Original ideas for lighting a summer cottage

Requirements

In this article we consider street lighting, therefore, the requirements will be presented precisely in relation to it.

So, the main requirements for lighting the cottages are:

1. Wiring must be safe. That is why it is necessary to include in the scheme circuit breaker and RCDto protect the network from overloads, current leaks and short circuits. You should also take care of high-quality grounding wiring.
2. Lighting control in the country should be convenient. Lamps must necessarily have emergency and local shutdown. Control panels must be located both within the site and in the house itself.
3. All items electrical wiring (sockets, switches, bulbs, etc.) must have dust and moisture protection characteristics. The cable must be laid in a protective corrugation or pipe.
4. The territory illumination should have several functions: security, general, decorative, etc. (we will talk about this below).
5. The lighting scheme should be drawn up before landscaping the site (paving garden paths, sowing lawn grass, etc.). This is due to the fact that with laying the cable underground will have to destroy the elements of garden decor. To prevent this from happening, lay the cable route in advance and proceed to the design of the site.
6. Luminaires should be energy efficient. Street light in the country will turn on every day. For a month, a significant figure runs up in the receipt for payment of electricity. Modern LED lamp and solar-powered luminaires can reduce up to 70% of electricity consumption.

Key Options

Above, we already mentioned a little that street lighting in the country should fulfill several basic functions:

• General. Highlighting the entire area of ​​the site, which allows you to work and relax in the dark. In this case, it is recommended to use streetlights on poles, as well as wall lamps on brackets.
• Marking. It is used to illuminate certain elements of the garden: steps, a gate, a bench, etc. Short-legged lights, pendant lamps, and wall products are popular.
• Security. Its main purpose is to protect the territory from ill-wishers. The light should be directed to all the main areas of the cottage, which should be protected: the gates of the garage and the house, porch, parking area. Here it is recommended to accept all the same lights as for general lighting.The only difference may be that, for reasons of energy saving and the creation of a “presence effect”, it is recommended install motion sensors. These products are triggered if movement is detected within their radius of action. Oddly enough, such a clever trick effectively scares off attackers.
• Decorative. It is represented by various garden lights, candles and lanterns, which are installed in order to make the landscape design more luxurious and creative at night. Most often, lamps find a place near ponds, in recreation areas and in the garden in the country.
• Technological. Used to illuminate garden buildings: hozblok, greenhouses, garage. It can act as a general and protective. The most commonly used installation of spotlights and wall lamps.

Please note that when installation of street lighting do it yourself with a combination of several options into a single whole. This technique allows you to simultaneously "kill two birds with one stone": to make the cottage safe, convenient and at the same time beautiful!

Useful Tips

Well, in the end, I would like to bring to your attention a few useful tips regarding how to properly make lighting in the country with your own hands:

• Garden path lighting implement using solar lights. They are inexpensive, beautiful and practical, in addition, they can decorate the territory both at night and during the day.
• Never use incandescent bulbs. These light sources have long lost their practicality, because have low efficiency, short life and high power consumption. Opt for LED bulbs.
• Degree of protection of electrical appliances must not be less than IP 43. This index means that the products are reliably protected from raindrops, accidental splashes and small debris entering the housing.
• Take a serious approach to cable section calculation. Even small errors will lead to the fact that the conductor will not cope with its task. As a result, during overloads, the insulation will begin to melt, which will soon lead to a short circuit.
• You can significantly save your own money by creating a street lamp with your own hands. Today on the Internet you can find a lot of different ideas, the creation of which will require a minimum of money, time and effort.
• Once again, we remind you of security. Where possible, install 12-volt luminaires with a step-down transformer. Usually this option is used when creating pool lights and other reservoirs in the area.
• Take care of quality wire connection in the ground and in the air. Twisting with insulation, which summer residents love to use, is prohibited by the rules of the PUE. The contacts of the conductors must be connected in special terminals and couplings, which additionally need to be protected by a junction box (in turn, its case is insulated with sealant).
• Be sure to make autonomous lighting of the cottage with the help of LEDs and a car battery. In this case, if the housing remains without electricity, it will be possible to continue the rest by connecting the 12 volt battery bulbs. In addition, in this way you can make lighting not only on the street, but also inside the house, because LEDs, as they are, are portable.

Photo examples

To your attention the most interesting photo ideas of lighting in the country:

Do you like the ideas? We also recommend that you browse floor lighting options in the apartment!