Creative Ways to Conceal Landscape/Architectural Lighting Fixtures and Wiring

Posted on June 28, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado
Column Lighting Dilemma - Shrubbery.jpg

Column Lighting Dilemma – Shrubbery at Columbine Valley Project

It seems like every new lighting design and installation has its own unique challenges, and some jobs have more than one. At this recently completed low voltage LED landscape/architectural lighting project in Columbine Valley, the homeowners of course wanted to uplight each of the four columns for dramatic effect. The inner two columns were easily uplighted with the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives BB-03 6W LED well lights with tempered glass lens covers – and those fixtures were mounted at ground level.

Stick-Light Solution for Lighting Column That Is Blocked by Shrubbery

Stick-Light Solution for Lighting Column That Is Blocked by Shrubbery

However, it was not possible to use our standard ground-mounted well lights for the two outer columns since the shrubbery in those locations occupied the entire space in the planting bed. Fortunately, our company’s manufacturing facility recently released the newest fixture in our product line, the BB-02 6W LED, also known affectionately as the stick light. This barely visible fixture can be installed where no fixture has gone before, it can be custom manufactured to any height, and it is available with several beam spreads. The best news of all is that the lighting effect from this fixture looks identical to our BB-03  6W PAR36 LED bulb/well light.    

 

 

 

Column Lighting Dilemma - Hardscape

Column Lighting Dilemma at Columbine Valley Lighting Project – Hardscape

In the back yard, we also encountered another dilemma for uplighting the four primary columns. The area next to the columns was surrounded by hardscape and there was no pre-wiring of any kind. In new construction, we can coordinate the installation of lighting with the concrete/hardscape contractor so that the lighting fixtures can be flush-mounted and all of  the wiring routed through pre-installed conduits. Fortunately, our experienced installers can typically find a way to install and conceal both the lighting fixtures and the wiring on a project where the hardscape has already been installed.

Well Lights Concealed in Flower Pots to Uplight Columns

Well Lights Concealed in Flower Pots to Uplight Columns

The easiest way to hide well lights if they cannot be flush-mounted into hardscape is to plant them like a plant in a flower pot.  And yes, you can water and fertilize the actual plants in the flower pot without damaging the lighting fixture. That’s the easiest way to conceal the lights but how do you hide the wiring? The good news is that most extensive hardscaped areas have drains to channel the water out into the yard from the upper story of the house – and that’s how we were able to get the wiring to within 6-feet of where the lighting fixtures were installed. To run the wiring from the drains to the pots required grinding out grooves in the mortared joints and running the 18-gauge wiring to the lighting fixtures up through the bottoms of the flower pots. The wiring in the grooves was then held in place and sealed by using a high-quality caulk.

At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado we’ve started our 15th year in business, and we can almost always find solutions to the most difficult lighting design and installation problems. Many of our customers ask us after an installation has been completed:

How did you do that? We don’t see any wiring or anything disturbed on our property. All we see is the beautiful lighting effect.

As the owner of a lighting company, that is one of the highest compliments that a customer can pay to our company and our installers.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Bulb Technology, Choosing the Right Lighting Contractor, Design, Green Energy, Home-Community Security/Safety, Installation Techniques, LEDs, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado Finds Local LED Lighting Solution for Problematic Step Lights

Posted on May 24, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado
TerraLUX LIne Voltage Linear LED Engine

TerraLUX LIne Voltage Linear LED Engine

Sometimes when you are looking for a particular lighting solution, you need not look any further than your own back yard. We had met some homeowners at a recent show who said that they had problems with their line voltage step lights (21 total) that had been installed throughout their brick outdoor living area (steps, patios, and retaining walls). The Progress step lights used 20W bulbs that are typically used in exit signs, and the way the lights were designed made it virtually impossible to keep water and moisture from entering the lights. That’s not a good thing when water comes into contact with a line voltage incandescent bulb – and the homeowner practically had a full-time job replacing bulbs.

After doing a quick Google search, I was pleased to learn about TerraLUX – a leading edge manufacturer of retrofit LED products that is located a few miles up the road from us in Longmont, Colorado. TerraLUX has developed a line of linear line voltage LED engines that can be used for retrofitting recessed step and wall lights, and for other lighting applications as well. The linear light engines are available in 4-, 6-, and 8-inch lengths and they are fully-integrated, self-contained and plug and play. Best of all they are IP-65 rated which means they can tolerate water sprays in somewhat leaky step lights. We chose the 3000K LEDs and they have an L70 of 60,000 hours, and a five-year warranty.  By the way, L70 = 60,000 hours is a shorthand way of saying in lighting nomenclature that at an operational elapsed time of 60,000 hours, the LEDs will still be generating 70-percent of their maximum lumen output.

