Outdoor Lighting Project
#1
11-22-16, 07:55 PM
Outdoor Lighting Project
Hey Folks - I want to do an outdoor lighting project, but I need some help. I want to really light up the house and grounds of my property in Butler, NJ and I think I need to do it in phases because of cost. I put a few sections below for some context, thinking those would each be seperate projects and my questions at the end. Keep in mind it's VERY DARK in these parts and I want to be able to light the place up like a summer day if necessary.
We live on an acre of property that is rectangular (long and narrow). We also have a 3 tiered retaining wall with a gazebo on one level and a Koi Pond on another (we will get into some ideas for water in another thread)
Section 1 - Front Island
Front of the house (between the street and the circular driveway - there are 3 really nice trees here and I would like to light them up (one is a double the height of the house pine) - I believe I would need some under the driveway digging to get electric out there.
Section 2 - Roof Eaves
We currently have 3 lights on the eaves over our front door. I would like to extend these to the rest of the house (prbobaly about 15 more lights under the eaves)
Section 3 - House uplighting
Our garage is very dark but has decorative windows that we would like to add accent to so we were thinking of adding uplighting throughout the side and front of the house.
Section 4 - Wall lighting
There is currently black landscaping lights and wiring throughout the walls - about every 15 feet. Should that be replaced or maintained.
Section 5 - Spotlights at the peaks of the roofs
We currently have 2 roof peak spotlight setups that add a decent amount of light but we would like to have more.
Section 6 - Gazebo lighting
We would like to light the gazebo
Section 7 - Back, back lighting
At the top of our retaining walls, is a long flat expanse that leads to the woods. I wanted to light up the woods along the perimeter so we could spend time up there at night and not be in the pitch black.
Questions
What would I need to do this myself? I was an electrical engineer (now a computer scientist) and could figure out the circuitry, technology etc. but would like to have a professional spec it out and at least oversee to help keep costs down.
Questions
Where can I get design inspirations and ideas?
What is a ballpark number that this should cost?
I want to have all of this controlled by a main panel or tablet device - what is the best technology for that and are there any special electrical considerations to take into account when planning?
https://goo.gl/photos/fTdW7dcgJwgwqNN86
We live on an acre of property that is rectangular (long and narrow). We also have a 3 tiered retaining wall with a gazebo on one level and a Koi Pond on another (we will get into some ideas for water in another thread)
Section 1 - Front Island
Front of the house (between the street and the circular driveway - there are 3 really nice trees here and I would like to light them up (one is a double the height of the house pine) - I believe I would need some under the driveway digging to get electric out there.
Section 2 - Roof Eaves
We currently have 3 lights on the eaves over our front door. I would like to extend these to the rest of the house (prbobaly about 15 more lights under the eaves)
Section 3 - House uplighting
Our garage is very dark but has decorative windows that we would like to add accent to so we were thinking of adding uplighting throughout the side and front of the house.
Section 4 - Wall lighting
There is currently black landscaping lights and wiring throughout the walls - about every 15 feet. Should that be replaced or maintained.
Section 5 - Spotlights at the peaks of the roofs
We currently have 2 roof peak spotlight setups that add a decent amount of light but we would like to have more.
Section 6 - Gazebo lighting
We would like to light the gazebo
Section 7 - Back, back lighting
At the top of our retaining walls, is a long flat expanse that leads to the woods. I wanted to light up the woods along the perimeter so we could spend time up there at night and not be in the pitch black.
Questions
What would I need to do this myself? I was an electrical engineer (now a computer scientist) and could figure out the circuitry, technology etc. but would like to have a professional spec it out and at least oversee to help keep costs down.
Questions
Where can I get design inspirations and ideas?
What is a ballpark number that this should cost?
I want to have all of this controlled by a main panel or tablet device - what is the best technology for that and are there any special electrical considerations to take into account when planning?
https://goo.gl/photos/fTdW7dcgJwgwqNN86
#2
11-23-16, 06:10 AM
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I haven't laid any underground conduit or cable. I would start the estimating with that aspect of it only and go from there.
You will need a power source, probably a separate breaker, for each remote location.
Once you've figured the cost of running power, you can start selecting fixtures.
In this area, I would expect to pay about $150-$300 to run a dedicated circuit from the main panel to the farthest part of the house. That's inside work, not digging.
You will need a power source, probably a separate breaker, for each remote location.
Once you've figured the cost of running power, you can start selecting fixtures.
In this area, I would expect to pay about $150-$300 to run a dedicated circuit from the main panel to the farthest part of the house. That's inside work, not digging.
