Optimizing And Updating Your Houston Outdoor Lighting System

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How To Convert Your Houston Outdoor Lighting System From Halogen Into LED

There are numerous reasons why you may want to consider converting your outdoor lighting system to LED lamps from halogen lamps: you might want to reduce your energy bills, or maybe expand your current outdoor lighting system, or perhaps you would just like to reduce the amount of routine maintenance that you need to do. Whatever the case may be, there are no disadvantages to using LED lamps as part of your outdoor lighting system. for inspiration or examples of LED’s used in outdoor lighting systems, take a look at Our Work!

Use LED To Save Money

It is amazing how much your energy bill can be reduced by using LED lamps. Less electricity is used by LED lamps compared to traditional halogen lamps. Typically low-wattage LED outdoor lights use 80-90 percent less electricity compared to halogen systems. The reason why less electricity is used is LED lights reduce your outdoor system’s overall electrical load. For a majority of outdoor lighting systems, when they are converted to LED it takes the load off of the operational costs of the outdoor lighting system. In most cases, The average electrical bill for an outdoor lighting system using LED can be reduced down to $3-$5 a month.

Reduce Routine Maintenance and Lamp Replacement

The overall costs of routine maintenance and replacing lamps are also reduced when you switch over to LED. With halogen systems, lamps must be replaced about once a year. You need to take into consideration the cost of replacing each lamp every year and the cost of every individual lamp. However, if you switch to LED lamps, it eliminates how often you have replaced your system’s lamps. A majority of reputable LED lamps in today’s marketplace are rated to last for 10 years at least and have a 5-year replacement warranty. That is because high quality LED lamps are designed to last. Although LED lamps might be more expensive upfront, they actually pay off very fast. One thing that needs to be noted is that switching over to LED lamp doesn’t completely eliminate needing to service the system and maintain its optimal operating condition.

Provide Your System With More Lights

When your lighting system is converted from halogen lamps over to LED lamps it also takes off an electrical load from your overall lighting system, which allows room for additional lights. Allow me to explain this further. Any lighting system has a set amount of wattage that it can handle, which will depend on the kind of transformer it has. For example, a 300-watt transformer is restricted to being able to support 200 watts without tripping and possibly overloading the system. With halogen systems, 20-35 watts is used by each lamp. With a maximum 260 watt capacity, a halogen system only is able to support 8-13 fixtures or lamps without possibly overloading. Theoretically, if the same 300-watt transformer is taken, and 4 watt LED lamps are used rather than 20-watt halogen lamps, the same system will be able to support 65 fixtures or lamps rather than 13 (when properly designed). If you retrofit your existing halogen system with LED lamps, that will reduce how much electricity is used. When a load is taken off of your system through LED lamps there is more room for adding fixtures without needing a bigger transformer. It is very important to understand there are numerous things that need to be taken into consideration if you would like to add more lights to your system after retrofitting it with LED lamps. Are your lines properly balanced? How will voltage drops affect more lights being added? How long will your wire runs be? Each system is uniquely engineered and needs to be approached in a different way. Consulting with your lighting specialist regarding LED lights as well as other lighting solutions is always a good idea.

Contact us or call today to revolutionize your space.

Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting Helps to Increase the Value of Your Houston Residential Property

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Houston Outdoor Low Voltage Lighting For Your Residential House

Many homeowners are looking for ways to increase their home’s value while also increasing the aesthetic value of their home. Although the homeowner may not intend on selling their home anytime soon, the homeowner including low voltage outdoor lighting can help increase the functionality, look and value of their property. Installing outdoor lighting helps to illuminate walkways and define areas in and around the lawn. Houston residential outdoor lighting will help you determine the best outdoor lighting solutions for your property. We also service commercial properties as well.

Key Areas to Install Residential Lighting

Installing outdoor lighting is one of the best ways to improve the look and functionality of your outdoor areas. One of the prime locations for outdoor lighting is your deck. The low voltage outdoor lights will illuminate and enhance the beauty of a wood deck. Outdoor lighting is designed to illuminate the area without attracting a lot of insects and is durable enough to withstand Houston’s harsh summers and winters. To speak with a professional please call us today.

