With less daylight this time of year, landscape lighting is the perfect way to continue enjoying this gorgeous fall weather, foliage, and your outdoor living space. Here are some helpful landscape lighting winter tips to keep your property beautiful, safe, and ready for camp fires.

Landscape Lighting Winter Tips

We all know how badly snow, ice, and wind chills can affect our skin and energy bills, but they can be just as bad for your outdoor lighting system.

Keep wires underground

Buried lighting wires may have become unearthed over the summer months. Before the leaves really start to fall, scan your property for exposed wires. This ensures you are up to code, which requires wire to be buried a minimum of 6 inches deep. This also ensures overall safety. Exposed wire can be a tripping hazard, and wild animals or pets could chew on it. In either scenario, not only are you threatening people and animals with electrical dangers, you risk shorting out your landscape lighting system.

Create a guided path

The autumn leaves are absolutely stunning, but they can be slippery when wet. Consider adding path lighting to your autumn landscape lighting to help prevent any unwanted “fall” activities.

Adjust Fixtures

Over time, fixtures can move out of alignment or get damaged from landscaping, snow removal, or the wind (mostly down lights in trees). You can periodically walk through your property to re-align any crooked fixtures.

Take extra care when removing snow near fixtures. If a company removes your snow, let them know you have fixtures near where they plow (the drive and walkways are most common). You could purchase flags or poles from a local hardware store to indicate their location. The best way to maintain your landscape lighting system is to prevent accidental damages.

Check for Common Moisture-Related Problems

Ice and snow can cause system outlet issues. More specifically, the melting can trip your GFCI outlet. If this happens, push the “reset” button on the outlet and make sure the cover gets closed. Please use caution when working with electricity and don’t ever stick anything into the sockets. Sometimes an outlet may simply need reset and closed properly. If the cover is damaged, you’ll want to get it replaced.

If the outlet looks damaged or will not reset, you may need to contact a licensed electrician.

Clean lights

Bugs, dirt and other detritus can be blocking the light. Shut off power to the unit before cleaning. Before working on a fixture check for nests that wasps or other stinging insects might have built.

Adjust timers

Just like how the clocks have to change with the end of daylight savings time, outdoor lighting timers also need to be adjusted accordingly. Most will turn on at dusk and turn off after a set number of hours, so account for the shorter days and update the lighting schedule.

Remember that if there is power loss, you will need to reset the landscape lighting timer.

Arbor Hills Landscaping Company Omaha | Best Landscaping Company in Omaha, NE

Arbor Hills Trees & Landscaping Services can provide you with everything from detailed maintenance programs to unique plant production, and other services in between. That means we build water features, walls, patios, irrigation, walkways, outdoor kitchens, lighting and anything else you can help us dream up. Our professionally trained staff can build the landscape of your dreams and keep you from breaking any Home Landscaping Rules.

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Unlimited Outdoor Kitchen offers professional outdoor kitchen, outdoor fireplace, and outdoor living room design, building, and installation services with FREE ESTIMATES. More…

Retaining Walls Landscaping Services

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Stamped and Colored Concrete

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Patio Pavers Landscaping Services

Concrete pavers are a great way to improve your landscape and garden. They are super strong and lend themselves to many hardscaping projects. They rarely crack but if they do, each piece is easily replaceable. More…

Landscape Lighting Designs

Outdoor lighting can be nearly as important to the overall look and feel of your home as the landscaping itself. So you shouldn’t short-change yourself by skimping on quality lighting products. We are a full-service landscape and waterscape company that can solve all of your residential and commercial lighting needs anywhere in Omaha and the surrounding areas. More…

Water Feature Landscaping Designs

Imagine the sight and sound of bubbling water as you relax in your outdoor sanctuary. A water feature can give just the right ambiance to your outdoor retreat. Or, if you are looking for a water feature with traffic-slowing curb appeal, a designer from Arbor Hills will help you choose the water feature that best enhances your home. More…

Sod Installation Services

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Mulch & Rock Landscaping Services

The concept, to design, to delivery and installation, we have more than 20 years experience in the landscaping industry in the Omaha and surrounding areas. Our services include delivery, full installation, and clean-up of mulch and rock around your beds, trees, and more. More…

Plants & Shrubs Landscaping

Plants and shrubs are the backbone of your landscape and should be the first things you plant. Proper selection will enhance a home’s appearance and increase property value while reflecting the homeowner’s style and personality. More…

Tree Nursery

Let our trained nursery professionals assist you in selecting the perfect tree or shrub to complete your landscape. We carry a selection that is unmatched in the Omaha and the surrounding areas and are willing and eager to explain our favorites. Improved varieties are introduced each year and we always strive to carry the best and newest – varieties more resistant to disease, shade trees better able to withstand storm damage and ornamentals in unique colors, shapes and sizes you have to see to believe. More…