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Outdoor Lighting - Do It Yourself - For Under $500

Installing outdoor lighting is one of the least expensive ways to make your yard and house entrance safer for entry and accent your house and landscaping at night. If you just want to replace the old light fixtures and brighten up your entrance way consider purchasing a new light fixture that uses halogen or new high output fluorescent lamps to light up the area best. The least expensive is to look for a fixture that will mount the same way as the existing fixture to a post or wall mount. If your electrical skills allow consider adding a flood light type fixture higher on the exterior siding under the soffit or overhang area. The power for this fixture may be possible run from a power source in the attic. If you are not able to mount a switch in a convenient spot consider purchasing a fixture that has a on at dusk off at dawn feature if you want it on all night. If this light is only for security consider one that has a motion detector built into it. Remember these types of floodlights are fine for lighting a larger area for activities or viewing the overall yard, but they do not enhance the landscape or highlight the features of your backyard.

Decorative outdoor lighting is very popular around landscaping drives and walks around the whole property, in the front, sides and back of the house. This is the type of lighting that you see at vacation resorts and hotels around pool areas and park walkways to accent the landscaped features. Low voltage lighting is among the easiest and safest to install for the do it yourselfer. This type of lighting is usually available in light kits which may include several light fixtures, wiring and a transformer with a built in timer. These lights operate off of low voltage DC current and are safe in exterior damp locations as in landscaped areas, walks, drives, flower beds and on decks. Research the water resistance rating ( IP Rating ) for all outdoor light fixtures. An IPx3 would be ok for many outdoor conditions to be in the rain and IPx5 is the best and can resist water in any direction. There are numerous styles of fixtures available like tiered, louvered, or eyelids in low voltage lighting and available in many decorator colors. Find the focal point that you want accented or highlighted with the lighting like a tree, pond or seating area and place accordingly.

First decide on the type of lighting that you want – area light, spot light, up light, down light or path lights. Flood lights are for lighting a large area and must be mounted as high as possible for the best coverage and effect. Up lights are for accenting lawn ornaments or garden features and illuminate the object rather than ground surface. Path lights are placed along a walk area and are low mounted to light the stepping or path area to follow the walkway. Install the path lights about 5’ to 8’ apart either alternating sides of the walk or along the same side. Installation of low voltage lighting is the simplest because they are plugged into an existing duplex outlet. The low voltage wiring from the timer/transformer is then run to the light fixtures; make sure to leave some slack wire at fixture for adjustments. The wiring should be placed in a shallow trench covered with soil there is no need to bury this wire more than a few inches because it is low voltage DC current.

The cost of outdoor lighting varies and can be tailored to your needs and budget. A home can easily be sufficiently lighted with flood and landscape light fixtures for under $500 if you do it yourself. If you hire a contractor with this budget the most you can hope for is two motion flood/area lights installed with switches. The do it yourselfer can purchase the light fixtures at a home center, electrical supply store or a discount lighting outlet. For a DIY $500 spending budget with installing it yourself, you would be able to afford 2-3 motion floodlight fixtures, 2 new entry house mounted light lanterns/wall sconce fixtures at doorways, three to four sets of low voltage landscaping light kits and miscellaneous electrical supplies to do the hook ups.

Outdoor Kitchens & Gas Grills

Outdoor kitchens and gas grills have become very popular within the past few years and many people barbeque all year long. Homeowners want more than just a 2 burner gas or charcoal grill today, they want multiple burners, side burners, rotisseries, smokers, infrared burners, and searing burners. Homeowners will spend more money on an outdoor gas grill or smoker than they do on the appliances in the main kitchen of their home. The criteria for kitchen design & planning for an outdoor kitchen is different than designing an indoor kitchen. There is usually more space to work with outdoors and less design restrictions in planning the kitchen and people can be more extravagant with the choices and purchases of appliances and building materials. If you are considering building an outdoor kitchen collect information on grills, appliances and kitchen photos from home centers, appliance stores and magazine pictures to get ideas of how to design your kitchen. Homeowners love showing off the new outdoor cooking area to friends and neighbors. The outdoor kitchen becomes the center of conversation when guests are being entertained and dining in your backyard..

As with any home improvement the first decision to make is what the cost will be for this project. Will your budget be only enough for a new deluxe gas grill or will it be for a complete outdoor kitchen with appliances and a roof overhead. In making your choices consider the following; how often will you use this area, will you cook outdoor all year long, do you want a serving area nearby for dining outside, does the cooking area need to be moveable or stationary and will this area require additional utilities for connecting electric or gas appliances and sinks. Design plenty of countertop space for food prep, cooking, blenders, mixing drinks, small appliances and serving areas. If you are planning for more than just a free standing grill, I would suggest purchasing a grill that runs on natural gas rather then bottled propane. A natural gas connection may restrict the movement of the cooking center but relieves the problem of running out of fuel as you are cooking or having extra tanks on hand to replace. The location should be near the house for ease of serving or preparing meals and carrying food and utensils from the main kitchen.

Placement for the kitchen can be on an existing patio, deck or build a new area just for the barbeque. Consider where the heat & smoke will go when designing the layout. Place the grill away from the house and windows to prevent damage to the house siding and to keep the smoke from entering the house. Plan on where the electric, gas, water or drains need to go and how will they tie in to the existing lines. For built in gas grills and appliances you will need cabinets or bases to mount these items in. Select building materials that will withstand outdoor weather and require little maintenance or replacement by using treated lumber, stainless steel, granite, ceramic tile or solid surface materials. Countertop material should be durable, weather resistant and preferably made of solid surface or granite. Also available are free standing ready made island units and base cabinets in stainless steel. These cooking islands can also incorporate additional worktops, dining tables or snack bar areas built in.

A freestanding outdoor kitchen can be designed with a roof over it or fit into a gazebo style structure to protect appliances and also protect you from inclement weather while you are cooking. Usually this type of enclosure or gazebo will be further away from the main kitchen and you should consider including other appliances like a refrigerator, dishwasher and additional storage cabinets for convenience. Design the roof area large enough so the overhang extends beyond the countertops, appliances and eating areas. The sidewalls can be left open with a railing around or a half wall where the actual cooking & work area will be to protect the appliances and sink area. Your new outdoor kitchen will become the center piece in the yard so coordinate it with the overall landscape theme.

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