Creative Lighting Options for Your Deck

There are several lighting options that you can choose for your deck, including recessed deck lights. Although recessed lights tend to be a little more expensive, they can add significant curb appeal and value to your home. Recessed deck lights are made from durable plastic and can be installed in the floor or along the steps of your deck to help illuminate your deck.

Post Cap Lights for Your Deck

If you have a railing around your deck, you may want to add deck post cap lights. These lights add a romantic glow and a decorative touch to your deck. Additionally, the light will illuminate the bottom portion of the post to create interest. Deck post cap lights can be mounted on top of your post or recessed into the top of your posts.

Deck Lanterns

Another option for your deck that can increase the curb appeal and value of your home is deck lanterns. Deck lanterns are a perfect choice if you have a covered deck. Deck lanterns add a touch of class and can be installed in the ceiling instead of plastic patio lights. The lanterns are available in numerous styles, so you will be able to find one that fits perfectly with your home’s exterior.

Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting

Rober Huff Outdoor lighting should only be installed by a Houston residential outdoor lighting specialist. To ensure you get the best fixture possible at an affordable price, you will need to shop around and find reputable sources. Rober Huff has a record of providing homeowners with quality outdoor lighting solutions that maximize the beauty and value of a home.

Outdoor Lighting Options that Match Your Home’s Appearance

A residential home looks best when the outdoor lighting options match the home’s appearance. Choosing the right type of outdoor lighting can help to increase the curb appeal of your home as well as the value of your home. Therefore, it is best to talk to a Houston residential outdoor lighting specialist.

For more information on our Houston residential outdoor lighting services at Robert Huff, contact us today or check out our blog for more related articles.

Top Landscape Lighting Failures In Houston

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All You Need To Know About Landscape Lighting Fails In Houston

1. Glare

Glare produced by bright direct lighting and reflection almost always destroys the ambiance needed for landscape lighting. The main idea behind adding lights to the landscape is to illuminate everything and not be a light source in itself. Ambient lighting in the landscape helps bring every aspect of the same without necessarily having to squint to see what’s there. Reducing glare by using ‘eyelids’ (the mantle surrounding the light fixture opening) is one of the best ways to reduce/block glare from the landscape. To better understand this, glare is produced when the lamp illuminates the landscape and other items directly making it impossible to discern what it is exactly. Nevertheless, using a mantle to prevent direct light but rather product passive illumination in the garden, for instance, help highlight everything properly since glare is eliminated. An ‘eyelid’ almost always comes in handy for this purpose.

2. Lack Of A Proper Plan

You need to have the forethought of how the landscape will look like after designing/installing landscape lighting. Proper planning is therefore needed to ensure the focal points are well illuminated without any glare. This means you need to turn your attention more to the lighting effect and not the fixture itself. Among other factors, you need to consider things such as beam spread and light output before buying any accessory off the shelves. Having more than one lighting fixtures to choose from could also improve your chances of picking the right one for that specific purpose. Light spread and effect should be the core factors to consider when choosing a light fixture. Fixtures with a broad light spread spectrum are mostly recommended for this purpose.

3. Abused/Misused Path Lights

Choosing the right fixture but using it for the wrong purpose or application is most definitely a fail. A good example of this is using path light fixtures in turf areas. This is because path lights cause extensive damage to turf over time. Having light fixtures in turf areas isn’t also recommended as the risk of them getting damaged is high. In addition to this, the lawn is home to dangerous equipment such as hedgers, mowers, and such.

4. Too Much Lighting

Using light fixtures too bright for the need isn’t recommended too. The main goal of having these installed is to illuminate the home for security and beauty but not to irritate your neighbors. If you can see your home several streets away, then the lighting is too much. Avoid lighting every architectural feature or tree, but rather only use the right ambiance for the same. Professionals in landscape lighting in Houston recommend less lighting for the best effect.

