Several things to consider when it comes to landscape lighting fixture installation
I hate to say this, but I’m still hearing that my industry, low voltage landscape lighting, has a bad reputation. So, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for me to get back on my soap box.
There are a couple big reasons why this is true:
- The first reason is shoddy lighting products that just can’t hold up in the natural outdoor environment. You know the products that I’m talking about — the economy merchandise at the big box or discount store, or online sold at a fraction of the cost of a real quality product. Cheaply made of inferior materials.
- The other reason is poor installation by people who have no idea what they are doing. This is due to little to no training in landscape lighting fixture installation.
Now imagine a combination of poor products installed poorly. How long could it last? NOT LONG at all! Therein lies the problem — and why ALL low voltage outdoor lighting gets a bad rap.
Here are some examples of what I’m talking about. These are different lighting projects in my area of central Texas. They are all located in a very high income/retirement community; and I’m afraid the clients got ripped off. The worst part of these terrible examples of landscape lighting fixture installation is that I know one of these projects was done by a licensed electrical contractor!
Let’s look at fixtures mounted to trees. The proper way to do this is with stainless steel stand-off (hanger) bolts with washers and nuts. Using stainless steel hardware does not harm the tree, and the stand-off bolts allow the tree to grow without growing around the mounting bracket that should be used. This method applies with either upward or downward aimed fixtures.
Here you see examples of how NOT to do it. The plastic stakes on these fixtures are provided by the manufacturer to go into the ground, not for screwing the fixture
to a tree! Then you also see that they are using sheetrock screws — which will poison the tree, instead of using stainless steel. One note here: in one case a VERY cheap fixture with a very low quality LED lamp is used, and in the other case they used a very good quality integrated LED fixture.
I have written often about the importance of good connections in landscape lighting fixture systems. Take a look at how these connections were made and how the wire is attached to the trees. There is a BIG problem in using regular dry location
wire nuts in an outdoor application. The right way to make this connection is with butt splices and heat-shrink to seal the connection, giving a streamlined appearance. The installer could also have used silicone filled wire connectors, but then they should have placed the connection in an approved junction box.
As for the attachment of the wire, we NEVER staple the wire to a tree of any kind. Staples are not stainless steel and will, consequently, harm the tree. Also a serious problem is this: When the tree tries to heal itself and grows, it will grow
right around that staple and the wire. Naturally, this cannot be good for the tree, and will eventually cause a short circuit in that wire. The proper way to attach the wire of a landscape lighting fixture to a tree is with stainless steel screws and nylon zip tie straps. This method allows for backing the screw out as the tree grows (our maintenance crews check this regularly). It also means that if maintenance is not done for an extended period of time, the tree may consume the screw, but the zip tie strap will break free allowing the wire to float freely so the tree does not grow around it. The stainless steel screw will not corrode, causing harm to the tree.
The most creative “just-rig-it-to-work” award goes to the person who thought that he could just set an in-grade PAR well light landscape lighting fixture into the middle of a multi-trunk tree and call it a winner! This is nothing short of funny to me, but is truly absolutely ridiculous, as I’m sure my professional colleagues from around the country will agree. This particular fixture is meant to be dug into the ground with 6” of pea gravel below it for drainage, placed in turf areas, with a protective metal grate over it. It should NOT be in a mulched flower bed. This is just the wrong fixture in the wrong place, installed by the wrong person! Rest assured, you would never see this on one of our projects!
These are things that make us shake our heads and say to ourselves, “Does this client feel like they got a good deal?”
The other day I thought of a way to describe my thoughts, comparing those installers who provide cheap outdoor lighting and those of us who do not, and will not, do that kind of work. Think about it this way: There are a lot of “Get It for a Dollar” type of outdoor lighting companies that will sell you some lights at a bargain basement price. Just like the discount store, they will dress you in cheap jeans, a T shirt and some $10 tennis shoes and call it done. You’ll walk out clothed, but may not feel well-served or valued. Then there are high quality custom outdoor lighting companies, like ours and some others. These companies don’t just sell lights – they will give you atmosphere and ambience. They will dress you in a custom tailored outfit, made of excellent materials with workmanship that will last a lifetime; and provide the accessories that will make heads turn. They take the time to get to know you and your style to put together the perfect ensemble in a style just for you that will make you feel like a million bucks! There is value in that experience that is impossible to match for a bargain basement price.
There is, of course, a market for both the discount store and the custom tailor with many different department stores in between. The main thing we encourage everyone to remember, though, is that very often you get exactly what you pay for. Cheap products installed by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing, may look pretty good for a short time, but will fail soon; so you are paying for something temporary, like $10 tennis shoes. Quality products installed by a well-educated professional will last a lifetime, like a fine pair of leather shoes. I’ve got some shoes in my closet that are 20 years old and still look and feel great.
If you are looking for great lighting with long-lasting value in Austin and the central Texas hill country, contact us here to set up an appointment with one of our designers.