In the photos below, you can see what the step lights looked like (with the louvered faceplates removed) when we started the work.

Pre-Retrofit Step Light in Bad Condition

Pre-Retrofit Step Light in Bad Condition

Pre-Retrofit Step Light In Good Condition

Pre-Retrofit Step Light In Good Condition

 

 

 

 

 

 

The linear LED engine mounts to the same reflector that the original incandescent bulb socket was mounted to, and this assists with heat dissipation away from the LED module itself. TerraLUX has patented the LEDSense® thermal management circuitry that optimizes the lumen output in conjunction with the LED’s operating temperature. In the photo below, you can see the results of the completed LED retrofit:

Step Light Retrofitted with TerraLUX Linear LED Engine in Denver Country Club

Step Light Retrofitted with TerraLUX Linear LED Engine in Denver Country Club

These linear LED engines are dimmable and can be used to retrofit a wide variety of lighting applications including wall sconces, ceiling fixtures, and recessed step and wall lighting fixtures in both residential and commercial settings.

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Filed under: Commercial Lighting, Green Energy, Home-Community Security/Safety, LEDs, Residential Lighting, Security/Safety | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado Installs New Energy-Efficient LEDs at Arrowhead Shores Community Entrances

Posted on May 23, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

 

New LED Lighting at Arrowhead Shores Community Entrance

New LED Lighting at Arrowhead Shores Community Entrance, Douglas County – Colorado

 

Last week, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (OLP) of Colorado installed its first commercial LED fixtures at three community entrances in Arrowhead Shores (located in the Roxborough Village area of Douglas County).

The new 24W LED fixtures with a rated life of 50,000 hours, manufactured by OLP’s factory in Nashville,  replaced the old 70W metal halide fixtures with a rated bulb life of around 7,000- to 10,000- hours. The new fixtures will save the community roughly $66 annually in their electric bill, as well as savings with on-going maintenance costs to replace the metal halide bulbs and ballast.

Newly Installed LED Lighting Fixture at Arrowhead Shores

Newly Installed LED Lighting Fixture at Arrowhead Shores

Close-up of OLP Commercial LED Lighting Fixture

Close-up of OLP Commercial LED Lighting Fixture

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other advantage that LED fixtures have over metal halide fixtures is that LED’s do not experience any color shift. If you’ve ever been to a sporting event where some of the lights appear to be white, pink, green, or blue, etc., you’re actually seeing metal halide bulbs in different points in their life cycle.

Since the original lighting fixtures were powered by line voltage, we used line voltage for the new fixtures as well. However, each fixture had a small, self-contained low voltage transformer to power the four, 6W LEDs in each unit. As you can see in the photo above, these very green, energy-efficient fixtures do a great job lighting a community entrance – and we look forward to installing more of these at entrance monuments and other commercial applications as well.

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Filed under: Commercial Lighting, Community entrance lighting, Green Energy, Home-Community Security/Safety, LEDs, Lighting Retrofits, Maintenance and Service | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

LED Landscape Lights Celebrate Earth Day Every Day of the Year… for Many Years!

Posted on April 20, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

earth-day-bigThis Spring we exhibited at two garden and home shows. Almost every attendee who stopped by to speak with us said that if they’re going to invest in a landscape lighting system, it had to be LEDs.

Earth Day 2013 is being celebrated on Monday, April 22nd – and with LED landscape lighting, you can be sure that you are doing your part to lower your carbon footprint on the planet not just on Earth Day, but during the rest of the year as well.

# of Halogen 35W PAR36 Bulbs Required for One Fixture in 11 Years

# of Halogen 35W PAR36 Bulbs Required for One Fixture in 11 Years

LED bulbs are green for a number of reasons, including the fact that they use on average 75- to 83-percent less energy than the comparable halogen bulb. LED bulbs also last longer (50,000 hours) compared to halogens (3,000 – 4,000 hours).  During an 11-year period of time, a single well light in a landscape lighting system  could use as many as 15 bulbs (shown in the photo at right) – and unfortunately all of them would find their way to a local landfill. We tried unsuccessfully to find a recycler who would accept glass halogen bulbs, but unfortunately there is no economical way today to recycle these bulbs. As a result, no one recycles them.