5. Less Than Enough Budget

Working with an inadequate budget for outdoor lighting will most likely mean low-quality lighting. This is because you will be forced to work with inferior light fixtures, hence a shoddy job. Although you may have a wide assortment of fixtures to choose from, only a few are meant for this sole purpose. Some of the fixtures may seem handy now, but not be able to last for long enough. Some of these are meant for temporary fixtures and not long-term use. Although they may seem cheap, you are more likely to spend much more on repairs as compared to what you would have spent on quality fixtures.

To learn more about outdoor home lighting Houston TX Services,  check out our website and our blog. For questions or concerns, please Call us now.

 

Save Money With Outdoor LED Landscape Lighting For Your Houston Home

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Learn How You Can Use Outdoor LED Lighting To Save Money

LED is short for a light-emitting diode. It’s among the more energy-efficient options you have for modern lighting. The efficiency of them makes them quite appealing to many homeowners, and things continue to improve as the technology matures. LED lights aren’t some fad that’s overhyped or going to disappear from the market in the near future, so a lot of homeowners are now confident that they can maintain and even replace LED systems when need be in the future.

How Do LED Lights Differ From Other Lights?

Per the United States Department of Energy, there are a number of distinct features of LED lights that make them quite different from incandescent lights and even other options that are newer, such as CFLs, or compact fluorescent bulbs. To start with, every light-emitting diode is really minuscule in size, like the size of an actual grain of ground pepper. Diodes of various hues combine together in a single light to create the color of white. Altering this mixture of colors allows LED lights to have different tints.

Secondly, it’s quite easy to control the light direction using LED systems. That minimizes your need for shades or reflectors, which sometimes prove to be fire hazards or get too hot if they’re paired with conventional incandescent bulbs. If you have installations such as recessed lighting, LEDs prove to be an ideal choice. If an incandescent bulb is used in such a lighting system, then a fraction of its light gets lost from being reflected into a particular direction, which increases how much energy is necessary for the lighting of that space.

LEDs also get noticeably cooler as compared to CFLs or incandescents. That coolness means they’re safer for you to handle, and it’s also symptomatic of their energy efficiency. On the flip side, incandescent bulbs release nearly 90 percent of their energy simply as heat, and it’s still 80 percent for CFLs.

Also, an LED bulb’s lifespan is about 50,000 hours. In contrast, incandescent lights only last around 1,200 hours. This shorter lifespan drives up the cost in the long run since incandescent bulbs have to be replaced far more frequently.

Landscape Lighting Demands Robust Fixture Quality

LEDs often prove ideal for exterior lighting due to their lack of heat, low maintenance, efficiency, and long-running cost-effectiveness. So, what do homeowners need to look out for if they plan to make the switch to this kind of lighting for their entertainment areas, walkways, yards, and porches or decks? The need to make sure that they don’t just settle for the cheapest possible fixture choices. LED bulbs can last a very long time, but an outdoor fixture has to be constructed to be sturdy and durable so it can withstand the elements.

Want a hint of the expected hardiness? Check out the warranty length. Stainless steel, aluminum, and brass fixtures are usually higher in price than plastic choices, but they’re also in better shape to put up with what mother nature is going to throw at them. If you need outdoor landscape lighting in Houston, make sure to consider, the best outdoor lighting company in Houston.

Comparing LEDs To Compact Fluorescent Lights

CFL bulbs certainly prove to be a rational upgrade above incandescent bulbs when talking about efficiency. Since fluorescent lights typically fit into conventional incandescent fixtures, they’re not that much of an initial investment. They certainly offer you savings on your utilities, but CFLs do have a big downside, and that is mercury. When a fluorescent bulb breaks, it’s often troublesome to clean things up given the gases, but this isn’t an issue with LEDs, so they might make a safer choice if you’re renting any temporary fabric structures.

One final thing to take into consideration is a light’s expected look. LED options can honestly prove disappointing here. Incandescent bulbs often have a rather warm look. Homeowners might expect to get that same attractive glow from even other types of lights. On the other hand, the light from LEDs might seem harsher. They can also emit blue-hued rays which aren’t always expected by people new to this kind of lighting. Fortunately, those that develop LED technology are working on mixing different combinations of the various diodes so that they might mimic incandescents so they offer more various looks.

