdoor use , have protection from moisture and dust. The cable is laid in a pipe or a protective corrugation;
• should highlight all parts of the territory; ideally, the borders of the site should be normally viewed in the dark;
• is better to use energy-saving lamps, especially if the outdoor lighting will turn on every day;
• must have a site lighting scheme, and it is advisable to draw it up before the start of landscape design work, in order not to destroy the finished elements when laying the cables.

№2.Charting the lighting area

A variety of commercial garden lamps causes the eyes to run. I want to use literally everything on my plot: decorative lanterns, illuminated garden figures, lamps with moonlight, colored lanterns to decorate treetops, and garlands, and other lighting devices, which sometimes surprise with unusual design. In order to prevent chaos in the dacha, it is necessary for to think over the main locations of the luminaires in advance, to determine the functions assigned to the backlight and choose the style of the lighting devices.

At this stage, it is necessary to draw up an plan-a scheme for the location of all lamps on the site. To do this, you can use a photocopy of the scheme of the territory or to scale the plan with an indication of all the existing buildings. It is important to create a lighting plan in parallel with thinking out the rest of the landscape design elements. The locations of future fixtures are determined together with the design of arbors, garden paths, ponds, patios, terraces and other recreation areas. Otherwise, the risk of rebuilding some of these elements is exceeded due to the need to lay power cables.

The diagram should indicate where the lamps will be located, how many they will be, and what function will be assigned to them, you can also specify the size and style of performance. Now the electrical connection scheme is being compiled: : for those who know a little about electrical engineering, this is a simple task. It is better to entrust the installation of the entire lighting system to specialists, since, first of all, it should be as safe as possible for site owners.

When compiling a lighting plan, it is necessary to remember that must highlight the entrance to the house, a wicket or gate, the perimeter of the site, as well as the most dangerous places in the territory, incl.steps and bridges. It is not recommended to light the house from the fence, as this creates a blinding effect. When preparing a lighting scheme, it is important not to forget about the climatic features of the region. For example, the height of the lamps should be such that under the maximum possible layer of snow they fulfill their functions.

№3.Types of lighting area

Lighting suburban area performs several functions at once, and for each of them it is better to provide a separate type of lamps.

The main types of garden lighting:

• general or functional lighting is necessary for safe movement around the territory at nightfall, to perform certain work and good rest in the evening. General lighting fixtures are primarily installed at the entrance to the site, in parking lots, near the entrance to the house. They are also necessary for lighting garden paths and recreation areas;
• marking of elements of the section is a special case of general lighting. The main function of marking light is an indication of some objects, for example, the parking borders, the location of gates, steps, etc. In this case, you can use small lamps and even "glowing" stones;
• automatic lighting systems , increasing the safety of the territory. Due to the presence of a time relay or motion sensors, one or more lighting elements can be turned on when it gets dark or when intruders appear in the summer cottage. Similar elements can also be used to scare away animals and birds by creating a presence effect;
• decorative lighting .These include lamps that are designed to decorate and attract more attention to interesting elements of the landscape, rather than to give full light. This lighting is equipped with alpine slides, ponds, treetops, recreation areas, and use for this LED strips, flashlights, garden figures with built-in lights, lamps that can shine in different colors, and other elements.

№4.Features of the functional lighting section

The tasks of functional lighting are simple and clear. If the decorative lighting can not be used at every summer cottage, then cannot do without general lighting. Highlighting all the important elements in order to increase the safety of movement around the territory, it is worth remembering that should be placed on arbours on gazebos, patios, houses and other buildings - garden paths should not be flooded with too bright light, otherwise walking on them will experiencegreat discomfort. The most illuminated place on the site - is the facade of the house and the porch: it will be more comfortable to move from less illuminated areas to brighter ones. It is important that even late at night functional lighting allows the to see the boundaries of the area.

Highlight also necessary stairs, curbs, bridges and other most dangerous objects. Along the paths lamps should be positioned evenly. Lights, floor lamps with frosted glass diffusers, bright spotlights, spherical lamps and other elements can serve as light sources.

№5.Decorative lighting

Decorative lighting is necessary for recreation areas and objects that you want to admire even with the onset of darkness. Usually, provides flower beds, trees, bushes, fountains, ponds, alpine slides, garden sculptures , as well as gazebos, patios and benches with additional lighting. Decorative lighting complements the basic and gives a dim light, creating a romantic and slightly mysterious atmosphere. There are plenty of ways to organize it - it all depends on the style of the site and the owner's imagination.

