Just because the Florida sun goes down, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the outdoor spaces of your home. What better way to enhance your space, extend your time outdoors, and showcase your personal aesthetic than with the ambiance of outdoor lighting?

Though it can benefit any space, determining which type of outdoor landscape lighting is right for your style and needs can be difficult. That’s where the experts at BrightWater Irrigation & Lighting can help! Our team is well-versed in landscape lighting and will explain everything you need to know about choosing the best lights for your yard.

What Type of Outdoor Lighting is Best?

There are many different styles and designs when it comes to outdoor lighting. However, outdoor LED light bulbs are the best choice for any landscape lighting feature. These bulbs have a long lifespan and are incredibly energy efficient – making them more cost-efficient too! They also output minimal heat, making them safer in outdoor spaces where dry grass could otherwise create fire hazards.

What Are the Different Types of Landscape Lighting?

The options for outdoor lighting truly are endless, with unlimited potential for a unique design flow tailored to your aesthetic preferences. Here are the main different types of landscape lighting and what they are used for:

Path Lights

Designed to illuminate pathways and stairs, these are among the most common outdoor fixtures for gardens and yards. With dimming and brightening options, these are best installed at a height of about 14 inches to produce a beautifully even glow.

Step Lights

This type of light is built either beside or directly into outdoor steps. They provide increased visibility on your stairs and can help prevent tripping – and add a simple yet elegant touch to your outdoor stairs or deck.

Hardscape Lighting

Hardscape refers to any and all hard features you want to brighten (walls, paths, rocks, firepits, etc.). They are small LED lights with brackets or flanges, designed to add light directly onto the feature they are installed on.

A round light set into a sidewalk illuminating a column built above it.

In-Ground Lighting

With in-ground lighting, circular lights are installed flush with the walkway, or driveway. This is a sophisticated choice for sleek daytime visuals, making it a stylish way to increase safety and visibility across your property.

Up Lighting and Down Lighting

As their names suggest, these fixtures cast light either upward or downward. Up lights are great for highlighting features or architecture that you’re proud of, or to add dramatic flair for lighting walls, rocks, or trees. Down lights are great for illuminating general areas, or for placing within trees for an effect that emulates the romance and whimsy of natural moonlight, casting the shadows of the branches below.

Two underwater lights illuminating the steps into a pool.

Water Lighting

These lights are completely sealed and waterproof, perfect for ponds, fountains, or pools. Choosing a multicolor light allows you to change the highlight color to your heart’s desire.

Floodlights and Spotlights

A spotlight mounted on an exterior brick wall.

These lighting types are very similar, mostly differing in how focused they are. Spotlights are narrower concentrations of light (usually around 45 degrees), whereas floodlights are wider (usually 120 degrees). Paired with motion-activated sensors, both are most commonly used for increased security and visibility at night.

Your Experts in Outdoor Lighting

Regardless of the type of outdoor lighting you choose, calling the licensed professionals at BrightWater Irrigation & Lighting for installation is best. Electrical work can be tricky, dangerous, and even deadly when improperly handled. Our qualified technicians are highly trained to ensure your lightscaping is properly installed to withstand Orlando FL’s weather.

Want to get a true visual of your lighting considerations? We are so committed to you loving your lighting design, we offer demo kits where you can try 8-10 light fixtures for 2 nights for free. Explore the potential of your outdoor spaces by contacting our team at BrightWater Irrigation & Lighting today and get started with your free consultation.

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