Knowledge About Lighting Can Brighten Your Outlook

The poor consumer seems to be in the dark about low-voltage residential lighting.

That’s the way an expert sees it. Teri Womack, sales director for White Cap Hardware, Tools and Materials in Santa Ana, Calif., said she’s constantly surprised by how little consumers know.

“Most people would be a lot happier with their outdoor lighting if they just knew more about it,” said Womack, who has been in the outdoor lighting business for 12 years. “They’re used to buying low-voltage lighting from a home center and don’t know that there are lots of other products and styles out there.”

Then there’s the matter of using lighting to create the best effect.

“One way to use outdoor lighting is through trees. Just thinking you can place a light to shine up at a tree doesn’t do it. There are right ways and wrong ways to do it.”

What should consumers know that they don’t?

“For one thing,” Womack said, “people think they’re saving money by buying a cheap set of outdoor lights when they’re really going to lose money in the long run. That’s because they don’t know that there are quality lighting sets out there which will withstand almost anything nature has to offer.”

One of the problems nature causes is often found in coastal areas, Womack said.

“If people live near the ocean, they should buy something better than a lighting fixture made of cast aluminum,” she said. “There are some wonderful fixtures made of brass or a composite material that not only look beautiful but will withstand the rust and corrosion problems that come with living on the coast.”

Upgrading to a better, longer-lasting lighting fixture will cost a bit more, Womack admits, but most consumers will spend less in the long run because they won’t have to replace a cheaper fixture.

Another aspect of lighting to learn is what’s new.

“Fiberoptics,” Womack said. “It’s like a giant piece of fishing wire in which a special device projects light through it. Swimming pools can be a perfect site for fiberoptics. If you think you’ve seen pool or spa lighting in the past that looks great, you should see what fiberoptics does. It will take your breath away.”