Get The Right Look By Using Color Temperature

Buyers need to know that new LED lights mean comparing many different options. Your local home improvement store might even have a display at the end of an aisle that demonstrates the different possibilities. At a minimum, the box of each bulb should offer a color description covering the light style emitted by the bulb. Color temperature helps predict just what bulbs are going to look like if they’re turned on.

Call us now or contact us today for more information on starting or finishing a new or existing outdoor lighting project!

Outdoor Lighting For Your Houston Home Part 2

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Coming Up With A Plan For Your Outdoor Lighting With The Top Outdoor Lighting Company In Houston TX

When it comes to outdoor home lighting in Houston TX, Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting has a lot of great options available. We will create a beautiful outdoor space by coming up with a plan before installing the lighting.

Start by identifying the areas of your yard or garden that you want to illuminate. From there, decide how much light each area requires. For instance, an outdoor deck or a driveway will most likely need brighter light than a small flower bed that is located off to the side of your yard. 120 V lighting, which is typically required for decks, patios, garages, and other areas with bright outdoor lighting, should be professionally installed since it can be dangerous to work with that much electricity. Make sure that any outdoor light fixtures are UL-listed and that they are designed to be used outdoors.

Areas where less light is required such as pathways usually require a lot less power. Because these smaller types of lighting only require 12 to 15 V, the cords can usually just be plugged into outdoor outlets, making them quick and easy to install. Because the installation process is so easy, you can do it yourself without the need to hire someone to do it for you.

Coming Up With A Lighting Layout

Once you have a better idea of the different types of lighting that you need, you can then go on to the next step in the planning process, which involves creating a map of your outdoor space.

Get Inspired

One great way to get inspired is by driving through your neighborhood and checking out how other nearby houses are lit. Take note of any lighting that you find particularly attractive. For instance, if you see a house that has beautiful pathway lighting, jot down a few notes about how it is laid out so that you can re-create a similar look for your home.

Write It All Down

As you evaluate your landscape, write down notes about the different types of lighting that you want to install at each location. Try not to use the same type of lighting for everything. Mix-and-match lighting styles to create a well-rounded, diverse design.

Map It Out On Paper

To get a better idea of the overall lighting plan, consider mapping it out on graph paper. Start by drawing an outline of your house to scale on the paper. Then, draw in any large elements of your landscape such as trees, flower beds, or driveways. Make sure to jot down notes about where your outdoor outlets are located and where your breaker box is mounted.

Experiment With A Flashlight

Before you invest in light fixtures for your outdoor space, try experimenting with a flashlight to create different lighting looks. This can help you decide what style of lighting you want in each location. For instance, if you are considering using a spotlight on a tree, place a powerful flashlight at the base of the tree pointing upward. This will help give you an idea of how the spotlight might look after it is installed so that you can decide whether or not it is the right choice for that part of your yard.

As you put together your plan, make sure to think about your neighbors. Avoid pointing any lights in their direction or installing lighting that could be distracting. When installing pathway lights, space them far enough apart that your sidewalk or pathway doesn’t look like a landing strip.

Finally, when choosing outdoor fixtures, make sure that they work well with the architectural style of your house. Make sure to check out the top outdoor home lighting Houston tx company in town!

If you would like more information about the services that Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting offers, check out our website. For immediate assistance call us at (713)-861-2000

Outdoor Lighting For Your Houston Home Part 1

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Outdoor Home Lighting Introduction With The Best Outdoor Lighting Company In Houston TX

The lighting that you choose for the outside of your home is extremely important. Not only can lighting be used to accentuate key features of your outdoor space but it also can make it easier to enjoy your yard after dark. Whether you want to hold get-togethers with friends or simply sit outside and enjoy the quiet sounds of the evening, having good lighting is essential. This basic introduction to outdoor lighting will help you design and implement a lighting plan for your outdoor space, allowing you to create a beautifully lit landscape that you love. For quick outdoor home lighting Houston tx services, contact Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting Today.

