Landscape lighting in Tampa, Fl, can transform the look of your property. It can make your landscape look amazing when the sun goes down. However, having landscape lights comes with a fair share of maintenance needs. While some homeowners decorate their landscape and install features like a pool or an outdoor kitchen, others might leave it clear. However, when the sun’s light fades, every yard will look the same if they do not have landscape lighting installed.
Besides illuminating and highlighting the beautiful features of your home and yard, installing lights on your yard is an excellent crime deterrent. But without proper maintenance, a lot can go wrong. Here are some of the most critical reasons why you must maintain your landscape lighting.
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It Can Hurt Your Curb Appeal
As a homeowner, you must be aware of how important the aesthetics of a home is. The curb appeal of a house is what most homeowners pride themselves upon. Landscape lights that do not serve their function can hurt your curb appeal; especially when the lights are broken, they can become unsightly.
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It Can Pose a Safety or Security Risk
Some homeowners install landscape lights to illuminate the dark corners of their yard. Since illuminating your property is an excellent crime deterrent, not maintaining these lights may cause failure, defeating their purpose. Even if a single lamp stops functioning, it can compromise security within your property.
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It Can Create a Hazardous Situation
When electricity is involved, any negligence can prove fatal. Any damage to lights or the electrical wires leading up to it can result in someone getting hurt. Especially after major storms, the wiring and lights must be inspected and repaired immediately, if necessary.
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It Can Lead to Malfunctions
Like any other appliance, negligence in maintaining landscape lights can lead to malfunctions. Repairing a light before it starts malfunctioning can save you the cost of completely replacing the fixtures. Not fixing these issues can cause additional problems on adjacent fixtures, too, thus, exponentially increasing your repair bill.
Tips on Maintaining Landscape Lights in Tampa, FL.
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Keeping plants and branches trimmed
The quickest way to maintain your landscape lights is to check if any vegetation is blocking the light’s path and trim them. Since these lights are on your exterior, vegetation can get too close to the light, often obstructing it. If these branches are not trimmed, they may even damage the light fixture over an extended period of time. If you do not wish to trim certain plants, you must relocate your lighting fixtures to other suitable spots.
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Removing Any Debris from The Fixtures
Debris like mud, dirt, leaves, twigs, and insect nests often find a way to stick to your lighting fixtures, eventually blocking their light. Removing this debris is an easy fix to getting unobstructed illumination in your yard.
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Checking for Any Exposed or Faulty Wires
Since the wires for your landscape lights have to brave the harsh conditions of nature, they can easily get damaged once exposed. This can happen in areas that experience a high amount of traffic. Regularly checking your wires can lower potential repair costs while preventing a major hazardous situation.
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Checking for Any Damage to The Fixtures
Landscape lighting remains exposed to the elements all the time. This can cause wear and tear and sometimes even damage lighting fixtures. Conducting a routine check on all your lights for any damage like broken lenses, dented metal frames, or corrosion can help you find any damage before it becomes severe.
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Replacing Burnt Out Lamps
Just as bulbs in your interior can burn out, LED lighting fixtures can burn out too over time and need replacing. You can get ahead of the problem by checking for burnt-out lamps during the day and replacing them accordingly.
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Cleaning Metal and Plastic Components
You can clean all the metal and plastic fixture components with soap, water, and a soft cloth. It can help you keep your fixtures clean and new. However, you should not use harsh chemicals to clean the lights unless the manufacturer recommends it.
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Cleaning Glass Lenses
Just like the fixture components, the lenses on the lights can get dirty over time. Going over them with a soft cloth and soap water can help illuminate your yard better.
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Adjusting and Checking the Lighting Fixtures
Most landscape lights are adjustable in terms of direction. However, most homeowners leave them in the pre-installed position. You can adjust them to your liking and use the lights better. Over time, lights may droop and lose focus. You can routinely adjust them to ensure that they illuminate all the right parts of your yard.
Final Words
Installing landscape lighting in Tampa, Florida, can be the difference between a property that loses its charm when the sun sets and one that looks enchanting in the dark. Even though landscape lights are made to be durable and able to withstand all weather conditions, they require regular maintenance in order to make the most out of them.
