Options for lighting paths in the country and how to do it yourself
With dusk, the garden becomes inhospitable, and walking in the dark on lawns and lawns is not very pleasant, even scary. Many city dwellers live at the dacha until late autumn and feel comfortable and safe lighting the lanterns. The soft light emitted by the lamps envelops the area in mystery and romance, so many people strive to light up the paths in the country. Installation of equipment can transform the landscape, create comfort. And you certainly won't want to leave for a noisy and dusty metropolis.
Basic requirements and principles of organizing lighting
When designing an electrical circuit for garden plots, you need to choose the right equipment that will work both in snow and rain. During the day, the backlight should be off. To reduce the cost of installing fixtures and lamps, you need to think about the location of lanterns in advance. If you place them along the paths, you can ennoble the landscape of the site.
The light emitted by the lamps should not be bright, but soft. Electricity is not a cheap pleasure, you have to choose devices that save kilowatts. In order for the lanterns to serve for a long time, not to get wet in the rain, not to be covered with dust, you need to think about how to protect them.
The site will look neat if you install lamps in harmony with the landscape design.
Execution Options
The garden lanterns are connected for different purposes, and the lighting is divided into several types.
Functional
To facilitate night movement on the site, climbing stairs, walking along paths, on poles, in front of a gate and a gate at a height of 2-3 meters, lamps are installed manually or automatically.
The entrance doors are fitted with street sconces. The parking area, the path leading to the garage, is lit using lanterns fixed on supports approximately one meter high. The power of gas discharge sources is chosen taking into account:
- number of lamps;
- area of the area;
- the width of the tracks.
Functional lighting is controlled automatically, manually. A relay is installed, which is triggered at nightfall and the activation time is programmed.
Decorative
To create a cozy atmosphere, a romantic and mysterious atmosphere in the garden space, to give expressiveness to the building and the landscape, they equip a decorative lighting system that is triggered using a remote control located at inside the house.
Architectural
To decorate the facade of the building, lamps or lanterns are installed. For this purpose, point sources can be used, a general lighting system can be connected.Lanterns arranged throughout the territory help to emphasize the elegance of a flower bed or an alpine slide, to highlight a garden sculpture, a pond or shrubs. Each object is illuminated by dotted columns.
For important events, family vacations, the garden area is decorated with lights.
Burglar
Service lighting plays a strictly defined role - it protects the territory of the dacha from the intrusion of uninvited guests. It consists of gas discharge lamps.
The luminaires are positioned so that the sensors block the entrance to the building. The system turns on when a moving object, a spotlight appears. The lamps turn off after a specified interval, which is configured automatically.
How to choose lights
Lanterns installed in the yard must have a safety rating of at least IP44. By determining the location of the lamps, the voltage value is calculated. A step-down transformer is used to illuminate the landscape, powered by a 220 V network.
For a garden plot, it is advisable to purchase devices with a voltage of 24 or 12.
By mode of action and light output
They are classified according to mode of action and light output.
Incandescent lamps
In an artificial source, when an electric current flows, the tungsten coil is heated. When the switch is pressed and the circuit is closed, the temperature of the filament increases; when the light increases, the light turns on.
Halogen
If the territory of the garden is small, it makes sense to install lamps in the cylinder of which there is a buffer gas that increases the temperature of the spiral. The life of the product can reach 4000 hours.
Halogen lamps do not flicker and have a high color rendering.
Luminescent
Mercury-discharge lamps, which are installed in shopping centers, in workshops, can also be placed in the garden. The design is made in the form of a glass tube, sealed on both sides. The fluorescent device is connected to a power source and emits light. The following elements are integrated into the lamp:
- cathodes;
- gas outlet pipes;
- sign;
- pins.
The device works for 15,000 hours, however, if the temperature drops to 5 ° C, it may fail, it is afraid of moisture. Install lanterns in the garden by placing them in the housing.
Metallogenic
Lamps with a light output of 100 lm/W hardly last longer than fluorescent fixtures and save energy. The devices use mercury which is deposited on the surface of the burner. When heated, the substance breaks down into ions that emit light.
Metallogous lamps have high power, work at any temperature and heat up instantly.
