Majority of the homeowners consider an outdoor lighting twice a year; once when they are up on a ladder in November swearing at the messy strands of lights, and once when they are paying someone to remove them in January. There is a more than better way. The permanent outdoor lighting, which used to be a high-end niche market, has become one of the most convenient home improvements that can be made and the difference between “wild holiday decorations and an instant curb appeal is not as big as most individuals believe.
But what is it that constitutes a permanent lighting system? It is essentially a permanent set of weatherproof LEDs that are embedded in your home soffit, eave or trim line, wired into your electrical network and operated via an application. No clips. No nails in shingles. No mad dashes to the big box store when three bulbs blow on the 22nd of December.
The contrast between the life in everyday and daily life is striking. Your house is as it always was, with its clean lines, no exposed hardware, when you tap your phone and the entire roofline is lit up. It changes color between warm white and anything you desire to do in case of a birthday party, a game night or even a Tuesday when you feel blue.
Installation is more than most individuals think. These systems are installed once, preferably by a licensed electrician, knowledgeable of low-voltage wiring and weatherproofing. Corners cut in this area are likely to be reflected in the future as flickering areas or water spots. Quality systems have individually programmable nodes – that is, individual lights can be programmed but you are not restricted to whole-string controls.
The question of cost arises at a glance. You will spend significantly more initially than you would have with disposable holiday lights, but the calculations change when you consider five to ten years of no re-installation work, a significantly lower number of bulbs to replace and the energy efficiency of new LEDs, which only consume a fraction of the incandescent power. The payback period of the latter may be shorter than thought in home owners who entertain frequently or are concerned with how their home looks outwardly.
Permanent systems are more than just during holidays. There is a slight warm white accent along the roofline which gives an architectural depth at any time of the year. Safety is enhanced – a bright front is a true deterrent and motion activated areas can be programmed. The change of seasons is a matter of seconds: Fourth of July red, white and blue; Halloween orange and purple; team colors on game days. The app stores all the custom sequences that you have created.
