Garden Spike Lights

LED garden spike lights provide everything there is to love about LED lighting in your outdoor living space. Some of the main draws include:

• LONG LIFE – LED lights will provide illumination for a much longer period of time than traditional bulbs. Where halogen bulbs tend to burn out after 1,000 hours, LED bulbs provide illumination for a minimum of 20,000 hours. Because of their long lifespans, you won’t have to deal with maintenance or the expenses of constantly replacing the lights.

• VERSATILITY – LED spike lights give you plenty of customisation options, thanks to their colour temperature and lumen variations. These lights are commonly applied in areas with trees, pathways and architectural areas that you want to highlight. Adjustable light heads also mean being able to direct the beam of light anywhere you choose.

• ULTRA-DURABLE – Spike lights for garden illumination are capable of withstanding the elements they are constantly exposed to, including weather and extreme temperatures. Since LED bulbs don’t have any of the traditional fragile elements of halogen bulbs, they won’t break or crack easily.

• REDUCED COSTS – Since these lights are durable and long lasting, you won’t have to shell out cash to replace them frequently. Their energy efficient nature also means less money spent on your electric bill.

• ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY – LED lights lack any toxic elements that you’ll find in other light bulbs, nor do they output any harmful rays. The energy efficiency nature of LED lights also allows them to leave behind a smaller carbon footprint.

• ENERGY EFFICIENCY – As opposed to traditional bulbs such as halogen lights, LED lights are very energy efficient. They use very little energy to generate illumination, which means you are wasting less energy and less money on lighting your home and outdoor areas.

This type of lighting can be used to focus on a certain area of a garden like a statue or a tree or even add depth of space by extending the view down a garden path. You can create atmosphere in other ways, such as low level plant lighting that shines illumination from behind plants to create the illusion of hidden light. Because spike light fixtures are generally flexible, you can position them in any direction once they are in place. This means you can create the best visual effects as the seasons change and so do the plants in your garden.

In the end, there is virtually no limit to how you can use outdoor spike spotlights. A few of the other uses of such lights include but are not limited to:

• Defining garden pathways
• Outlining the edge of driveways
• Highlighting statues in a garden
• Lining the perimeter of a garden
• Creating an outdoor seating area
• Accentuating flower beds
• Showing off small trees and shrubs
• Shining light on a building and more

IP ratings are a way to tell if a light is resistant to water and debris damage. The two digits in the ratings indicate this durability in terms of moisture and debris. IP ratings are important to note for any light you plan to buy, but they are especially important for outdoor lighting. This is due to the elements that outdoor lights are constantly exposed to.

First Digit – Solids

0  –  No protection against solid matter

1  –  Protection against and solid objects with a diameter larger than 50 millimeters

2  –  Protection from objects greater then 12 millimeters in diameter

3  –  Protection from objects such as wires with a diameter greater than 1 millimeter

4  –  Protection from solid objects with a diameter or thickness over 1 millimeter

5  –  Protection from moderate amounts of dust

6  –  Protection from all dust

Second Digit – Moisture

0  –  No protection from moisture

1  –  Protection from condensation and droplets of water

2  –  Protection from water that drips vertically

3  –  Protection from water that is sprayed

4  –  Protection from water that is splashed

5  –  Protection from water that is projected

6  –  Protection from water from a strong jet

7  –  Protection from immersion

8  –  Protection from long periods of immersion

In order to ensure the integrity and safety of your outdoor spike lights, choose ones with a minimum rating of IP65.

Even if you use subtle black spike lights that blend into the night, their light will still serve an obvious and important purpose: security. Lighting is believed to be among the best options for deterring burglars, as a well-lit place is one they are less likely to tread upon. Having a well-lit outdoor space can make you feel safer, since you’ll be able to clearly see what’s going on outside of your window. You can run them all night long so that even when you’re sleeping and can’t keep an eye on your outdoor space, the light will still deter intruders.

This is especially true if you have security cameras in place. Placing lights in view of those cameras will allow you to clearly see any activity that may be going on there. In cases like this, you can point the light in the direction that the security lights are covering to more easily illuminate the space.

Placing garden spike lights along paths leading up to your doors, around the perimeter of the house and in any dark crevices may be what it takes to make a burglar feel seen and less likely to try and break into your home from any angle. Small accent spike lights can be place around pools, near windows and doors or along driveways to cover all of the areas they may approach from.

It is not a good idea to install LED garden spike lights on your own; since they use electricity, you run the risk of shocking yourself if they are not handled correctly. It is recommended that you hire a professional electrician to handle the job for you. Even so, this does not mean you have to be completely excluded from the process.

Before the electrician comes to set up the lighting, you can start planning the layout and arranging them how you’d like. You could also get started digging the necessary holes where you have planned the light, so the electrician can simply come and lay the cables.