In order for not to be mistaken with the choice of style of lamps for a site, you can use a simple rule. The more elaborate and many-sided landscaping of the garden, the more simple and concise must be lighting items. If the style of the site is close to minimalism, then you can use the lamps of the most bizarre and unusual forms, with an emphasis in decorating the garden on them.

№6.The main types of lighting for the site

It is desirable that the lighting area was not only its stylish and functional addition, but did not lead to frantic costs for the use of electricity. Traditional incandescent bulbs are far from the most economical option of the , they get very hot during operation, which consumes most of the energy, burn out quickly, and at low temperatures they can even explode. Alternatives to incandescent bulbs today mass:

• luminescent and halogen lamps , which are more economical and durable;
• LED lamps and ribbons do not heat up, spend a minimum of energy, shine brightly enough, and in terms of durability surely outperform competitors. Moreover, when using this type of luminaire, it will be possible to easily change the brightness of the illumination. Usually, using LEDs, they create decorative lighting, arranging the hidden illumination of water bodies, steps, benches, the facade of a house, or hiding them in the canopy of trees or shrubs;
• fiber optic systems is a new word in the field of garden lighting. Can be used as sources of primary or secondary light, for architectural lighting and even for decorating pools and ponds. Such a system consists of a projector( a light source for an optical fiber), an optical cable or fiber, common input, threaded nozzles and various terminal devices. It turns out that with only one generator, it is possible to provide a large area of ​​lighting. The main advantages of the system are simplicity in management, durability, efficiency and the absence of requirements for waterproofing fixtures.

Separately, it is worth to highlight such interesting modern solutions for garden lighting as paving slabs with built-in and LEDs and fluorescent tiles with the ability to accumulate solar energy during the day.

№7.Types of street lamps at the place of installation

A huge variety of lamps designed to illuminate the suburban and suburban area, can be divided into several groups:

• floor lamps , which include lights of different heights;
• wall lights are used to illuminate the house or fences, they can be hung on the wall at any height;
• ; pendant lights include lights and strings that can be hung from tree branches or ceilings in gazebos;
  
  
• spotlights with a directional beam of light are installed, as a rule, at ground level and serve to illuminate the areas that need to be allocated at the site( house, beautiful tree, fountain, etc.);
• indirects or lights with a reflector direct the light flux downwards, so they are used to illuminate garden paths and flower beds;
• fiber optic lamps are allocated in a separate group due to their unique properties and versatility of application.
  
  

№8.Types of luminaires by

light source In order to understand how diverse and unusual the area lighting can be, you need to figure out what lamps can be according to the light source:

• electrical .Everything is clear here, everything written above concerns electric lamps. They constitute the basis in covering the territory of the , are the most functional and require preparatory work that includes digging trenches and laying cables in plastic or corrugated tubes;
• solar powered lights is an original and very economical way to illuminate individual areas of the site. These lamps can be used only as a supplement to electric lighting. During the day they accumulate energy from the sun, and emit a soft soft light at night. Installation is as simple as possible - the lamp is installed where additional lighting is required, no trenches are needed, and if necessary it can be easily moved to another place. Such lamps can be of any size, shape and design, they are expensive, but they will not use electricity. The battery will be charged even in cloudy weather;
  
  
• objects painted with luminescent paint - an original way to decorate your site and diversify its decorative lighting;
  
  
• open flame .To create a romantic atmosphere, candles enclosed in pretty plafonds can be used. Another option is kerosene lamps. This is a purely decorative source of illumination that must be constantly monitored to avoid fire.
  
  

№9.Automation of switching on and off of

country luminaires Even at the stage of drawing up a plan for the location of lamps on the site, it is worth considering how they will turn on and off. It will be easy for some people to even independently carry out a similar procedure every day, but if the area of ​​the territory is significant, and in the countryside you are not only in good weather, then turning the lighting on and off regularly can turn into a real problem. The solution is automation of the lighting system, and there are several options for implementing this venture:

• control using the twilight relay , which will turn on the light when the sensor installed in the area "feels" the twilight, and turn it off at dawn. The sensor is mounted at any convenient place on the territory, the relay is installed in the electrical panel;
• control using astronomical relay .In this case, an additional sensor will not be needed - you only need to adjust the coordinates of the location once, and thanks to the integrated microprocessor, the time of sunset and dawn will be calculated at a certain time of the year. Such a relay can be additionally configured not to turn on the light when there is no one in the area. Due to the presence of a built-in battery during a temporary power outage, the relay retains all settings. Mounted in an electrical panel;
• control using a temporary relay is the simplest and not very functional option. It adjusts only the time after which the light will be turned off after it is manually turned on. Suitable for areas where light sources are few. Assume that the relay has been configured according to which after 5 minutes the light must be turned off. The site owner, arriving at the cottage in the evening and turning on the lighting near the gate manually, may not return to turn it off - the light will turn off after a specified time has elapsed.

