LIGHTING
scape lighting zones remain brighter until sunrise for add- ed security. “After
BRINGING DEVICES TOGETHER
Once Mayor installed a device connecting the fixtures to the home network, the entire home also became “smart- home ready,” so it also interacted with some of their exteri- or sconce lights, chandelier at the main entry and the attic light on top of the home. “Tis way, every night at sunset, all of the interior lights
come on at a certain intensity with my landscape lighting, and it makes the home come alive,” he says. In 2022, the homeowners gave the thumbs up to the
Using a variety of fixture types allowed Mayor to place light exactly where it was needed, creating a sense of safety while providing the correct atmosphere throughout the night.
could dim or brighten tree lighting areas independently of moonlighting sections. Tis portion of the project included nearly 150 fixtures
This way, every night at sunset, all of the interior lights come on at a certain intensity with my landscape lighting, and it makes the home come alive,”
– Joel Mayor, Texas Outdoor Lighting
across multiple zones. By prioritizing simplicity in lighting specific zones based on use it is easy to differentiate which is which. “In the design phase, I have to put myself in the owners’ shoes and think about how they will use this system and what areas/phases/zones they want to interact with,” he says. “Since safety and security were their main concerns, we installed several remote switches around the home. We included these by their bedroom nightstands and even in their vehicles so they can easily turn the entire lighting sys- tem on full bright with the push of a button.” To meet the client’s needs and aesthetically enhance the
property, Mayor used a variety of fixtures made for a 5.5- watt, 3,000-Kelvin LED module. Typically, the lowest temperature Mayor uses in lighting designs is 2,200 Kelvin, a warm white, amber color. While the Kelvin temperature range extends to about 6,000 K, which appears as cool blue-white light, he prefers 3,000 K. At this temperature, the result is a pure white color with little yellow or blue. “Tis little LED can be used as a horizontal or vertical
core light with a variety of tops,” he says. For example, the facade required several fixture types
to create an even symmetrical light. Along the porch, they drilled small micro cores into the floor to highlight the brick walls. On the taller facade areas, they hid micro flood fixtures behind the plants. For the second story, they stra- tegically placed flood lights in the gutters and LED tape lights in some areas to hide light sources well. “Tat allowed us to throw the light exactly where we needed it or to place it on a stake and use the flood op- tics and shroud to evenly wash a large wall or second story feature,” he says. “We even used them for the downlights and hanging lanterns for some walkways and features in the lawn.” Te front home facade section of lights dims through- out the night to 10%, so the homeowners have very little light trespass in their bedrooms. Te balance of the land-
28 Irrigation & Lighting Late Fall 2022
next phase, which includes 100 fixtures concentrated in areas around the pool, guest house and private entry on the back of the home. In addition, the guest house is au- tomated to allow the owners to control their parking area and back porch areas from their phones or remote switches that are out of sight. Te family also has a sound system on-site, which will
be integrated into the overall smart-home system, he says. “Tis allows them to easily create a fun, entertaining or romantic scene where our lighting brightens or dims, and their favorite Pandora station turns on with the quick press of a button.”
Although Mayor is a self-described “tech geek,” he says
the system he uses makes it effortless to install and sell to clients. He tells customers that his oldest son (now 15) has set up and scheduled the systems on-site from a tablet de- vice since he was 11. Te personal story reassures clients how easy it is to use and integrate with other systems or more lights. “It’s very intuitive technology, and most of my clients,
who are well over 60, love it,” he says. Tere are a variety of smart-home products available on
the market. Mayor recommends buying several products and experimenting with them at your home or shop. He suggests choosing a company that has been around for a while and is well-established. Newer brands may not have yet worked out all of the bugs or be as easy to integrate. Buy a few smart-home products and try them out at your house or shop. Once you find a system you like and learn how it works,
selling is the easy part, according to Mayor. He has found smart-home systems for landscape lighting sell themselves offering companies an opportunity to differentiate from the competition by staying on par with trends and lifestyle demands. “It’s actually quite rare nowadays that we find a client
that doesn’t want this smart-home feature. I show them in person when I’m on-site how easy it is to connect to my home lighting system and alter the lighting in real-time,” he says. “It’s not a very expensive add-on, so most clients feel this is a no-brainer.”
Katie Navarra is a freelance writer in Mechanicville, New York, and can be reached at
ktnavarra@gmail.com.
irrigationandlighting.org
installation, they were immediately sleeping
better at night knowing their home was safe and secure throughout the night,” he says.
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