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Light up your garden this spring
90 mallinson road
london sw11 1bn

tel: 020 7924 1421
mob: 07866 724718
This month: Garden Lighting
Steve Bishop is a qualified electrician and a member of NAPIT.  Click here for details of his qualifications.
Welcome to Circuit Shorts
 
A monthly email offering advice on all things electrical around your home.  If you would like to discuss any of the topics we cover please contact us here.

Click on any of the links (any blue and underlined text) for more information. To see our previous mailings please click here.
Oh no! Where to start?


It's been a wet and windy winter but spring is finally just around the corner.  First comes the spring-cleaning followed by the shock when you look through your freshly polished windows at the windswept, waterlogged eyesore that used to be your garden.

As well as getting your spade out, this is the perfect time to think about introducing some garden lighting.  Imagine... balmy evenings, long after the sun has set, reclining with friends in your subtly illuminated garden.
So where do you start?  The first step is to decide what kind of lights you would like in your garden and where they should be positioned to bring out your garden’s natural loveliness. Garden lighting is not only an effective security & safety measure, but the illusions it can create are amazing - the right lighting can make a small garden seem spacious while a larger area can become intimate and cosy.
 
Gentle, glowy illumination or dramatic, theatrical magnificence? 
There are a multitude of different lights and lighting ideas out there.  Here is a brief guide to our favourites at S W Bishop Electrical.  For a more detailed summary of different lighting effects  please click here.
Uplighting is fantastic for illuminating fences, walls and trees.  Throwing light upwards  can add vertical emphasis and a dramatic theatre-like feel.  This lighting effect can also create shadows from plants which can really set the mood in your garden as well as giving the illusion of space. These can be wall/fence mounted, in-ground or spike.
Downlighting picks out features such a tree or place above a table to give you more light when you are eating.  These are usually wall/fence mounted. Strong up lighting should be avoided in these areas as will tend to dazzle and diminish the overall effect.
Path lighting can turn even the simplest path into an enchanting evening walkway.  Never put lights too close together, as this can give the effect of a runway.   They are also good for safety reasons, bringing attention to path edges and uneven paving. You don’t want to be tripping up in the dark clutching a tray of Prosseco. These are usually in-ground or bollard style.
Step lighting can look amazing because the geometry of garden steps also makes them perfect for dramatic lighting.  Choosing lights without glare is important for safety reasons. These are usually recessed into the step or wall.
Water and pond lighting are a must for highlighting underwater objects or designs. Water features are also transformed with a touch of clever lighting. The use of flowing water adds movement to the light and adds a perfect dramatic centre piece to your garden.

For more details on the above options plus some alternative ideas, please click here.
 
What lamps to use?
 

Here at S W Bishop Electrical we always recommend mains voltage LED lamps. (see our previous Circuit Shorts on LED lighting here). They are long lasting and energy efficient as welling being much cooler than other lamps so they won’t burn foliage or bare feet. Experiment with coloured lamps for magical effects.   Installing garden lighting can be as simple as sticking some solar lights on spikes into your flowerbeds, but if you want something a bit more imaginative, you'll need to employ a qualified electrician.

 
Fancy something special?
 

If you love a bit of opulence, we at S W Bishop Electrical recommend a wireless box to control all your, water features, electric shutters and even gates. Once the box is programmed you can control all this from anywhere in your house or garden.   It even comes with a handy key fob controller.  Please call me on my mobile or email us here if you would like any more details.
At S W Bishop Electrical we suggest experimenting with weird and wonderful shadow effects. Try throwing shadow onto walls by placing lights in front of objects. Moving directional fittings thereby adjusting the size of the shadows can be a very effective way to evoke strong moods in the night-time garden. The possibilities are endless...
 
The legal and safety bits!

 
One thing to bear in mind when choosing the lights for your garden is to make sure you don't go over the top.  The last thing you want is angry neighbours.  Click here to find out more about government legislation regarding light pollution.
Of course, mixing electricity with the elements is a risky business and should be carried out by a Part P approved electrician who is registered with a government approved body, such as NAPIT. Outdoor electrics should ALWAYS be RCD protected (see our previous Circuit Shorts about RCDs here).
 
I hope this month's Circuit Shorts, has answered any questions you have about garden lighting.  We at S W Bishop Electrical have chosen to mainly cover the effects you can achieve and we have touched briefly on the types of fittings you would require for these effects. If you would like more details about the fittings, BEW Electrical Wholesalers have a good selection on their website (click here).

If you would like to make an appointment for a garden lighting design consultation or you would just like pointing in the right direction with some advice, please either call me or drop us a line here.   
Next month:  Electrical installations, certificates and your responsibility.
 

Steve Bishop
Mob: 07866 724718
steve@swbishop.co.uk 
www.swbishop.co.uk