In addition, at least one of all the fixtures at the cottage must be equipped with an motion sensor. When someone passes within the sensor, the light turns on. This is very convenient if you usually come to the country in the evening - no flashlights and matches will be needed. In addition, it is an additional protection against intruders. Motion sensors are usually tuned to a specific object size so as not to trigger a cat that has run past. Usually they work in conjunction with a photo relay, which prevents the motion sensor from triggering during daytime.

# 10.What to consider when choosing garden lamps?

A luminaire in a suburban area will be constantly exposed to negative factors: precipitation, sunlight, high and low temperatures. Therefore, it is necessary to choose only those products that are intended for use outdoors. They must be airtight or semi-hermetic. In the latter case, you will have to take care of the presence of snow and rain canopies.

When buying, it is worth checking whether the inside of the fixture is colored. If not, then you should not count on a special durability. Best in operation themselves showed lamps made of stainless steel and aluminum alloys. Do not forget to learn about the warranty period, as well as ask security certificate , where the degree of protection should be indicated.

# 11.Original lighting of the site with their own hands

Prices for garden lamps can make some people doubt the need for decorative lighting of the site. If you turn on the fantasy, find some free time and use the materials at hand, you can create original lamps with your own hands. Here are some options.

Lights from glass bottles

1. The easiest option is to put the New Year's garland in an interestingly shaped bottle. If you take a garland that runs on batteries, then you can use an improvised lamp far from the outlet. Instead of a garland, you can use the flashlight inserted into the neck of the , and fill the capacity of the bottle with beads or transparent reflective balls;
2. at the bottom of the glass jars you can pour sand, pebbles, colorful stones and put candles. Outside the jar can be decorated with a rope, cloth, lace, etc.;
   
   
3. The ceiling of an glass bottle of unusual shape or color is made by cutting the bottom. This is easy: you need to tie a bottle with thread dipped in kerosene at the level where you need to make a cut, and pour cold water into the bottle itself to the same level. It remains to set fire to the rope, taking care of its own safety, - the cut will be smooth, but if you wish, you can polish it a little. Now it's small: fill the bottle with an electric cord, connect the cartridge and screw in a light bulb;
4. cans can be painted on the inner surface of the cans with luminescent paints, making stains of various shapes and sizes. In the evening, a composition of several cans will look very original.
   
   

Tin Lights

Any can can be an original fixture in which to place a garland or a candle. The light will penetrate through the numerous holes made in the form of a pattern, you can create them on the can with the help of nails of different diameters and a hammer. To make it easier, you can first make a sketch on paper, and then, with paper attached to the bank, transfer the drawing. It is better to put a cylindrical piece of wood inside the tin so as not to deform the jar while making the holes. Lamps can be placed or hung on the site.

Lamp made of wood or rope

Small branches can be glued over the balloon in a chaotic manner. After the glue hardens, the ball is carefully detached and deflated. Instead of twigs, you can use thread or rope. In this way, you can get cute lampshades of any size that can be used as a lampshade for the bulb, or as a way to decorate a regular garland.

Plastic lamp

Plastic bottles allow you to create lamps of various shapes, colors and sizes - it would be a fantasy. A simple ball-lamp can be made from the bottoms of several bottles. They are cut off, glued together, bend along a radius and give them a ball shape. It remains only to install on the base with a light bulb and connect to the network.

Cute cover can be made of plastic leaves. Rectangles are first cut from a green bottle, from which leaflets are then cut, their edges can be melted with a soldering iron to make it more similar to real leaflets. From individual elements with the help of the wire, it is possible to form whole branches, which will be the plafond.

As a matter of fact, you can create an from anywhere. : glue plastic cups, ping-pong balls, bright beads, old records or compact discs. Even a corrugated pipe and old household utensils can serve as a pretty plafond. Also, as a decorative lighting can be used and ordinary garland, but do not forget that all homemade lamps can be used either in dry weather, or under a reliable canopy, as they will not have the proper level of insulation and protection.

In conclusion,

Lighting, in addition to its main functions, helps to properly zone the garden and create the necessary atmosphere. Using warm light, you can visually zoom in on an illuminated object, and cold light, on the contrary, visually removes it. It is not recommended to use more than 2-3 shades in lighting, with special care it is necessary to consider using bright white, red and brown colors. The above tips and a little of your own imagination will help make the site cozy and safe.