# of LED 6W PAR36 Bulbs Needed for One Fixture in 11 YearsWith LED bulbs, there are no defective parts being sent to the landfill annually, or ever. The bulbs can be returned to the factory to be rebuilt every 11 years or so, or the individual components can be recycled. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for the homeowner and Mother Earth.

Because the LEDs are more reliable, fewer service visits are required resulting in fewer vehicle miles and carbon emissions. One scheduled maintenance visit each year will ensure that LED landscape lighting systems continue to operate perfectly for many, many years to come.

With the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives line of products, the standard halogen fixtures can be retrofitted to LED. In other words, we’re re-purposing the fixtures to LED, we’re not requiring the homeowner to buy all new fixtures. Brand-new LED landscape lighting systems also require considerably  smaller low voltage transformers and much less low voltage copper wiring than their halogen counterparts.

Whether we’re retrofitting a landscape lighting system to LED or installing a new LED system, we’ve been finding that the payback period for the investment (compared to halogen) occurs in a very reasonable timeframe (anywhere between one and four years typically). In a retrofit system, the primary factors are energy and maintenance cost savings. In a new system, the primary factors are component/labor cost savings (smaller transformer and less wire, less labor time), as well as the energy and maintenance cost savings.

For more information about Earth Day events in your area, please check the following:

Have a Happy Earth Day!

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Filed under: Community Events, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Retrofits | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

See the Latest LED Landscape and Architectural Lighting Products at the 2013 Denver Home Show

Posted on March 13, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

DHS_150NEWCome visit Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado at the Denver Home Show. We’ll have the latest LED landscape lighting, LED architectural lighting, and Lighting Control Automation(TM) products on display. Also stop by to sign up and take advantage of our exciting show specials that will be in effect through April 30th of this year.

 

  • March 15 – 17, 2013
  • National Western Complex (Denver)
  • Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado (Booth #2117)
  • Hours
  • Friday (10am – 9pm); Saturday (10am – 9pm); Sunday (10am – 5pm)

Click Here to Obtain $2.00 Off Tickets for the Show

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado is a full-service outdoor lighting design, installation and maintenance company for residential, municipal, and commercial projects – and we design and install lighting automation controls as well. Of course we still design and sell low voltage quartz halogen systems, and the great thing about our lighting products is that we can retrofit any of the fixtures we have already installed to LED whenever the homeowner is ready. We are also happy to provide lighting energy audits to show the homeowner how much they could save in electrical costs by converting to LEDs. We are glad to do this for any OLP or non-OLP systems. We also provide turnkey holiday lighting products/services and special event lighting throughout the year.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Christmas Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Community Events, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Holiday Lighting, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

4 Days Remaining to See the LED Makeover at the 2013 Colorado Garden & Home Show

Posted on February 14, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

]There are only four days remaining to see the 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show – and to see the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives exhibit (#1442) where we are showcasing the latest LED products that are truly transforming the landscape and architectural lighting world.

Please enjoy the videos below that will provide you with a short tour of our exhibit.

We hope to see you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Ceramic Metal Halide, Community Events, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Lighting Retrofits, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

$2 Off Coupon for the 2013 Colorado Garden & Home Show

Posted on February 5, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

2013 Full Page CouponThe 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show is only four short days away – and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado would like you to take advantage of the $2 Off Coupon that is shown on the right. Just click on this image, print out a full-size coupon, and take it with you to the ticket windows at the Colorado Convention Center.

With the 14 landscaped gardens, the convention center will be filled with the bright colors and scented flowers of Spring. Be sure to stop by the OLP exhibit (#1442) to see the latest in LED products and services for landscape, architectural, and special event lighting.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Community Events, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Lighting Retrofits | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

See the Latest LED Landscape Lighting Products at the 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show

Posted on January 26, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

CGHSLOGO-4cThe 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show starts two weeks from today – so plan to visit our Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado exhibit (Booth #1442) to see the latest in LED landscape and architectural lighting products and services for your home and property.

The show details are:

  • Colorado Garden and Home Show
  • Colorado Convention Center – Downtown Denver
  • February 9 – 17, 2013
  • Hours:
  • Saturdays 10:00 am – 8:00pm
  • Sundays 10:00 am – 6:00pm
  • Monday – Friday 12:00 Noon – 8:00 pm

The 9-day long Colorado Garden and Home Show is the oldest, largest, and most prestiguous garden and home show in the Rocky Mountain West – with over 600 exhibitors, 14 landscaped gardens, and educational seminars. The show is run by a non-profit organization that provides horticultural scholarships to students as well as grants for landscaping projects throughout Colorado.

