The most exciting house parties last more than just a couple of hours. More often than not, such affairs carry on for the entire night. The bigger the party is, the longer guests will linger. Sometimes, staying cooped up indoors during these gatherings can make a party boring real fast. Taking it out to the patio can keep the festivities going and give merry-makers a breath of fresh air.

You can kiss those outdoor parties goodbye, though, if your patio lacks lighting. Expect guests to stumble and trip over things in the dark, regardless of whether or not they're drunk. Obviously, you'll want to outfit your patio with enough lights so people can still mingle easily.

It would be great to install solar-powered lights along the patio. These lights won't just illuminate the party space. They'll also save hosts a lot of money since they'll be running on stored solar energy. Another great lighting idea would be to use a set of lanterns and let these dangle above the patio to create a warm and intimate atmosphere. There are many more lighting options available, so homeowners should carefully choose those that they think can add more life to their party.

If a well-lit home can be an attraction in the neighborhood, so can a well-lit commercial establishment. A dim or dull business outlet might seem dubious and uninviting for would-be clients. They would have second thoughts of even entering the premises and would most likely avoid it like the plague.

On the other hand, a brightly illuminated commercial building will be an inviting place for customers to go into. Shoppers will be easily enticed to visit it, with the lights serving as a come-on. For these reasons, any retail outlet wanting to increase profits would do well to install an excellent commercial outdoor lighting system.

This is especially essential during the holidays, when people are eager to shop and usually have the money to do so. Commercial outdoor lights can even be used to create the proper mood and environment, keeping with the holiday season, that would encourage shoppers to feel the Christmas cheer and indulge in a spending spree.

Commercial outdoor lights do not only make an establishment attractive, but also give shoppers a feeling of safety and security. The holiday spirit—and a business itself—can be kept alive with the help of great outdoor lighting enhancing business profitability and marketability.

A higher voltage doesn't always mean brighter light; in fact, voltage isn't power (that's measured in watts). Voltage refers to how much force is exerted to create a current along the line from the power source to the outdoor lamp. High voltage simply means there's more electricity flowing at a given time but not necessarily a stronger one. People often mistake voltage for wattage. This is something that must be clarified prior to work on any home improvement project.

You can still have bright light with a low-voltage system for your garden. Power-wise, a 60-watt lamp operating on 12 volts is hardly any different from the same lamp operating on ten times the voltage. Keep in mind, however, that voltage can drop if a line is connected to several fixtures, in a set-up called a daisy chain. If you see that some of the lamps in the garden aren't as bright as the rest, the problem isn't necessarily with the wattage but the voltage.

In fact, experts recommend against daisy chaining in outdoor lighting. You can arrange the electrical system to “form a T” for the lights to receive an equal amount of voltage. This is recommended for low-voltage systems so an equal amount of light can be sustained across a landscape. 

Thieves love the dark. Under the cover of night, they can slip past your fence, steal your valuables, escape unseen, and pull off a successful heist. Imagine a robber making it across your front yard, with the only thing standing between him and the loot being a couple of outdoor lights in your garden. If you had any doubts about installing those before, consider your investment worth it now. In this situation, they're exactly what you need.

With the outdoor lights on at night, a thief's stealthy advantage disappears and his chances of getting caught by neighbors—if not the house owner—increases. Experts say that outdoor lighting can do a great deal in deterring thefts in homes. Thanks to these and a good security system, any trespasser will most likely be caught in the act before he can scoot off a property with the loot. Haven't you ever wondered why agents in movies avoid floodlights while spying?

If you're looking for an affordable addition to your garden and security system, look no further than outdoor lighting. Go for LED lighting to get the most value for your money. While a more expensive choice, LED makes up for it by giving off brighter light for less power. 

Installing landscape lighting is the easiest way to create the right kind of ambiance for any outdoor occasion. More than this, it can also make your lawn or garden just as beautiful at night as it is in the daytime, as well as provide your home with added security. Various outdoor lighting may be used to create a special mood in your garden or lawn.

Path lights along the walkway create a welcoming atmosphere for guests, as well as help them avoid accidents by helping them see where they're walking. Lights on step risers can also help ensure safe footing and prevent any mishaps.

Spotlights targeted on beautiful trees or other features of interest in your yard can create a stunning effect. If you want to highlight a bed of flowers or shrubbery, rope lighting may be appropriate. Wall mounted lights can accent an interesting wall texture or design. The right deck and porch lights can also create a soft, warm glow around your home at night.

