LED LAMP COMPARISON CHART


for one-story homes and lamps that provide around 400- 500 lumens for a full two-story or greater home. Te most commonly used beam angles for directional lamps are 35- 60 degrees. “A variety of different beam angles can be used in order


to illuminate a home evenly and consistently,” Kruk says. Todd Goers, national sales manager of WAC Land-


scape Lighting, Port Washington, New York, reminds con- tractors to also take into account a space’s ambient light, plant thickness and the object’s natural color. “(Tey) all play a role in determining brightness level, Kelvin temperature selection and beam angle,” Goers says.


Advice for beginners When designing landscape lighting, Kruk says he fre- quently witnesses contractors opt for the brightest lamps possible to solve any coverage issues. However, this can actually make a landscape and home look flat, create un- attractive shadowing and hotspots, and wash out the detail intended to be enhanced. “Instead, use more fixtures with less intensity to add


more depth and character to your landscape and home,” Kruk says. “Tis may mean repositioning fixtures to ac- commodate the change in coverage.” Assuming that a lot of light is necessary for good land-


scape lighting design is a major mistake. “Less is best,” says Garber. Another commonly made mistake is that newer con-


tractors fail to consider glare from the primary viewing angle, says Goers. “As the saying goes, ‘You want to showcase the effect of the light and not the light source itself,’” says Goers. Goers also emphasizes the importance of selecting the


proper color and Kelvin temperature of fixtures on a proj- ect. Contractors should be mindful that objects look very different at 2,700K, 4,000K and 5,000K. “A newer contractor may want to make the scene look like it does during daylight, but this is generally a poor idea,” Goers says. “Landscape lighting should enhance the landscape.” When it comes to deciding on the right color tempera-


ture on surfaces being lit, Kuenzi emphasizes contractors turn to the color of the home and plant materials. “A modern home with a lot of gray, white or stainless


surfaces can look dingy or have an orange tint to them when using a warm white 2,700K LED,” Kuenzi says. “In this case a white LED 3,000K would be best.” Alternatively, a warm-colored home with earth tones of


tan, brown, yellow and even some warmer white may be better suited for a warm white 2,700K LED, says Kuenzi. When it comes to lighting any greenery, “Most plant


material should have a true, untinted color. Greens are green. Reds are red. Yellow is yellow,” Kuenzi says. “Tese are best suited to a pure white LED from 3,000K to 5,000K in color temp.” Kruk urges contractors to avoid selecting color tem-


peratures that clash with existing lights, which can create an imbalance and stand out from one another. “Selecting a color temperature that matches through- out the entire landscaping and home is important and will


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typically only vary in outdoor dining areas or seating areas,” Kruk says. He provides an example of successful varied tempera-


tures in one space of using warm colors for landscape light- ing with some cooler lighting for moonlighting in areas. Or, cooler color temperatures for landscape lighting, but warm- er, amber colors for outdoor dining and intimate areas. Smith’s greatest piece of landscape lighting advice for


new contractors is to always be aware of ambient light sources. He suggests contractors drive by a client’s home at night prior to the appointment to take note of any street- lights, coach lights or wall packs that could interfere with their design. “Keep in mind that rural areas are very dark,” says


Smith. “In these situations, a little bit of light can go a long way, so don’t overdo it. “Every job is going to be different in some ways, so try


ordering lamps separately from fixtures. Tis gives you the flexibility to try different options and find what works best.”


Practice makes perfect


Knowing how to design and install good landscape light- ing is an art in itself, taking years for landscape lighting professionals to master. For contractors just spreading their lighting wings, Garber encourages they find a mentor, join industry associations like the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals, attend events and speak with man- ufacturers willing to teach them how landscape lighting works. To Smith, expertise in landscape lighting is all about


experience. He urges new contractors perform night demonstra-


tions to learn how beam angles and Kelvin temperatures work. Study the photometric charts of the manufacturer’s lamps to understand how light will be displayed on differ- ent subjects. Study natural effects like downlighting, back- lighting and mirror lighting with different lamps, and prac- tice with uplighting as well. Test lamps on different plant material and architecture. Even test out colored lamps, as “Sometimes a little touch of color can add a conversation piece to a project.” “Te old adage is practice makes perfect,” Smith says.


McKenna Corson is the digital content editor for Irrigation & Lighting and can be reached at mckennacorson@irrigation.org.


Check out ambient light sources at night prior to the meeting with the client.


Photo: Unique Lighting Systems Fall 2022 Irrigation & Lighting 41


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