Monday, September 19, 2011

Home Improvement Projects: Installing Outdoor Lighting

One home improvement program that you can undertake to add value and beauty to your abode is outdoor lighting. Aside from the aesthetics, lighting up your backyard is done for functional and safety reasons. The added ambiance that it brings is also another reason to take on an outdoor lighting home improvement project.

Installing outdoor lighting enhances the area in your property that you want to put the spotlight on. Whether you want your rose garden to shine or make the path back to your house more romantic, well-chosen lights can accomplish the job. More importantly, a house with well-illuminated front and back yards deters thieves and other bad elements from sneaking in and doing your family harm.

Installing outdoor lighting can be a DIY job but there are guidelines you can follow to make sure that you get it done safely and in less time. So before you add lights to the exterior portion of your home, make sure that you read the rest of this article. We have tips you will want to keep in mind:

Have a Detailed Plan. No home improvement project will succeed without a detailed plan. The installation of outdoor lights may be done yourself but a diagram of where you want your lights placed is still necessary. A diagram clarifies which parts of your yard you want illuminated. It prevents haphazard placing of your lights. More importantly, a detailed plan saves you money since you don?t have to buy things on a whim or purchase more than what you really need.

Make Sure that No Cables are Present Underground. Give your local gas and electric company a call even before you start with your project. If you don?t do this, you risk destroying the pipes and cables that supply you with gas and electricity and you don?t want that to happen.

Have a GFCI Receptacle Installed. If you want to place exterior lighting, you need a GFCI receptacle installed. Call a professional electrician to do the job for you if you don?t want anything to do with wires and cables.

Wet the Soil the Night Before Installation. On the night before you will install the lights, water the ground thoroughly so that the lights (which usually come with a stake) can be placed into the ground easily. With ground that?s moist and soft, you won?t have any problems driving the stakes into the soil.

Position and Install the Lights. Following your diagram, put the lights where you want them. Usually, you start laying out the cables from the GFCI receptacle. From there, you can follow to where you have initially positioned the lights. Now if you have no direct knowledge about wires and cables, it?s best to have an electrician do the job for you. Be sure to check that the lights are working after they have been installed. To make sure that no unsightly cables are exposed bury them about 5 inches underground.

By the way, you should check out the best DIY tool on the market today, the Fein MultiMaster. Also, be sure to look at this Fein MultiMaster review.

Source: http://www.eddyarticles.com/home-and-family-articles/home-improvement-projects-installing-outdoor-lighting/

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