Speaking of cables, it is highly recommended that you use an armoured cable for your lights. This is because they are very likely to be buried underground, and armoured cables will more readily protect the mains supply if someone is digging in the garden and accidentally hits them. Armoured cables will stop the cables from accidentally breaking and potentially shocking you.

LED spike lights are a versatile and easy way to add illumination to your garden. Whether you want to highlight a garden feature, outline a walkway or distinguish an outdoor seating area, these lights are there to help. When you choose an LED bulb for such lights, you can expect them to perform their job for a minimum of 20,000 hours.

In this article, we explored what garden spike lights are and how to use them. We also touched upon LED lumens versus wattage as well as tips on deciding how far apart to place your lights and how many to use. Refer to this article as you begin to plan out the installation of your new exterior spike lights.

Outdoor spike lights are capable of more than just providing functional illumination. They can also make your outdoor space more visually appealing as well. It all comes down to the colour temperature and the placement.

Some good spike light buying advice if you’re looking to create ambiance is to buy lights with warmer temperatures. Warm white lights between 2700K and 3000K are ideal for creating a cosier and more inviting outdoor space for entertaining. Placing these lights near patios and seating areas is a great idea.

Spike lights can also be used to highlight or accent certain elements and features in the garden. Use them to shine up on walls, shrubs, trees and other such details to create a focal point and add indirect lighting at the same time.

You can also use them on pathways. This will create a visual path to follow to navigate the garden while also helping zone out different areas of the garden. The soft glow provided by the spike lights throughout the garden can improve upon its ambiance as well

Spike lights are not only good for domestic use; you can also translate LED garden spike light ideas into commercial applications as well. With good exterior spike lighting, you can enhance the kerb appeal of the property and make it stand out from the road. Use spike lights around entrances, pathways and property perimeters to separate it from nearby buildings.

One of the biggest benefits of LED spike lights in a commercial setting is the visibility and safety that they provide. Using them as path lights, you can help employees and visitors easily navigate the property at night. Lighting up the property in this way may also help deter intruders by eliminating shadows for them to creep around in.

If your commercial building has unique architectural features, weatherproof LED spike lighting can help enhance them. Shine the illumination up walls, beams and other areas of interest to create a more visually appealing space.

Spike lights make up just one element of garden lighting. For a well-rounded look, pair them with other light layers in the garden. Adding them as a part of your layered lighting scheme will provide depth and dimension while ensuring each part of the garden is well lit.

• WALL LIGHTS. Wall lights are a good companion for spike lights. They can be used to illuminate entryways that the path lights lead to.

• STRING LIGHTS. Using whimsical string lights with spike lights can create beautiful mood lighting with a cosy atmosphere.
  

• Floodlights cover much wider areas than a spike light does. Pairing the two together can ensure certain areas are very well lit–such as areas that your CCTV is monitoring.

• DECK AND STAIR LIGHTS. If you are using spike lights to illuminate a path, use stair step lights to continue that navigational lighting up the staircases.

Energy saving LED spike lights can draw attention to the architectural beauty of your home or business in a few creative ways. 

• Shining lights up walls, beams, columns and other vertical features can dramatically highlight them or create a beautiful silhouette of shadow.

• WALL GRAZING. Placing lights close to the base of a wall will show off the textures of the wall by casting tiny shadows over it.

• CROSS-LIGHTING. Light up a certain feature from different angles to improve depth and reduce harsh shadows. Place two or more lights on either side of the feature and angle them toward the detail you want to enhance.

• CREATE FOCAL POINTS. With spike lights, you can create focal points on trees, bushes and other natural elements. Place the lights at the base of a tree or surrounding a flower bed to draw attention to it.

Maintenance on your outdoor spike lights may be necessary from time to time. If you don’t want to call out an electrician a few times a year just to check the lights, there are a few ways you can take care of this yourself. Below are some tips on how to keep them looking and working their best:

• CLEAN THEM REGULARLY – Dust, dirt and other debris can gather on LED spike lights, which can make them appear dimmer and less effective. Cleaning the fixtures occasionally using a gentle cleaning solution and soft cloth can prevent this from happening.

• REPLACE DAMAGED PARTS – Occasionally take a look at the lights and see if any parts of them are damaged or need repaired. This means checking the cables and light housings and for loose parts.

• LOOK FOR WATER DAMAGE – Even though outdoor lights are made to be water resistant, moisture may still find its way inside over time. This could indicate that the light has a faulty seal or other crack that needs to be addressed.

• ADHERE TO THE MANUFACTURER’S GUIDE – Be sure that you refer to the upkeep and safety notes provided by the light’s manufacturer to ensure you are providing the best maintenance for your specific light.