A Basic Guide to Outdoor Lighting

The actual design of an outdoor lighting system is determined by the site characteristics, the landscape effect desired its function, and the homeowner’s personal tastes.

Most hardware stores and home improvement centers sell low voltage kits with a built-in transformer and a timer which lets you determine when the lighting is activated or deactivated.

The transformers use 120-volt current, which is standard in nearly all households. The transformer then converts the current to 12 volts resulting in a safe and economical power source.

A GFCI receptacle will be required to install low lighting. Most homes don’t have these receptacles and it will be necessary to have a licensed, qualified electrician to install one.
Before starting to dig, it’s absolutely necessary to contact your local utility companies (gas and electric) to make sure that you will not cut any existing underground cables or piping.

The first planning requirement involves deciding which type of outdoor lighting you will install. There are basically five from which to select.

Up-lights: These lights provide ground level illumination with the lights pointed up. The purpose of the up-light is to highlight points in the landscape, such as trees, and other architectural features. Up-light fixtures include spot and flood lights as well as in-ground fixtures.

Backlights: Back-lighting can create a very dramatic effect when done with taste. Be sure not to use overpowering back-lighting because it may result in a “Halloween effect”. The basic idea of back-lighting is to strategically place a lighting fixture behind an object such as a statue or even a small plant. This object or plant should be fairly close to an outside wall. The goal is to use this fixture, such as a spot light or a floodlight or even an in-ground light, to create a silhouette on the wall. The fixture should be out of sight to provide some “magic” to the desired effect.

Path lights: One of the most common (and dramatic) uses of outdoor lighting is to create a guide on either side of a path or walkway or even a driveway. Besides providing an appealing decorative look, path lighting can be a safety feature, keeping visitors from wandering off the lighted area. Unlike most other outdoor lighting, path lights should be placed above ground (but fairly low) and should be the kind that spreads the light with a gentle glowing effect. Don’t use too many path lights in a particular area to avoid an “airline runway” look. The lights should be strategically placed with understatement being the operational consideration.

Down lights : Spotlights and floodlights can be used to illuminate an entryway such as a rear door or an entrance to a bordered garden area or even over a gazebo. Unlike a path light, a down light should not be seen so that a natural lighting effect is achieved. Besides providing a decorative effect, down-lighting offers security for areas, deterring most intruders

Specialty lights: Creativity is the key to the use of specialty lighting. The goal in using this lighting is to create a magical and inviting mood to an area. If you have a rock garden or an area with water and perhaps even a waterfall, strategically placed lighting can highlight these landscaping features and provide a very dramatic nighttime effect. Remember, specialty lighting is limited only by the homeowner’s creativity. There are a variety of home and garden magazines on the market and some very innovative uses of specialty lighting can be found by perusing a few of these periodicals.

Before beginning the installation phase, be sure to match the areas to be illuminated with the style and types of lighting fixtures that you will use. Don’t be reluctant to visit neighbors who use outdoor lighting and ask what they selected in terms of lighting fixtures. This may involve several trips to other neighborhoods but these trips will certainly be worth the effort. Although you will be paying night time visits, a polite and sincere introduction to the homeowner with a word of two of flattery will no doubt provide you with an invitation to look at the work that they have done and most will be more than willing to share their secrets with you.

Most outdoor lighting is either four or seven watts. Keep in mind that these lights are designed to highlight a fairly small area with the goal of providing understated intimacy. If the area you plan to illuminate is fairly large, you may want to purchase a few more lights than you expect will do the job. You can always return the extras for a refund. The lighting specialist at the store can help you select the right transformer and may suggest you buy one that can accommodate the additional wattage you may need if you decide to expand your outdoor lighting later on.

Rather than just jump into grabbing that shovel and starting to work, remember why they include instruction booklets with toys, etc. that need to be assembled. What I’m getting at is that you need a written plan from which to work. While this may be a time-consuming part of the project, it will pay dividends as you begin the actual work. Many homeowners who jumped right into installing outdoor lighting, ended up having to do much of it over again as they found that their mental plans didn’t yield the same benefits that a carefully laid-out written plan did. Another advantage to putting it in writing is that you may discover additional areas that could benefit from outdoor lighting as you move along. The written plan will allow you to note this so that you can revisit the area to install the additional lighting.

