Front of House Lighting Tips
This tutorial goes over the positioning of lighting fixtures in the front of your house to ensure your property is well accentuated. We will go over some dos and don'ts to properly highlight your best asset, your home.
Paint the Canvas
​Properly positioned lighting can highlight the best features of your home. Poorly positioned lights create dead spots and create a negative overall image.
"Uplighting" vs "Moonlighting"
Uplighting involves installing well or directional lights facing upwards under trees to illuminate from the base. You can also use uplighting to accentuate features of your home and add to the overall aesthetic of your property.
Moon Lighting is the topdown lighting method that mimics the effect of the moon. This is either done from highpoints in your trees, off of the house or off of another mounting surface.
Accenting Hedges/Walls
Using accent lights or flood lights to accent exterior walls or hedge lines. You can create silhouettes, shadow effects or grazing.
Path Light Distribution
Path Lights along your walkways is the most effective method of making your front walkways more attractive. They should be placed evenly on both sides of the path to create a well balanced illumination.
Bury the Wire
Wiring can pose a fire or electrical hazard if left exposed. Harsh weather conditions can make the exterior coating brittle, while wild animals or pets can chew away at the insulation. In addition, exposed wiring can also cause accidents. To prevent these scenarios from happening, bury your wiring.
Most reputable lighting designers use tin-coated marine-grade wire.
​
If using PVC conduit, bury at a depth of 18 inches below the soil surface. ​If you wish to use a rigid metal conduit, a depth of 6 inches will suffice.