Outdoor lighting is such an important element of your clients’ State College, PA, landscapes that it deserves special attention for where it’s placed and how it looks in the evening hours. But it also requires attention for another reason too—how it will be maintained during the winter season.
As you take care of your clients’ winter time outdoor lighting schemes and other aspects of their landscapes, you’ll want to ensure they have full protection against damage due to temperature changes and increased moisture. Regular check-ins can make a significant difference in maintaining your clients’ winter nightscape throughout the season.
Protect Against Moisture and Temperature Changes
Some of the greatest hazards that you’ll come across during the winter months related to the lighting of your clients’ landscape stem from moisture and temperature fluctuations. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination, of course, so you’ll always want to pay very close attention to any power boxes and inspect frequently for any looseness or wires showing. If a power box is not protected from rain or snowfall, the lights could trip on a regular basis and become a nuisance for the homeowner.
RELATED: HOW TO HELP CLIENTS SELECT HARDSCAPE MATERIALS IN YORK, PA
Another reason to check that all is secured, at all times, is the risk of pests. All it would take is a foraging squirrel to damage wires, leaving a potentially dangerous situation for an unsuspecting owner of the property. The additional threat of freezing and thawing of the fixtures due to temperature fluctuations can also cause bulbs to break, so you should check for breakage and damage frequently throughout the winter season. It is incumbent on you to make sure that the setup is safe regardless of snowfall, snow melt, or subzero temps.
Inspect for Blown Lights or Shifted Features
Throughout the winter, winds will blow, which could shift lighting features from their positions. Bulbs themselves can fail, either because of temperature issues or the increased use of power during this season’s prolonged hours of darkness. Remember, as a part of your maintenance efforts, to check the positioning of lighting. You want to maximize the effect of your client’s winter wonderland effect, which will be thrown off if any light is not in the right place.
Remove Snow and Debris
The beauty of snow is matched only by the potential for the nuisance it creates. As you maintain your clients’ landscape, you’ll also want to remove any snow from lighting fixtures, especially those at ground level. When they’re hidden by a layer of snow, these lighting features become tripping hazards for youngsters at play or adults finding their way to the car in the dark morning hours. These lights can also be damaged if they’re obscured during snow shoveling.
RELATED: IMPROVE YOUR CLIENT'S NIGHT TIME OUTDOOR LIVING EXPERIENCE WITH ACCENT LIGHTS IN YORK, PA
As you go about your inspection, clean the screen of the lenses on every light fixture, making sure that the lights shine brightly. Your clients will appreciate the detailed and thorough efforts taken to protect their property’s wintertime nightscape.
Much of winter is spent in darkness, and winter’s surprises can directly impact the features you have added to your clients’ landscape during warmer periods of the year. By making sure that the outdoor lighting continually performs, you’ll retain your clients’ carefully curated nightscape while also building upon your reputation for thoroughness, quality, and attention to detail.