With all the preliminary work completed, you will be ready to start the actual project. Although there are a variety of approaches that can be used, one of the most effective is to refer to your plan and lay the lighting fixtures at the area where they will be installed. Some of the lighting fixtures such as path lights will include a detachable stake that you will use to anchor the fixture into the ground. A common mistake some homeowners make is to attempt to drive these stakes into hard soil. In today’s market, most lighting fixtures and accessories are made of plastic. While the plastic stake may be made of high-grade material, driving it into hard soil or a soil-clay mixture may result in the stake breaking. It’s often difficult if not impossible to find a replacement stake and the homeowner may end up “biting the bullet” by having to purchase another complete lighting fixture. To avoid this potential pitfall, you can do one of two things. First, you can use a spade to loosen the soil and then pack it down firmly. It’s often not necessary to loosen the soil to the complete length of the stake. Try loosening it about ¾ of the length of the stake. Generally, with a good start, the stake will not be damaged when fully inserted. Second, you can water the area liberally the day before you begin the project. If the soil is very dense, use a pitchfork or similar tool to create irrigation holes. You may find it necessary to repeat the watering process several times.

With the soil prepared, place the lighting fixtures where they will be installed. At the GFCI fixture, run the cable to each of the lights. Don’t run the cable so that it’s tight because you may decide to reposition your lighting fixtures at a later date. Most lighting fixtures have instructions that indicate how they are to be attached to the cable. This is usually a fairly simple process that doesn’t even involve the use of any tools.

After separating the end of the cable, strip off about ½ inch of insulation and attach the wires to the proper terminals on the transformer. You are now ready to see if the lighting circuit is working. Turn on the plugged-in transformer and then look at each light to make sure it’s working. Bury the cable as you install the light fixtures. Four or five inches will do in terms of the depth the cable should be buried.

The last step is to set the timer to come on at the right time and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Author’s Disclaimer

The information contained in this article is written by a non-certified and non-qualified electrician. I take no responsibility for any injury or other accidents or damage to equipment that may occur as a result of following any of the information contained herein. If you have any doubts about your ability to follow these directions or to safely install your outdoor lighting, I strongly urge you to hire a qualified professional electrician to do the job.

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Car Repair Diagnostic System

When it pertains to car repairing, one should have a correct understanding of the car repair software. Usually speaking, there are 2 kinds of software that are used for handling the front workplace or for diagnostics. Discussing diagnostic software, it includes repair regimens and troubleshooting details. If you are interested in advanced diagnostic devices, you can go for specialized software. A ceramic coating will provide you with better new car paint protection process than any sealant or wax while enhancing the gloss and keeping your car cleaner longer.

Computerized details system

Bulk of car repair work centers nowadays have some type of computerized information system that plays an essential duty in repairs and diagnostics. The uncomplicated form of this is a desktop with a set of CDs and DVDs containing repair routines, requirements and various other details.

It is the obligation of a technician to feed the year and car model into the system so that certain details can be checked later. There are lots of software programs that have blown up view diagrams and wiring.

Variations

There are variety of variants of this basic software associated with car repair. It has actually been seen that great deals of company offer these details with the aid of Net. When this holds true, technician has to pay a regular monthly fee to access the present details. Exact same services offer crucial repair routines and bulletins that have been produced by the specialists. For all your car repair work requirements, Platinum Car Service is the method to go.

You can get the software for diagnostic instrument and dedicated scanner. You would be surprised to understand that couple of programs have a capacity to turn the system into a scan device.

Front office software

When it concerns car repair work software, front office software is also rather preferred amongst specialist. The main function of this software is to approximate flat rate. This kind of software enables technician to feed a model of a car in order to come up with a time frame that will be needed for the repair.

Informative Pointer For Celebration Food catering

Everybody likes a social event, but if you are the one throwing it, you could have your job eliminated with the event catering. Below are our leading pointers for intending party catering. The tea is a twist on the classic Biscuiteers confectionery afternoon tea and includes a Christmas pudding macaron, mini frangipane mince pie and, of course, plenty of festive-themed iced biscuits are good to include in your Christmas party ideas.

Ensure that you have good enough hardware, as well as if you don t, either obtain it or hire it. You need to ensure that you have an enough supply of plates, cutlery, glasses and pots and pans. If you are merely giving a cold buffet you could utilize throwaway plastic cutlery as well as paper plates, however you could t actually giving, state, a chilli con carne on paper plates. It indicates a great deal of cleaning up later on, china and correct flatware is much nicer to make use of.

