Spring cleaning for NJ outdoor lighting

As spring begins to bloom and the warmer temperatures and longer days melt away the chilly memory of winter, many New Jersey residents turn their attention to spring lawn cleaning and landscaping. Whether you already have an outdoor landscape lighting system or you are looking into having a landscape lighting system professionally designed and installed, there are a few things to consider this time of year.

If you already have a landscape lighting system, the trimming of hedges, re-edging of landscape beds, adding mulch or stone and planting of flowers is a dangerous time for outdoor lighting systems.

On top of the risk of a line getting cut by digging and edging, there is also the risk that the fixtures can be damaged by workers, rakes and wheelbarrows. New landscape covers like stone or mulch can also dirty or cover the lenses of your landscape lighting system fixtures if it is not carefully applied. Homeowners should discuss their expectations with landscape crews to make sure they are vigilant not to damage a lighting system.

In addition to the damage caused by routine landscape maintenance, every year plants and trees grow. It is important to take note at this time of year to ensure that a fixture that was placed a few years ago is still in an optimal spot to light the plantings based on the size they are today. This is why it is a good idea to request your annual or biannual maintenance service in the Spring. During a maintenance visit you can expect your fixtures to be cleaned, re-secured and relocated, among other things meant to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of your landscape lighting system.

If you do not have a landscape lighting system, it may benefit you in more ways than one to get an early start to the plan. We often work with landscapers to ensure that they know where our fixtures are by flagging them, where our lines are entering landscape beds, and the best way to ensure that the system is not damaged. We can also work closely with them to make sure that our system is installed at the perfect time to reduce the risk of their workers damaging the system.

The best time to install a new outdoor lighting system during a landscape project would be after all of the plantings and hardscaping have been completed, but before ground cover is added, as our installation requires us to disturb the ground cover. We are very good at ensuring the installation is minimally invasive, however it is always best to have ground cover laid after our fixtures and wiring have been placed.

If you are planning a landscape project and are thinking of installing an outdoor lighting system, let us know and we can work together to make sure our system makes your new landscaping as beautiful at night as it is during the day. You can contact us at (908) 369-7791 or by submitting a contact form here.