A Closer Look At The Types Of Outdoor Fixtures

There are a lot of different styles of outdoor lighting available. From small path lights that are designed to make it easier to navigate outdoor spaces after dark to spotlights that are designed to create focal points in your landscape, it is important to incorporate a number of different lighting styles in your design. Here are some of the most popular outdoor fixtures that you can choose from:

Entryway Lights

These lights are usually mounted on the wall or overhead near your entry doors. Typically, they have bright bulbs that help illuminate the space, making it safe to get from your driveway to your entryway after dark. Ideally, you should choose a light fixture that has a frosted glass or a shade that helps direct the light downward so that you don’t get blinded as you walk toward your door.

Recessed Lighting

Recessed light fixtures are a great option for places where you need overhead illumination but don’t want to install a bulky light fixture. These fixtures are completely hidden since they sit flush with the surface of the ceiling. They work well when installed in deck roofs or under the eaves of your house or garage.

Floodlights

These lights get their name because of their ability to flood an area with light. That makes them the perfect choice for anywhere that you need a lot of light. They are great for lighting up your driveway or for accentuating important areas of your yard or garden.

Pathway Lighting

Path lights usually give off a small amount of light and are designed to help define and illuminate sidewalks or pathways.

Spotlights

These lights provide a more focused area of light than floodlights, making them a great choice for highlighting smaller focal points in your yard or garden.

Buried Fixtures

Some landscape lights are buried partway under the ground, with the light directed upward. Typically, these fixtures are used to help draw attention to features in your yard such as trees or shrubs.

Decorative Lights

String lights and other types of decorative hanging lights can be used to accentuate your space, providing beautiful accents and helping to create a magical atmosphere.

 

These are some different types of light fixtures you may want to consider. For the rest of this article please click here. If you would like more information about the services that Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting offers, check out our website. For immediate assistance call us at (713)-861-2000

Creating Your Lighting Floor Plan For Your Houston Home

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Considerations For Your Houston Lighting Floor Plan

Can you really live with those lights the way they are?

There are not many ways to perfectly design lighting. However, unfortunately, there is almost an infinite number of ways that a bad job can be done. That doesn’t really seem fair, but that is what the reality is.

One of the most obvious signs that disaster is imminent is when somebody says, “hey you know what I think would look great over there?” Although we would all love to equate creativity and spontaneity to artistic flair and talent, the truth of the matter is that it takes planning to achieve the right lighting design. This is true for both Houston residential outdoor lighting as well as indoor lighting.

A clear understanding is needed of the dimensions of the room, sources of natural lights (including daily exposure), the kind of furniture that will be in the room, the actual use of the room, and the various ceiling heights in each location. Living rooms or dining rooms that have vaulted ceils have needs that are completely different to the ones for a home office or den when it comes to lighting needs.

Safety First

However, that’s not all, since the individual who does the design and layout will need to know what type of power is available for sustaining the design, and whether or not there will need to be wiring upgrades. Keep in mind, Robert Huff Illuminations as certified electrical installers on staff. We do not cut corners and ensure that your installation is up to code (or even higher) and is completely safe.

Common Errors

It is difficult to blame customers for making mistakes whenever they purchase LED bulbs randomly in stores. Bulbs that have various Kelvin Temperatures look similar when lit. When you look at a bare bulb, it is practically impossible to differentiate between them other than noticing the differences in brightness.

Each Assignment Is Unique

In reality, they will, of course, be different, compared to when you are looking at them on a monitor screen since it has a bias all its own built-in already. However, the human eye is able to literally see millions of different colors, and when the human eye is trained it can recognize which colors complement one another. So lighting design is actually much more complex than you might have initially thought.

Our Knowledge Protects You

Our designs have the right knowledge to choose the right colors; they also know how to choose the right fixtures so that your lighting goals can be achieved. They know to avoid the huge influx of cheap LED lightbulbs ha recently have flooded the retail marketplace. We use only similarly priced, high-quality bulbs that last 50,000 to 100,000 hours. There are no advantages to using planned-obsolescence, short-life LED bulbs, that have been designed for sustaining the constant replacement market that has been relied on since the 1880s by the bulb manufacturers.