Sodium
Gas-discharge devices, created as a result of the improvement of incandescent devices, are used to illuminate streets, courtyards and summer cottages. Inside the lamp is a tube filled with sodium vapor. When current flows through the device, an arc is formed between the 2 electrodes. The main beam of radiation consists of metal ions, which give the light an orange tint. To connect the lamp, an igniter is used that generates pulses of thousands of volts.
LEDs
When an electric current is passed, semiconductor devices emit radiation of a specific color, which depends on the crystal used. LEDs last up to three decades.
Intentionally
Lamps installed in the summer cottage should not only be durable, but also fit into the landscape and organically complement the landscape.
Floor lamps and floor lamps
To design a garden lighting system with a lot of decorative elements - flower beds, figures, armchairs, it is recommended to choose simple laconic devices. Fancy lamps are more suitable for a minimalist style site.
Streetlights and lanterns are usually installed along the main path so as not to blind the eyes.
Light bars and bollards
To illuminate not the entire site, but only to outline the direction, highlight distant paths, emphasize the attractiveness of the landscape, retractable bollards and glossy columns are attached.
glowing stones
To decorate the design, a lake is dug in the garden, fountains are equipped, hanging flower beds are made, and vintage lanterns are connected. At nightfall, the site takes on a spectacular and mysterious aspect if fluorescent paint is sprayed on the edges of the paving slabs, pebbles, gravel which mark out the path.
LED lamp
Polymer stones, in which the batteries are built, look bright and exotic, facilitate movement along the trails at night. LED lamps, which additionally perform a decorative function, are placed when laying paving slabs.
Solar powered appliances
Devices whose batteries are charged from ultraviolet rays, and in the evening - from LEDs, are used to decorate the landscape.
Carbonate and Polycarbonate
Spherical lamps made of transparent thermoplastic material, installed in suburban areas, perform a decorative function, emit a mysterious light.
Choose an installation location
To begin, determine the location.
Appointment
In order for all family members to feel safe in the garden, lanterns and lamps should be installed along the paths, at the entrance to the yard, next to the gate and at the gate. To decorate the landscape, lamps are placed:
- Near the swimming pool or the fountain.
- Around the belvedere.
- Next to the playground.
- Near the benches to rest.
Floor lamps and floor lamps are used to illuminate the facade of the house. Place them in different places.
Height
Low posts and bollards are placed in rows at a distance of 60-70 cm from the ground. Such devices distinguish paths, well illuminate the direction.
Garden lamps with a height of 1.5 m or more harmoniously fit into a spacious area, decorate the pedestrian zone, wide paths.
How to do it yourself
You can install the lighting in the country yourself, having a scheme, the necessary materials, tools, lamps.
Design
When developing a system for a garden plot, devices are selected, they are determined with the option of their installation, with the method of laying cables, and the amount of consumables is calculated.
Selection of tools and accessories
The lamps used should harmoniously fit into the landscape, normally withstand temperature fluctuations and be protected from moisture.
To automatically turn on devices, save energy, you need to purchase rheostats and motion sensors.
It is imperative to purchase terminals, pipes, parts with which they create a current transmission circuit.
Choose a cable laying method
Installation of wiring at the summer cottage is organized underground or carried out at height.The first method is safe because the risk of damaging the system is minimal. However, it is easier to lay the cable in the air and install the board in the house.
Installation Instructions
Wire connections twisted with pliers and wrapped in insulating tape are placed in switch boxes. The cable installed on the house is laid in a corrugated sleeve. To do without additional poles, use galvanized wire. Current-carrying wires must be double-insulated. The voltage used in everyday life is 220 V. To connect to the mains, an ordinary socket is suitable. You can determine the neutral wire with an indicator.
Common Mistakes
Some garden owners carry out electrical work without drawing up a diagram, which leads to a short circuit and other consequences.
Cheap lanterns and lamps, bought to save money, cannot withstand the load.
Installation material is purchased without stock, the cable section is incorrectly calculated, low-voltage and power wires, aluminum and copper conductors are connected in a junction box.
Work is carried out under voltage, but even replacing the lamp can cause a short circuit in a suburban area, cause a fire in the house.
Additional tips and tricks
Electricity must be handled with great care. Before installing lighting in the garden, it is necessary to study all the nuances, draw up a step-by-step work plan. A rope that is pulled underground must be laid in pipes.
To increase the consumption of electric current, it is advisable to choose copper wires with a large section. To prevent the lighting system from shutting down, it is necessary to install a voltage stabilizer.