How to Choose Types of Outdoor Lighting

Examine the wiring capabilities of the exterior of your home. If you have easy access to electrical outlets, choose low-wattage lights that plug into the exterior outlets. This type of lighting operates either on photocell technology, which means the lights turn on at dusk and off at dawn, or they have a timer that allows you to select the specific hours of operation. If the outdoor outlet doesn't have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) plug-in, install one for safety's sake.

Pick exterior lighting fixtures that allow the correct degree of brightness. Choose lights that range from 4 to 50 watts. Each set of low-watt lights plugs into a 100-watt transformer. If you need several lights, choose lower wattages that generate no more than 100 watts of power on the entire set of lights.

Place solar lights where it's difficult to run wiring for low-wattage systems. Newer solar lights do a better job of storing energy from the sun and produce a steady light for up to 15 hours.

Use lights sparingly. Two or three landscape lights spaced no more than 10 feet apart are more effective than multiple lights scattered all over the yard.

Add exterior lights to your home to provide safe entry into your house. Each door should have an exterior light that is either on a photocell or a manual switch. Install motion detectors on these lights to provide bright light as you need it and lower lighting the rest of the time. Motion detectors give you an added level of security as well.

Select outdoor lighting with LED lights. These bulbs last much longer than regular bulbs and are much more energy-efficient.

Choose fixtures that complement your home's exterior. For example, a home with more contemporary lines should have modern-style lighting fixtures.