Why Add Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting?

At its most basic level, landscape lighting involves strategically selecting and placing fixtures to illuminate outdoor areas, enhancing their aesthetics and functionality. Low voltage systems use transformers to convert standard household voltage to a safer 12 volts, providing energy-efficient illumination.

One common misconception is that landscape lighting is only for illuminating plants or pathways; while these can be good starting points for basic designs, landscape lighting often includes highlighting architectural features, water features, entertainment areas and structures, and so much more. Similarly, the vast techniques and fixture types utilized by skilled landscape lighting designers go far beyond up lights on trees and walkways studded with pathway lights.

We know you’ve seen it…that home with the outdoor lighting that just doesn’t quite look right. It’s the one draws your eye at night but lacks luster and an awe-inspiring impact. Unfortunately, bad outdoor lighting is common. At its worst, landscape lighting may look like:

• a spread of unbalanced and poorly placed spotlights creating hotspots that wash out the natural color and texture of the substrate.
• excessively bright pathway lights creating distracting and unnatural UFO spotlights on the ground (you see it, don’t you?!)
• glare bombs from poor fixture selection or placement that obnoxiously blinds you and your guests while navigating your property.
• unnatural or eerie scenery resulting from improper color tone or poor CRI.
• oversized and distracting fixture styles or placement which draw your eye to the light source rather than the effect.
• …and a myriad of other abominations

However, at its best, landscape lighting design is truly an artform. While there are many contractors that “do” landscape lighting, few in the Boise area are true designers with the skill, training, and commitment to craft a thorough and proper outdoor lighting design that seamlessly blends form and function to create an artistic masterpiece tailored to the unique features and needs of your property. But lucky for you…you’ve found us! Silver Bells is ready to bring the art of illumination to your home or business and truly reveal it’s full potential after dark.

Landscape lighting enhances curb appeal, increases property value, and provides safety and security. It also extends your outdoor living space into the evening hours, creating a welcoming atmosphere to enhance everything from a relaxing evening at home to elegant events or lively parties. For many Treasure Valley residents, landscape lighting is an effective way to battle the “winter blues” of seasonal affected disorder. And let’s be honest…an artful landscape lighting design is truly just a pleasure to experience and enjoy every single night – whether you’re outside amidst the lights or admiring them through the window. Give yourself permission to bring resort style living home with a quality design and installation by Silver Bells.

Not with a lighting system designed by Silver Bells. One of the easiest ways to spot a poor lighting design or installation is one where the lights are obnoxiously bright. Not only does this completely wash out color and texture (which is quite literally the EXACT opposite of what we want), but overly bright lights can be annoying to you and to your neighbors. The same is true of poorly placed lights. This is an area where skill and expertise truly matter more than you might guess in selecting the right lighting partner for your project.

The sooner, the better. We almost always have more design options and can often save you money by being involved on the front end of the project. We collaborate regularly with other contractors to ensure that proper prep and planning for your lighting is a seamless component of your upcoming project.

Our landscape lighting systems can be controlled manually or through advanced control options such as cloud-based apps, timers, and astronomical timing. This allows you to adjust the lighting intensity and schedules according to your needs.

Yes, our fixtures are built to withstand outdoor conditions. They are constructed with durable materials and are weather-resistant to ensure long-lasting performance.

You bet! Our designs are flexible and adaptable. As your preferences or landscape change, we can adjust the lighting to maintain a stunning and functional aesthetic.

Getting started is easy! Contact us to schedule a free consultation where we’ll assess your property, discuss your goals, and design a customized lighting solution for you.

Landscape lighting can be energy-efficient when designed and installed with the right fixtures and techniques. Here’s how:

1. LED Technology: LED (Light Emitting Diode) fixtures are highly energy-efficient compared to traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs. They consume significantly less power while producing the same amount of light, reducing energy consumption and costs.
2. Low Voltage Systems: Many landscape lighting systems operate on low voltage, typically 12 volts, which consumes less energy compared to higher voltage systems.
3. Timer Controls: Using timers or smart lighting controls allows you to schedule when your landscape lights turn on and off, ensuring they only operate when needed, further reducing energy usage.
4. Proper Design: A well-designed landscape lighting layout considers factors such as fixture placement, beam angles, and light levels to minimize energy waste while effectively illuminating key features.
   
   

As for the cost of running landscape lighting, it can vary depending on factors such as the number of fixtures, wattage, and how often they are used. However, with energy-efficient LED fixtures and careful planning, the cost of running landscape lighting can be relatively low. The average landscape lighting system designed and installed by Silver Bells costs less than a Starbucks coffee per month to run.

Yes, we can integrate your landscape lighting with other systems such as home automation, allowing you to control your lights remotely and create personalized lighting scenes.

Yes, our landscape lighting products come with manufacturer warranties, and we provide an additional 1-year labor warranty on permanent installations to ensure your satisfaction and peace of mind.

