Illuminating Landscapes Using Low-Voltage Lights

This Bed & Breakfast in Camden, Maine is lit with 8 well lamps in the front yard, two lamps for the birch tree, four lamps for the corner of the Inn, two lamps at the front entry and eight wall washes in the flower garden.

The use of low-voltage lighting took center stage nearly 70 years ago at the 1932 Worlds Fair in New York called The City of Light. It was there that a designer for Con Edison by the name of Svend Brunn developed 12-volt lighting for use in landscape applications. Brunn was the lead architect for the fair and worked for every country except Russia.

Shortly thereafter, Con Edison developed low-voltage path lights and well lights but they failed to find their place in the market. The reason for its lack of appeal stemmed from the fact that electricity costs were cheap and to buy the low voltage equipment proved to be more expensive than it was worth.

Though it didn't catch on, the concept still remained. The idea was later revitalized and several companies started to make low-voltage fixtures. Now there are probably 70-100 using the basic theories that are out there for low-voltage lighting.

What is low-voltage?

This home in Portland, Maine features three flood lamps with honey comb attachment, two bath lights for the entry walkway and two well lights. The lighting system also has a dimmer on the back light of the window.

For those who may be unclear about the differences between standard landscape lighting and low-voltage lighting, low-voltage consists of anything under 50 volts. The wide use of 12-volt lighting revolves around the fact that lamps have already been developed for use in auto, tractor, airplane, boat, emergency and stage lighting applications. 12-volt lighting has become the standard, but many companies are expanding into 24 volt. The reason for the expansion into 24 volts is that the designer/installer can run the lines farther with less resistance.

On average basic transformer 12 volt coil and core transformer, a number 12 wire you can be run roughly 100 feet before experiencing any voltage drop. After the wire has gone past 100 feet, the user will experience a drop in voltage. To correct for voltage drop, take the distance of your run, the load that you have it, and then you take the circular mils rating of the wire- for example number 12 wire at 7,500 and you divide into that. You want to keep it under 1.3. So if you are over that number you go to the next size wire, so you would go to number 10 and I think that’s an 11,500 and you use that as your divider.

Transformer Technology

The yard has 5 up/down lights on the fence and three mushroom lights in the garden to blend in with the surroundings.

Now the industry is coming out with multi-tap transformers. What this means is the transformer will have four taps in it. One tap is a 12 volt, one is a 14-volt tap, one is a 16-volt tap, and the last tap is 18 volts. With the multi-tap transformer, the user can use a 250 amp. transformer and run a number 12 wire out 200 feet and take a reading at the end of the wire. If the reading shows it is running at 10.2, the user can switch to a higher tap. In this case, the user could switch to the 14-volt tap and this would bring the voltage up to the level that you want it. (Always keep the reading under 12 volts. This allows the transformer to run a little cooler gives the lamps a full life.)

Lighting Codes

This home in Rockland, Maine is lit with four up/down lights on the house and two path lights to illuminate the walkway.

The basic code for low-voltage lighting states that the wire should be placed zero to six inches under ground. This in fact means that the wiring for this lighting system can actually lie on top of the ground. Wiring can be buried deeper than six inches, but zero to six inches is the basic code. The wire is safe above ground because it is U.V. rated (ultraviolet wire).

If the wiring is coming into a home, the wires have to be put it into PVC because of weight and pressure. On commercial installations, the wires can be left bear on the exterior, but inside the building they have to be covered all the way to the transformer. When running 12 volt wires in a home they do not have to be covered.

Light Control

Fenton used 2 lights mounted at 8 1/2 feet high to light the 4-foot by 16-foot step-stone walkway of this Japanese Garden in Brunswick, Maine. Four well lights were used in the background.

One added feature with 12-volt lighting is that it is controllable. For example, if an mr16 lamp is installed, contractors can use different degrees of light going down or coming up. The lamps come in the following increments: 3, 6, 8, 12, 18, 22, 24, 28, 32, 38, 40, 48, 50, 60 degrees. With the wide range of degrees available, it allows the lighting designer/installer to accent an object or create a pin column without having any light spillage.

Not only do you have a huge amount of control with the lamp itself, spread lenses, glare filters, or honeycombs can be attached to the light to create any effect that you want.

The par36 family of lights (similar to a floodlight) offers even more options. This style of lamp is basically the same as the smaller lamps but you get a wider light spread. Adding to their controllability, manufacturers offer the lights in various wattages. If the design calls for a subtle effect you can obtain it easily. If a mood lighting effect is more desirable, it’s available too.

For example, if the lighting subject was a row of trees and they are 50 feet in depth, a low light level should be used on the front tree, a medium level light level should be used on the middle tree, and a high light level should be used on the back tree. This gives the landscape a nice balanced look. One easy way to accomplish the different light levels is by using the various lamps.

Stage One: The Walk Around

The project seen here uses uplighting to give life and character to the features of the house and the ornamental items located in the planters. The lighting is subtle so that the eye is not distracted from the features.

When starting a new project, it is important to walk the grounds and look for what the client wants and what they feel is important to them. They might have a fountain or other landscape feature given to them by their son or daughter that’s very special to them.

The next step is to find out what part of the site makes them happy - what part of the property they enjoy - and you emphasize that area because that is what they are going to be using and that is what they want to show off.

Once this information is acquired, tour the grounds and see what should be up-lit or down-lit. This is followed up by figuring out what kind of lamps to use as far as well lights or down lights. The key is to listen to their suggestions while accomplishing a balance with the rest of the yard so everything comes together.