However, most importantly, our installers, technicians, and designers know how to ensure that the right power supply is available and can support the design in a manner that will be approved. It is your home, so that is why it must be completely safe, and you need to have real experts who have years worth of practical experience.

The proof is that every year we make sure to invest in Continuing Education hours for our designers, installers, and technicians. We have the most knowledgeable team around. We promise you that.

The Main Takeaway

There are numerous reasons why people may decide to undertake this type of job on their own. On the surface level, it doesn’t appear to be that hard. There is the perception as well that money can be saved.

If there is one thing all of our experience has been able to teach it is that it is more cost-effective and faster to have an expert do a job right the first time than it is trying to repair something that didn’t meet the goals, specifications or didn’t come out the way you wanted it to. Let us prove to you that we are your best option. We guarantee it.

Contact or call us today for further information.

Residential Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Your Houston Home

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Houston Residential Outdoor Lighting Designs

Our passion is residential outdoor lighting Houston. Here, we are always trying out new ideas that are both innovative and creative. They show off the beauty of the great outdoors. Come, explore our ideas on residential lighting to get inspiration for your next design.

Bring The Inside Outside

A lot of our contemporary lighting fixtures appear to look much like the stylish indoor lighting you’re used to. From pendant lights to modern floor lamps and even drop lights, we can help you to design and create your own ideal outdoor lights. Your outdoor area will look both chic and unique. If you have a design aesthetic that you want to show off, you may want to focus on some of this inspiration.

Consider Both Safety And Security

With our innovative designs, you don’t have to sacrifice your safety for style. There is a way to get the best of both worlds. Consider LED lights along the path. Your guests will appreciate being able to see along the way. Your architectural lighting and landscape can all double as security lighting on your property. this way, intruders will be seen and your family and friends can navigate to and from your home safely.

Set The Mood

What mood do you want your outdoor space to show? Quiet? Fun and exciting? How about relaxing? Regardless of whether you’re hosting the most fabulous pool party, or just relaxing in the great outdoors, you can still create the ideal ambiance with your outdoor lighting. There are many great adjustable solutions that will allow you to design your outdoors and set the mood. We can help you to design the ideal outdoor spaces.

Remember: Less is Always More

When it comes to residential lighting, less is always more. You don’t need the brightest or the largest, you simply need to subtly accent the best features in your outdoor areas. You can use simple lighting which is far more effective at showing off your yard. Designers can assist you in your lighting as you go.

Call or contact us today with any questions you might have. Visit our blog for more outdoor lighting tips and tricks.

Reasons To Hire A Professional Outdoor Lighting Company In Houston

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Why Hire A Professional Houston Outdoor Lighting Company

Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting is a Houston outdoor lighting company with over 20 years of experience in the exterior lighting industry. We have seen and worked with it all; from the hippest fixtures and trendy installation techniques to the latest in lighting technology. We strive to stay ahead of the rest by ensuring that we are abreast with the current trends in the industry; that’s how we manage to be and remain the best exterior lighting experts in Houston.
Lighting has become an increasingly popular décor option, something that has seen a rise in various companies such as landscapers and pool construction companies include it in their services. Working with such companies may not be such a bad option since you already have them working on something else, but they may not deliver the very best lighting installation. As such, we highly recommend working with experts in exterior lighting and here’s why:

• Design When it comes to architectural landscape lighting systems, the primary objective is the accentuation of the property. The lighting system will inject vibrant architecture with various color and texture options that ensure a well-distributed illumination with no dark spots. An inadequately done system design will result in uneven illumination that leave certain areas of the home with no light. A proficient outdoor lighting designer from Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting knows which fixtures work best where to give the perfect lighting presentation.

• Fixtures Outdoor lighting fixtures differ in their form and function. Some may offer dim lighting while others may have a high output; other may work in harsh environments with no issues, and some can even last for years. We are always keen on the products we use to ensure everything is of the highest quality, runs on low voltage and of the best lighting tech such as LED fixtures with everything done based on a design that lasts for years. We recommend LED lighting because it is made of nontoxic materials, generates an array of pleasing colors, and offers an extended bulb life.

