To brighten decks, patios, walkways, and garden paths, use a low-voltage lighting system, and provide safety and security while it focuses on your landscape and illuminates the dark areas. Use it to highlight an ornamental tree or other feature in your yard so you double the effect of the lighting.
Low-voltage exterior lighting systems, available in many styles and sizes, eliminate the need to dig deep trenches for electrical wires; instead you stake and secure it in the ground. Then you connect the fixtures together with cables, which you cover with mulch or place in a shallow trench. These systems are plugged into an outlet and powered by a transformer that reduces standard line voltage. You’ll find the systems, sold as kits and as individual components, at home and garden centers.
Experiment with the location and intensity of the lighting you want before you shop for a system. Get a helper out there with a flashlight in the dark area of the property, and have them move around to simulate where the light fixtures might be placed. This helps you know how much light you need and what effect you want to create. For safety’s sake, when you’re lighting a walkway, focus the light toward the ground so it lights the path; to showcase a handsome tree or plant, use lights facing upward.
A landscape contractor will charge $300, which includes labor and material, to install 60 feet of good-quality low-voltage lighting. That consists of six lights located 10 feet apart with a transformer. You can buy the components for $145, do the job and save 52 percent.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved
$300—$145—2.5—5.0—$155—52 percent
