Using exterior lighting can add a lot of characteristics to your house. Whether it be lighting up a pathway leading to the front door, or a hanging lamp next to the porch, an exterior lighting fixture can not only make your home look warm and inviting, but also show people where to head in the darkness. Below are listed some various types of exterior lighting fixtures, and the types of places people tend to place them.

• Lantern lights are often inspired from the streetlight of Victorian times, and give great texture to your property. They can either be hanging or free standing, and either way can act as a convenient way to light up your porch, or the beginning of your driveway. Easy to set up and get going yourself, these types of lights can vary in price. For a hanging lantern you should be expecting to pay around $200 for a good quality one, whereas with a free standing one, you could pay anything from $300 up to $1500, depending on what material is used and the overall quality.

• Outdoor ceiling lights are one of the most common types of exterior lighting, and usually sit on the ceiling of your porch. They provide valuable light when entering the house at night, particularly useful for finding your keys and inserting them into the lock. The lights can come using a switch mechanism, or more usefully a motion sensor, so that the light will switch on automatically as soon as it detects movement. These types of lights may be harder to install, depending on whether you are able to drill through the ceiling yourself. Expect to pay between $100 and $300 for an exterior ceiling lighting fixture.

• Exterior wall lighting fixtures are also a popular style in exterior lighting, as they are reliable, cheap and available in a variety of different types. If your house is modern, there are lights to fit in with that style, just as if your house is old fashioned, there are lights designed to fit in well with that. They are readily available and are easy to fit providing a basic level of electrical knowledge is known. Exterior wall lights should be available from your local hardware store, or even better if you are luck enough to have a lighting specialist nearby take a trip down to them.

• Pedestal lights are a type of light usually situated on the ground or on a wall. They are often used to light up pathways or the edges of gardens, and can be particularity effective when used in conjunction with other pedestals to create a sophisticated and stylish look. These types of exterior lights may need professional help to install, as they sometimes require cables to be laid underground, depending on the type of light and the amount you have in the garden. Prices vary from around $50 up to $300 per pedestal largely depending on the design.

There are many types of exterior lighting fixtures, and you need to look around to see what suits you best before making any decisions, but always keep prices in mind if you plan on purchasing more than one, and make sure that you have the right tools to install them yourself if you plan on self installation.

Lights and more lights! They are an essential part of our daily living, and the type you buy for your home will vary greatly on the environment and the use of the lights. The follow home improvement articles are some of our favorites dealing with nothing but lights.

• Simple Outside Lighting Ideas
• Landscape Lighting Installation Tips
• Lighting Ideas For A Garage
• Cabinet Lighting Fixtures
• Outside Security Lighting
• Contemporary And Modern Floor Lamps
• Lighting Ideas For A Patio
• LED Light Ideas And Uses
• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

If you did not find the lighting article you were looking for, please check back as we will have more in the future. If you would like us to write something specific about a type of light or fixture, please send us an email and let us know.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are special bulbs that are designed to be more energy efficient and last longer than their halogen or incandescent counterparts. They offer a wide range of spectrums, including soft white, white, and blue lights. CFL bulbs have become increasingly popular since global warming fear has sparked an interest in the eco-conscious.

Regular light bulbs cost about $1 or less per bulb, where CFL’s cost considerably more. The reason being is that they do last longer, and provide a better lighting source. Since the widespread sale of compact fluorescent light bulbs increased, prices have declined. You can currently find a good CFL bulb for about .92 cents at a local shopping center.

Ever have the feeling that your lights were too “orange” or “yellow”? That’s because a traditional incandescent bulb emits a yellowish light, making things appear more “warm”. This can be bad for those with poor eyesight, and the lighting also takes away from your room. CFL bulbs are bright and resemble natural sunlight, which makes your atmosphere brighter and likely to boost your mood.

Of course, its not just aesthetic purposes that make these bulbs superior to other lighting options. They have the power to save you over $30 a year on electric costs, and exceptionally more if you have more light bulbs in your home. If you go the cheaper route and purchase a 92 cent bulb, the savings per year are greatly increased. A minimum of $30 saved each year really adds up in the end.

Plus, your options are unlimited. You can choose colored compact fluorescent bulbs, dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs, and even CFL’s that act as a black light. Even special lamps are now being made with the ability to use the energy star labeled CFL’s. Making the switch to energy efficient lighting is easy and cost efficient. While other lighting options are pricy, CFL bulbs are the ones that actually save you money in the long run and help save the earth. It is important to remember that dead bulbs or broken bulbs are considered biohazardous waste and must be disposed of properly to prevent leakage of mercury.

LED lights, or Light Emitting Diode, are specialized lights that are used quite frequently in vehicles, LED Christmas lights, and many other places. At the beginning of their usage they were weak and hardly used in anything, but in modern times they have the ability to be extremely bright. Many of your common household products use LED light bulbs, and are responsible for that eerie blue glow on many appliances light sensors. They are often referred to as the light of the future, because of their many uses and benefits in technology and science.

It used to be that LED bulbs were overly priced and only used in electronics, such as computers, televisions, and lasers. Recently though, the price of an LED lighting system has gone down dramatically. They are still expensive compared to CFL bulbs, but offer quadruple the money saving properties of a CFL. It also helps that these bulbs virtually last forever, and unless you intentionally break one, it will probably be around for 2 decades or more.

If you choose to remodel your home with freshly installed LED lighting, then be prepared to shell out a good amount of money. Depending on the size and style, an LED light can cost anywhere from $10 to $100 or more. Ceiling lights are the best option, and look chic and sophisticated. Since LED’s are exceptionally bright, you only need a few to light a dark room. If you need proof, simply look at your room with only the glow of your computers power button. Those tiny bulbs are capable of lighting most, if not all, of your room to a visible state. That is some impressive lighting!

The long term investment is well worth the cost and benefits. Since LED light systems look better, you are likely to enhance your bathroom, living room, or any other room dramatically. Changing your lights to LED powered lights can give your dull house an instant face lift. You can adjust the type of lighting you use to provide a sensual atmosphere, or an upbeat one. The options are truly endless and only take a bit of creativity and a small amount of time for installation!