• Service And maintenance over the 20 years of working in the exterior lighting industry, we know and appreciate the need for a proactive maintenance of outdoor lighting. It is the only way that ensures the lighting systems look and perform at their peak levels. Normal outdoor activities such as gardening and mowing the lawn will disrupt or damage the lighting system. Therefore, you should hire a Houston outdoor lighting company that understands the need for periodic maintenance as part of their services. That is what we at Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting strive to offer all our clients in Houston because we take great pride in the performance of our exterior lighting systems.

Call for more information today.

The History On Christmas Lights By Robert Huff Illumination

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An Introduction to the History of Christmas Tree Lights

Have you ever wondered about the history of Christmas lights? You probably understand that electricity was not around at the birth of Jesus; so, when did the populace begin associating electrical lights with the birth of the Savior?

Christmas Lights Began with Fire

Christmas lights, also known as fairy lights, are used around the world in Christmas displays and decoration during the holiday season. The tradition started when Christmas trees were lit using candles. The light from these candles was to symbolize Christ as the “light of the world.”

Early Germans (1500 to 1800) were the first people to bring Christmas trees indoor and decorate them with candles. However, because the candles used to light the Christmas trees posed a fire hazard, Christmas trees were not brought into the home until a couple of days before Christmas and immediately disposed of following the holidays. The Germans attached the candles to the Christmas tree using either melted wax or pins.

The danger associated with using candles was so great that Christians would keep constant watch and have buckets of water or sand on hand to douse the tree should a fire occur. Additionally, the candles were only allowed to burn 15 to 30 minutes before they were extinguished.

Additionally, Christians placed candles in their windows to let passersby know that a Christian resided in the home. These candles were an invitation for other Christians to enter the home and worship with them. Finally, Yule Logs were used in Germany as early as 1184.

Early Christmas celebration often used Yule Logs, Christmas trees lit with candles and candle in the windows; however, light has played an important role in Winter festivals even before the birth of Jesus.

During the winter solstice, fire and light were used. Lighting fires and candles during the darkest day of the year not only provided warmth but was also thought to encourage warmth and light to return from the Sun.

The Invention of Modern Christmas Lights

Thomas Edison was an inventor, showman, and businessman. He would entertain investors and businessmen on the first floor of the Menlo Park Laboratory with his phonograph concerts. Additionally, Thomas Edison was the first person to ever use electric Christmas lights during the holidays.

Edison kept an incandescent light bulb burning for thirteen and a half hours in 1879. Later the same year, he was able to invent bulbs that continued to burn brightly for more than forty hours.

By the Christmas holiday of 1880, Edison hung the first electric Christmas lights in his home and around the Menlo Park Laboratory. According to an article in the New York Times on December 21, 1880, Edison hosted a private exhibition for approximately forty gentlemen, including those in the New York City government, to explain the principles behind his electric lights and showcase his display.

While the purpose of the private exhibition was about business and replacing the city’s current gas lights with new electric one, many reported that they were impressed that the glass globes were shiny and clean. The 800 lights used was a sight to behold, according to attendees.

Many have debated whether Edison’s original intent was to associate his electric lights with Christmas; however, the timing of the introduction of these strings of electric lights made people associate them with Christmastime.

At the end of his demonstration, he held a private phonograph concert and a meal featuring roasted turkey, duck, ham and chicken salad.

It wasn’t long until Edward H. Johnson, Edison’s partner, used these electrical lights to eliminate his own Christmas tree. Eighty red, white and blue lights were hand-wired and strung on to his Christmas tree. Mr. Johnson’s illuminated Christmas tree was visible through the windows in his home and crowds would gather outside to witness this electrical engineering feat.

Nowadays, Christmas tree lights are used to illuminate homes, windows, villages and Christmas trees around the world. In Texas, Houston Christmas lighting is one of the most important things. Those bright, twinkling lights are found throughout the city both inside the homes and outdoors, signaling the beginning of the holiday season.

For more lighting tips, tricks, and trends call or contact Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting today!