If you are doing very hot dishes, keep in mind that you probably only have 4 hobs on your oven and also one stove, so you could t overdo it with the variety of warm meals.
If you are cooking very hot food, use a few one-pot meals together with something like rice or potatoes that could opt for both.

If you are visiting cook spicy meals, Indian or Thai, for example, remember that not everyone likes hot spices, so see to it that recipe is light. Be sure to permit for something that charms to vegetarians if you do not understand the food preferences of all of your visitors. The benefit of a one-pot meal is that it can be cooked beforehand, and also left to simmer on the hob, or kept warm in the oven.

One great pointer to remember is that at a celebration most meals will certainly be consumed with a fork or spoon, and also making use of one hand. Avoid having points that should be reduced with a blade, unless you have ample tables as well as chairs for every one of your guests to sit down and eat.

For a chilly buffet you should take into consideration that individuals usually take a little bit of everything, so it is best to stay clear of flavors that argue. You actually want a centrepiece, such as a gammon, or salmon, that you can serve on your own, or that visitors could cut to the dimension of their option.

Make different types of salads, such as a tomato salad, potato tossed salad, or a noodles tossed salad. Try to prevent factors such as a plate of crisps or nuts; certainly, it s very easy to open up a packet, however it doesn t appearance appetising.

For desserts, provide things like a bowl of blackberries, raspberries or other soft fruits. Melon portions and also pineapple are consistently a good selection. Offer with dual, or clotted cream.

If you are providing a hot dessert, such as an apple pie, or something comparable that you can take out of the oven, once more giving with dual cream, because you don t intend to be in the kitchen making custard.

Try to enhance your giving table with something original. You could possibly use sprigs of herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or chives if you expand them. You might additionally have a luxuriant floral screen at the rear of the table. It is most ideal to have the table up versus a wall surface, unless you have a large room.

For drinks, remember that not everyone beverages alcoholic beverages, so you require some sodas readily available. You could additionally find that or more visitors like a favorite or coffee. Make certain that beers, white wines, sparkling wine and so on are cooled completely. Nothing is much worse than space temperature sparkling wine. You likewise require a sufficient supply of ice for folks to put in points like gin and tonic, whisky, vodka, etc.

Broaching sparkling wine, this is one of the most inexpensive methods to serve beverages. As opposed to offering spirits, if you merely provide sparkling wine it will excite your visitors. You will discover that many people could not drink even more compared to 2 glasses, so it can function out a lot less pricey compared to supplying spirits.

If you intend on giving cocktails, these could be comprised in advance in jugs, instead of mixing them as you go.

Attempt to make certain that as much as feasible is prepared in advance. As opposed to investing your time in the kitchen area, this could enable you to join your guests and also enjoy on your own. Simply due to the fact that you are holding the celebration, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a good time.

International Wedding Food Trends With Buffet Services

Have a wedding in your home and still in confusion for the food part. One of the all the activity taking place food is the essential one of the grand happening of one’s life. From organizing to follow up of served food be it table served or Buffet system Wedding Food Catering need to be paid attention to. From decoration to presentation consider the following ideas for the marriage ceremony of your life. Since cocktail parties are usually only a couple of hours long and do not require a sit-down meal, it is a low stakes way of hosting a fancy or casual get together.

Love for local item: Local offered item can create memorable meal and inspire the menu. Source ingredients from wedding locals and make them the focal point of the presented eatable. Singapore based wedding where all liquor & sodas were offered locally, it was great to give a nod to local marketers and exposes guests to some new items. Guests will surely love the taste of getting through each sip. Additionally to being vital to agriculture, choosing eatables season wise that locally sound good for menu & is the most flavorful way to enjoy the eatables. Going season will require giving up on menu control since cater won’t be able to guarantee the availability of ingredients for the wedding date. Trust and remember that a seasoned caterer wills equally appetizer with substituted dish that you had your heart set on.

Perfect match: During the cocktail hour or at the desk favorite dishes shrunk down to bite-size canapes accompanied by mini sips will definitely delight guests. Some miniature ideas such as consider taco crostinis with margaritas in patron nips, sliders with mini mugs of craft beers, grilled cheese finger, etc. Shrink your dessert too with late night serving cookie chippers and shots of flavored milk.

Presentation Perfection: International Buffet Catering in Singapore is great ice breaker that allow guest to strike into conversation and no stand up in line. Take up cater and idea with cart wheeled by chef to guest during the eating hour of the event. Want something interactive, have a press for champagne framed doorbell sign that guests can ring to request waiter to hand them a glass of bubbly. Expert says even dessert has also become more of an experience. Have a tasty dessert after a fine course plated dinner or at luncheon.