While it’s tempting to use the same contractor for multiple services, such as landscaping and outdoor lighting, there are several reasons why it might not be the best choice:

1. Specialized expertise: While landscapers may have some basic knowledge of outdoor lighting, they may not have the specialized skills and experience needed to design and install a sophisticated lighting system. Lighting is often an upsell or add-on service for landscapers rather than their true focus, making it is common for design, materials, and installation quality to be poor.
2. Quality of work: Using a contractor who specializes in outdoor lighting ensures that you’ll get high-quality workmanship and attention to detail. They’ll have the necessary tools, equipment, and techniques to install lighting fixtures properly and ensure they function correctly for years to come.
3. Design considerations: Outdoor lighting design plays a significant role in enhancing the aesthetics of your landscape and improving safety and security. Lighting specialists have an eye for design and can create a customized lighting plan that complements your landscaping and achieves your desired ambiance.
4. Code compliance and safety: Electrical work must comply with building codes and safety standards to ensure the protection of your property and its occupants. Lighting specialists are familiar with these regulations and can ensure that your outdoor lighting installation meets all necessary requirements.
5. Warranty and support: Using a specialized outdoor lighting contractor often comes with warranties on products and workmanship, as well as ongoing support and maintenance services. This can provide you with peace of mind knowing that your lighting system is covered and that you have access to support if any issues arise.

While your landscaper may offer outdoor lighting as an additional service, it’s essential to consider whether they have the expertise and resources to deliver the level of quality and service you expect. Investing in a project with a dedicated outdoor lighting specialist can ensure that you achieve the best results and maximize the value of your investment in your outdoor space.

Nope! Our professional outdoor lighting systems can be adapted to accommodate plant growth, landscape layout changes, customer preference changes, etc. In fact, getting started with landscape lighting while landscaping is young can be a great way to spread out the financial investment as well. For example, you may have a young tree now that can be properly and aesthetically lit with a single up light…in a few years when the tree is larger and more filled out, we can adjust placement of that single light as well as add an additional one to provide proper illumination for the tree’s new size and shape. We work with young landscaping often and plan and prepare accordingly for these adjustments in a way that minimizes future costs.

While solar lights offer convenience and affordability, they do not provide the same results as professional lighting for several reasons. Here are some of the glaring problems we see from solar lights:

• Dim or weak light source
• Uneven light distribution
• Subpar CRI creating an unnatural appearance on the areas illuminated
• Mismatched or improper color tones – even within the same product line
• Poor durability and lifespan
• Performance issues due to battery degradation, inconsistent charging, or malfunctions
• Poor or lacking timing and control mechanisms
• Poor or lacking fine-tune controls like varied lumen outputs, beam spread, zoning, dimming, etc.
• Lack of convenience features like cloud-control, app-control, astronomical timing to adjust for changes in dusk/dawn and daylight savings
• Limited warranty coverage
• Poor weather resistance
• Very limited customization and design options due to small product offerings
• Inability to maintenance as they are considered consumable (toss and replace approach)
• Limited resources for troubleshooting

Ultimately, while solar lights from Home Depot or Amazon offer convenience and affordability, they may not provide the same level of quality, performance, customization, and durability as professional lighting. If you prioritize achieving optimal lighting results and long-term reliability for your outdoor space, investing in professional outdoor lighting is a worthwhile consideration.

Absolutely! This is one of the many features you’ll get to explore when you meet with one of our designers.

Ooh, baby! Buckle up because we are geared up and ready to knock your socks off with this one! BUT…don’t hate us…the answer to this question is kind of like our “secret sauce” and we just can’t bring ourselves to divulge more here. So, tuck this one in your back pocket and get ready to see color in a whole new light when you meet with one of our designers.

We can say this…we’ve seen grown men get absolutely giddy—jumping up and down, hooting and hollering—when we demo how and why color should at least be considered for every project. We can’t wait to show you why!

We love these kinds of thoughtful questions! The fixtures themselves are very durable and backed by solid warranties. To be blunt, they can take a beating in a way cheap fixtures just could not tolerate. Our design team is very skilled at accounting for these needs and selecting proper fixtures and placements to minimize disruption from kids and pets. We also offer ongoing maintenance plans and services to “tidy up” periodically to account for not only any disruptions from littles or animals, but also normal wear and tear such as foot traffic, erosion, weather, hard water from sprinklers, and so on. So, while you may want to hold off on buying the luxury velvet couch if this phase of life is filled with sticky hands and acrobatics, it certainly shouldn’t hinder the outdoor lighting you’ve been dreaming of.

Absolutely! Most clients prefer that we also handle the installation and any ongoing service needs, but we can also provide a custom design and layout for a fee. Fees for design-only services start at $1,500 and are based on the scope of the project.