Experts say that the most effective landscape lights are those that give off a soft glow rather than a harsh glare. Not only do these types of lighting give your home a quiet kind of beauty, they are also more energy-efficient and economical. In particular, LED and solar-powered lights are ideal for creating that enchanting outdoor look without incurring high energy costs.

The patio is arguably one of the best places in the home where friends and loved ones can spend time together at night. It is a place where they can have dinner outdoors or simply hang out and enjoy each other's company. The experience can be enhanced further if the patio has some high-quality outdoor lights installed, the most common of which are floodlights and spotlights.

Floodlights are typically chosen by homeowners who want to illuminate a large area, and this is done by emitting a 120 degree beam of light over a wide space. They can be useful not only in lighting up the pathway leading to the patio, but also for providing some degree of security since would-be intruders would find it more difficult to navigate through the area. LED floodlights have the additional advantage of being more economical since they can last for about 50,000 hours or more before they need to be replaced.

On the other hand, spotlights are designed to illuminate only one particular area by focusing all the light into a narrow “spot”. The light they emit is much brighter and more useful in highlighting specific areas in the patio like furniture, sculptures, and other patio decorations. Many outdoor decoration/landscaping companies use permanently-fixed spotlights extensively to illuminate fountains and gardens at night.

Commercial facilities need outdoor lighting for both aesthetic and functional reasons. They brighten up gardens and highlight architecture, as well as deter burglars and other kinds of trespassers. Commercial lighting comes in a variety of types, which have various lighting effects on surfaces. Here are some of them:

Wall or Awning Light

Most outdoor lighting withing this category are used for illuminating surfaces and signs along retail and commercial buildings. They are installed to keep signage visible to customers even from a distance, in some cases, they are used to illuminate directions or names of a room or building. Some models may come in adjustable shades and customizable mounting options.

Security Light

Unlike wall or awning lights, security lights provide a well-illuminated environment for people to have a wider visual. This is designed to deter criminal activities and/or monitor activities within a property. Modern types come with motion sensors, weather-resistant features, and surge protection for better and longer performance.

Marine light

Mostly seen in docks, marine lighting provides underwater lighting for boaters to see at least part of the water bed. Some come in a variety of colors to create exquisite effects in fountains and pools. They have waterproof light fixtures and can be used to communicate when using boats.

Pretty, dazzling, yet practical; these are the words you might associate with outdoor lamps and lights. While they have the mundane purpose of providing illumination to your property at night, sconces, LEDs, and lighting fixtures do more than just brighten up the place. For one thing, a dimly-lit pathway is an accident waiting to happen, especially when children or senior citizens walk through it at night all alone.

Outdoor lighting also provides security: would-be trespassers and burglars will have a difficult time getting into your property undetected if there are plenty of outdoor lights around. In addition, simply having these lights turned on, even when you and your family are away, gives the impression that there are people inside the property, dissuading criminals from getting any funny ideas. Outdoor lights can also be used in tandem with other security devices like motion detectors to provide even better security.

When they're installed for landscaping, outdoor lights can serve as beautiful decorations that can impress your guests and neighbors. It is fairly common to install lights in lawns and gardens to make them look prettier. Increasing the aesthetic appeal of a house also increases its retail value, giving you a better selling price if ever you decide to put your property for sale. 

Building a porch, a deck, a pool, or a patio can considerably increase the value of your home. If you have a beautifully landscaped garden to boot, it can further enhance the beauty of your property. However, you may not be able to enjoy these additional outdoor living spaces fully.

As the sun sets and darkness covers the outdoors, you may have to retreat to the interiors of your house. If you're hosting a party, darkness might stop the merry making and your guests may have to go home earlier than planned. However, all these would not happen if you have the foresight to install an outdoor lighting system. Not just any conventional lighting setup, but a LED outdoor lighting system.

With such a lighting system provided for your outdoors, you don't have to worry about not having enough time to entertain your guests. In fact, they can enjoy your outdoor living space for as long as they have the energy. You can also bond with members of your family even when the sun has already set because the outdoors will still be visible and beautiful with your lighting system in place.

LED lights are not only used to illuminate the outdoors, but to make them more beautiful and safe. You can have more fun with LED lights brightening up your outdoor living spaces.