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado is a full-service outdoor lighting design, installation and maintenance company for residential, municipal, and commercial projects – and we design and install lighting automation controls as well. Of course we still design and sell low voltage quartz halogen systems, and the great thing about our lighting products is that we can retrofit any of the fixtures we have already installed to LED whenever the homeowner is ready. We are also happy to provide lighting energy audits to show the homeowner how much they could save in electrical costs by converting to LEDs. We are glad to do this for any OLP or non-OLP systems.

We are proud to be exhibiting for the fourteenth time at this wonderful show – and we hope to see you there.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Community entrance lighting, Community Events, Design, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Maintenance and Service, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Can Decorative Holiday Lights Be Used in Outdoor Trees Year Round?

Posted on December 21, 2012 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

Today is Friday, December 21st – the winter solstice – on which day we will experience the shortest number of daylight hours and the longest number of nighttime hours. It is not surprising that many homeowners and businesses like to keep their decorative holiday lights installed for a longer period of time, especially in trees. Today you will see trees (primarily deciduous) illuminated throughout the year along city streets in shopping and arts districts, at restaurants, and at private residences.

Permanent Tree Lighting

Permanent Tree Lighting

Many people ask whether you can use the same type of lights used at Christmas – and just leave them installed in the trees after the holidays. Many people do use these regular lights, but these lights are not certified for year-round use and are not very well-protected from long-term damage caused by moisture or the sun’s UV rays. Invariably, these lights will begin to fail in six or nine month’s time, and the lights will need to be removed and replaced with new ones.

A much better option is to use professional-grade line or low voltage incandescent or LED mini lights that are permanently sealed and watertight, have IP44-rated coaxial connectors, and are UL and CSA approved.  IP44 is the Ingress Protection rating for a connector that is protected from water spray from all directions; i.e., it is a very good choice for an outdoor installation to be used long term.

One of our first installations using these year-round lights was back in 2001. Our customer’s kitchen window looked out into a dark void between her house and the adjacent property. But in this dark void were two beautiful ornamental trees that were invisible for most of the year in the evenings. We could have uplighted them with our standard low voltage well lights (uplights), but the homeowner decided that she wanted something more decorative and whimsical. So we decided that low voltage incandescent clip lights would create the ambience that she was seeking. Except for minor annual adjustments as the trees have grown over the years, these lights have worked well during the last eleven years until recently. In fact, our one crew is back there today to remove the old lights and install the new. So eleven years has been a pretty good run for this type of decorative lighting.

So here’s to enjoying all of the beautiful lighting – and Happy Holidays from everyone here at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado.

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Filed under: Christmas Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Holiday Lighting, LEDs, Party/Speciality Lighting, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Holiday Lighting Made Easy in Metro-Denver and Along the Colorado Front Range

Posted on November 3, 2012 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

Residential Christmas Lighting

Fall is in the air and in recent weeks, a few snowflakes as well. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado is your full-service design and installation contractor for holiday and Christmas-lighting decorations. We specialize in residential, commercial, and municipal outdoor and holiday lighting projects. In addition, we have the products and materials to provide interior decorating services as well with our full line of wreaths, garlands, decorated trees, bows etc. to make any interior a festive space during the holidays. 

While OLP of Colorado can also do the standard C7 and C9 design treatments (incandescent or LED) that everyone else provides, we like to provide our customers additional options to set their house, business, or community apart from all the rest with truly unique designs and light treatments. Our LightLinks products provide unique designs such as snow flakes, Christmas stockings, bow and swag, etc. to truly highlight your house or business.

For decorating trees, we can light them with LED multi-color starbursts or oversized lighted sculptures that will make them a highlight of your neighborhood. For commercial spaces, we can also provide large lighted sculptures to promote the holiday cheer and make your business a focal point.

Holiday Commercial Sculpture

OLP of Colorado provides full service design, installation, take-down and storage services for our holiday lighting customers. However, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, we can also sell you any product on a retail basis as well.

For more information, please call us at 303/948-9656 or check out our holiday web site.

 

Filed under: Christmas Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Community entrance lighting, Do-It-Yourself Lighting, Holiday Lighting, LEDs | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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