Spot & Flood Lights

Tree mounting kits can be utilized to install Outdoor flood lights on a tree branch, tree trunk, or even hidden in the middle of the tree to create a beautiful glow of back lighted leaves and branches. When mounted on a branch or trunk and aimed down it is just like having a post or wall to hang your lights on. The special tree mounting kits used for Outdoor Flood Lights are designed for use on live trees and do not harm the tree. Flood lighting fixtures are available in many materials and finishes, to fit any desired look or budget.

Installation of outdoor flood lights is easy to do and does not require building permits or use of a licensed contractor. Outdoor Flood Lighting is low voltage (12 volts) which requires a transformer to convert your homes high voltage electric current to the lower 12 volts. One of the big advantages of using this low voltage system is that you can run wires without using expensive metal conduit or junction boxes. The low voltage wire is completely weatherproof and can be tucked in beneath ground cover, or between a walkway and the lawn, or even buried an inch or two under the ground. Close -

Outdoor Spot Lights can be installed in the eaves and aimed to a specific location in the yard, perhaps to light up a small bird bath or statue. Spot lights mounted on a tree branch or trunk could be aimed back at your home to illuminate the porch, or just light up the address number. Like flood lights, outdoor spot lighting is simple to install and inexpensive to operate, and is available in a large variety of material and finishes. Close -

Lighting brightness is a variable that is also a personal choice. Bulb offerings for outdoor flood lights are numerous and you can choose the brightness of light that best suits your needs. Outdoor spot lights on the other hand would be the equivalent of using a laser pointer when compared to outdoor flood lights. Spot lights are much more effective at lighting up specific things such as an address sign, a specific piece of shrubbery, art, pictures or statues. Again, light brightness varies depending on the type of bulb and the style that best suits you.

There are examples of light spread and how much of an area will be illuminated by different bulbs or fixtures available in our resources section under "photometrics”. Once you have made the choice of which on best suits your needs, outdoor flood lighting or outdoor spot lighting, or perhaps both, it is time to learn how to maximize the illuminating effects of these systems. Both systems require a bit of planning.

Outdoor flood lights can be angled to provide maximum illumination in two ways. Either staked into the ground and angled up, or attached to a wall, ceiling, or tree and angled down. Again, how you will attach your outdoor flood lighting will depend on what you are trying to illuminate, as well as what kind of natural or man-made structures are around to attach your fixtures to. Because angles come into play a bit here, it is important to also do a little bit of testing regarding what height you will attach your outdoor flood lights at. Experimenting a bit with different heights of attachment and different angles will provide the best results.

There are plenty of online resources around that help you with these choices so you can maximize the efficiency of your flood light illumination. The same concepts that work for flood lighting transfer over to outdoor spot lighting. Brightness variation is also dependent on the bulbs used. However, because spot lights are used to illuminate specific areas or items, heights and angles must be adjusted to take this into account. Again, since installation is so inexpensive and easy, it is advisable to experiment with some display heights and angles once you have made the decision that outdoor spot lights are suitable for your needs. Some usage suggestions for spot lights include: lighting up address numbers, lighting up art, pictures, statues, or fountains (in your backyard for security purposes!), lighting up driveways, cars, garages, or even lighting up walkways. Again, as with all 12 volt outdoor lighting systems, flood and spot lighting systems are energy efficient, and normally do not require permits or contractors to install. They come in a variety of makes, shapes, sizes and materials. We urge you to check out the many options in spot and flood lighting available through our website to find the items that best suit your needs. Close -