Stage Two: The Design and Implementation

The lighting system for the deck of this home in Camden, Maine consists of six 7-watt lamps, one miniature flood light on the plant, and 14 up/down lights mounted under the seats.

At this point, the ideas back are taken back and put on paper. Some companies are beginning to skip this stage. We just go out and stake a job, while marking the fixtures and lamps that are desired. Next, all of the cable is laid, all the fixtures are planted, and the trees are trimmed as necessary. After this work is completed, the crew returns at night and adjusts the lights to highlight the desired elements.

Determining whether to use up or down lighting lies in the basic aesthetics or the appearance of the yard and how you want to bring the light into the home and accent the home. The lights should not be used to show off the home, rather they should compliment the home. The key is not to take away from the architectural structure itself. One way to achieve this is by using various light levels.

Site Challenges

At another deck in North Port, Maine, Fenton uses six 11-watt lamps for the steps and three micro border lights with channels.

One challenging job was having to light a professional croquet court. The job would have been typical had it not been located on the Maine coastline. Since the court was sitting on the ocean, light fixtures were not allowed to be mounted in the air because the lights would disturb the bearings of boats traveling by. To add to the seemingly difficult task, the court had to be lit at a low angle so that people could play the game without getting any lights in their eye.

In order to light the court without disturbing boats or players, the crew went to the site with a couple fixtures and a bunch of tin.

The objective was to come up with a housing fixture for a 250 watt flood. After setting up fixtures at several different heights, the crew walked around the court observing every detail. They tried using items like blenders and honeycombs before determining that the light should be cut at a 18 degree angle facing the ground. The light went no higher than 30 inches off of the ground and the overall height of the fixture was about 40 inches high. The harbor master approved the lighting and the homeowner was completely satisfied.

When a lighting projects that sits on the ocean, Dennis Fenton of 17-90 Lighting in Rockland, Maine, schedules some time with the harbor master. A couple temporary fixtures are placed in trees or in the ground and Fenton joins the harbor master on his boat. He explains to the harbor master what he is trying to do and they view the site from the ocean. The harbor master often notes that the landscape lighting is better than the street lights going down the street.

No Trespassing

In Seansport, Maine, Fenton mounted 10 rail lights under the seats of the deck and four 7-watt step lights at the right side of the seats.

Many times the crews will encounter a yard filled with light trespassing into the yard from the street lights. To correct the spillage of light, the power company is called out to blacken a certain portion of the light or to install a cut off at the lamp to prevent the street light from interfering with what is trying to be accomplish on the property.

To prevent the occurrence of light trespassing from the landscape lights into neighboring yards, the lamps are fitted with snoots and filters to eliminate any possibility of trespassing of light. Fenton had one project in which a ledge had to be lit. In order to light the ledge, he had to light it underneath a patio area. The way in which the light source was set up, it would have been easily seen not to mention the fact that it would have been shining back into the house. Fenton used a 22-inch eyebrow over six 2- by 2-inch fixtures. After the eyebrow was added, people could stand above it and not know where the light source was coming from.

Tips and Tricks

The stairs and dock of this home were lit with 20 rail lights mounted at a 20-degree angle with a honey comb attachment while a well light is installed at the base of the center tree.

Fenton normally won't use colored lights on ground, but will use them sparingly to highlight other elements. "I found this one little mr16 lamp that you can take a dead tree and shine this particular lamp on it and it looks like it just came out of the florist," Fenton said. "It has a blue-green hue to it and when it hits a brown or dullish object, it gives the appearance of a new stem coming out of a plant."

When lighting trees Fenton uses well lights around the base and directs them into the tree. Maine is filled with many 100 to 200 year-old oaks. Fenton will place four or five fixtures up in the crotch of the tree, which in turn creates a gentle under lit appearance.

Fenton normally uses three well lights to light a tree four to five feet across. For an 18-inch tree he normally uses one well light, but he bases his decision on how the tree is viewed. "If you have an 18-inch tree that can be seen from two angles at all times, I'll use two well lights on it," Fenton said.

On pathways, Fenton prefers to use a company called Escort. They offer a line of mushroom and toadstool lights in single, double or triple fixtures. The products are made out of copper and brass so they can be installed and forgotten about it.

Fenton will intermix the lights to create a unique feeling. "I'll take a single toadstool in a dark brass or a raw copper and then I'll take a double or a johnny jump up and mix them in the yard," Fenton said. The mix of fixtures creates a very interesting garden instead of having one style of fixture throughout the landscape. "If you study Olmstead's theories on his landscaping, he says everyplace you look in the garden you want to see something different, and this creates that look," he said.

The only time Fenton uses the same light fixture is on a more modern home where everything is open. "Using the same fixture creates a more modern look while the mushrooms create more of an earthly tone and a good balance," Fenton said. "You don't want to put a fixture in a garden that looks like a fixture, you want to put a part of nature in there that gives off light."

At the end of a project it standard to tour the grounds with the client. This gives them a chance to ask questions and voice any aspects the may not like. Fenton also offers maintenance on the lighting system after it is installed. "When we install a system, we give free service for the first year," Fenton said. "We also come back the next year in spring and completely service the grounds. We clean every fixture and if it's a fixture that comes apart, we take it apart and clean every part about it." Offering the free service on the lights generally pays off too. "Normally by the next year they want to add more lights," he said.

When all is said and done, Fenton said the clients become more than business, they become good friends.