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DIY landscape lighting
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:02 am
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:02 am
Anyone done their own landscape lighting? What brands or lights/transformers/etc. did you use? Are you pleased with them or did they go bad? What would you do different? Any tips are appreciated. 
9
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:07 am to Neauxla
I just have a few of the solar ones now. Had the wired setup but ants love low voltage lighting and kept getting into the lights and transformer.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:08 am to Clames
quote:interesting
Had the wired setup but ants love low voltage lighting and kept getting into the lights and transformer.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:15 am to Clames
This is true! They will get in the light dome area and make nests I guess. Then, it looks like your light is out. Talstar will keep this from happening though..
I installed my own set up. Went with the powered lights going off the dusk/dawn timing box and used led bulbs. Not hard at all to tackle yourself. I had purchased all the gear I needed from Lowe’s and it’s still working fine after 5ish years.
I installed my own set up. Went with the powered lights going off the dusk/dawn timing box and used led bulbs. Not hard at all to tackle yourself. I had purchased all the gear I needed from Lowe’s and it’s still working fine after 5ish years.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:41 am to Neauxla
Volt Lighting
High quality stuff. Very simple to DIY. I wouldn't use anything else. Been VERY VERY happy with them and we've had for a couple years now.
High quality stuff. Very simple to DIY. I wouldn't use anything else. Been VERY VERY happy with them and we've had for a couple years now.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 11:48 am to Chad504boy
I did mine with the low voltage lighting from Home Depot. Ran me about $500 for wire, low voltage transformer, and about 12 or so lights. Came out great in my opinion.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 5:24 pm to Neauxla
I’ve learned recently that the only downsize to LED lighting is that it’s not hot enough to prevent bugs from building nests on them. Still, the extended lifespan and high efficiency still makes them a smart choice.
There are a lot of fixtures on the market with built-in photocells to where you just leave them alone. That’s probably the route I would go.
There are a lot of fixtures on the market with built-in photocells to where you just leave them alone. That’s probably the route I would go.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 5:54 pm to Chad504boy
(no message)
This post was edited on 12/21/21 at 1:07 pm
Posted on 1/24/19 at 6:00 pm to Neauxla
I did Home Depot / Lowe’s kits a couple times and ended up fixing parts of the system constantly. Wanted to do large project ( about 1000 feet of wire and 20 lights) so I went to Keeling Company in BR. They talked me through the project and sold me quality lights. Installed 3years ago and have not had to touch a single thing yet. More expensive but way better results.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 7:08 pm to Neauxla
Depends on what you want. Been in landscape industry 20+ years and have seen a lot of things come and go. Avoid the solar, price doesn’t allow enough technology to make an effective light. We replace these every day. If you buy from big box store, don’t go for lesser quality than the Kichler brand. This would be the basement level as far as quality. If you find cheaper...you get what you pay for. The issue with ants is due to cheap seals. Better fixtures have better seals. If you want a professional grade product look for FX luminaire, vista, or unique. These are all sold through distribution so you are probably better off paying a contractor due to their discounts and just enjoy the finished product. These brands have some cool features available (for a price) such as zoning, dimming, color changing, and WiFi capabilities. As I said ..depends on what you want. Possiblities are endless.
Posted on 1/24/19 at 7:42 pm to Chad504boy
Agree that Volt is high quality with lifetime replacement warranty which is very customer friendly—they don’t look forward reasons to not honor.
Posted on 1/25/19 at 3:44 am to Neauxla
Decided to go with this, LightKiwi was about half the price of a Volt Kit. Had it a little less than a year but no issues other than the GFCI it’s plugged into tripping a few times during rain storms, but that’s been solved. Added the photocell of the same brand and some extra wire. I’ve been very happy with it and other than tunneling under the driveway to make one continuous run it only took about half a day. No more trying to find which key to open or lock the door, and feel like it added some sense of security.
Posted on 1/25/19 at 9:44 am to Neauxla
Are low voltage lights sufficient for lighting a medium to large live oak?
Posted on 1/25/19 at 11:29 am to Creamer
That's what I used for my two big live oaks
Posted on 1/25/19 at 12:24 pm to Neauxla
I am also a landscape contractor who installs a lot of outdoor lighting. The two things I will add is to use LED bulbs and use the highest quality waterproof connectors you can find. Lowe’s/Home Depot sell a 3m connector but if you are in the New Orleans area, I would suggest visiting Alligator Irrigation behind Perinos in Metairie. They are the local distributor for Vista as well as some other brands. They are very helpful and cater to non-contractors.
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