Creative Cakes: Since it is a wedding day. Cake need to be the center of attraction after brief and groom. Classic cakes are delicious you don’t have to stick to tradition. Modern day couples are more into daring cake designs and leaving shyness away from the real traditional looks. Lot of black, and mixed metallic design which are both quite stunning wedding cakes with cherry on top. Consider mismatch, colorful creation or having small tiered cakes instead. It makes for decadent display giving cake designer multiple canvases to create new multiple flavors, and cake fillings. When it comes to design part, shape, pattern and texture have been inspiring look. Definitely trying and finding new lot of inspiration in cake design.

Serve your guest with different point of view offering unique dessert installation or re-create classic dessert in an entirely new way for the guest invited on the happening.

Visionary Artist Viewing the Future

I first met Rochleigh Z. Wholfe at Freida L. Wheaton Salon 53 grand opening “Home is where the art is” and fell in love with her bold work, spirit-infused life, and clear view of art as a business. This concept board frames artist Sydney helps adding story in our storyboard as guide in creating films.

Janet: Rochleigh, what does the “Z” stand for in your name? Not too many of those around.

RZW: “Z” stands for motivation towards receiving true information. My name was given to me based on an ancient system of astrology and numerology from one of my first spiritual mentors in Los Angeles in 1975.

THE QUESTION OF PLACE: ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI TO ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Janet: Rochleigh, you came to St. Louis from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area in May 2005. Can you say what this time-about two and a half years-has been like for you?

RZW: Janet, my move back to St. Louis was a return…a 360 degree turn from where I began…where I was born and raised. I needed to do some ancestoral work in St. Louis and take care of my father’s estate.

However my assignment here in St. Louis is completed. My creative spirit is calling me to expand and to move out to continue my exploration of the world. I’m ready to share the gifts that I have received here in St. Louis and well as my previous gifts that I received from my experiences in graduate school at New College of California in San Francisco.

I’ve closed the book on this part of my life, and going to Asheville is opening a brand new chapter in a brand new book.

Janet: You have strong ties and feelings about St. Louis and you’ve powerfully expressed some of these in your painting “Revisioning St. Louis.” How did this painting come about and what response have you gotten from it?

RZW: This piece was in a show last year called “The Girls of Summer.” It came out of a meditative experience focused on the healing of St. Louis. Through this healing arose this healing angel who helps bring unity throughout the metropolitan St. Louis community. I see it as embracing the diverse religious, ethnic, racial, cultural groups that call St. Louis home.

Quite often the paint brush takes on a life of its own. As I am creating images, it appears I am creating one thing and when I am finished something totally different appears on the canvas. This is what happened in “Revisioning St. Louis.” I thought I was going to be painting the skyline of Downtown St. Louis with the arch in the background. That is part of the painting, but there is also Cahokia Mounds to the left and Forest Park to the right with the universal symbols arched over like a rainbow.That was not what I originally envisioned.

People asked if the angel was me or not. I said, “No, rather the angel is part of the Collective Consciousness here in St. Louis that represents our need for healing and unity.” Quite often people say they can feel the spirit in my work.

PREGNANT WITH NEW WORK: THREE VISIONARY BODIES TO BE BORN

Janet: Rochleigh, you’ve said that you feel new work coming, and some of this work may be in the form of installations. Women artists often voice this feeling as being pregnant with a body of work. Could you tell us how this feels for you and how you’ll pursue it once you get settled in your new home?

RZW: Recently I had a conversation with an artist friend in Washington D.C. Januwa Moja, a well-known textile artist who designed many of the costumes for Sweet Honey and the Rock. We spoke about what it means to be at this stage in our lives, which I refer to as “The Empress.” Women in there 40s, 50s, and 60s begin to be aware of a new power within them and we talked about Legacy Mode and what that really means for us at this time. What kind of legacy as women are we going to leave to the world? It’s a realization that not only have we have arrived at this place of power and knowing, and we take we’re involved in more seriously. That’s how I am feeling now.

I’m pregnant with three bodies of work: “Gullah Woman,” “Seven Women,” and “The Legacy of the Dress.”

A friend in Rock Hill, South Carolina just recently opened a gallery; the focus of the work in this gallery will be about women and the power and beauty that women have brought and offered to the world. She too is an artist and we have talked about working collaboratively on a show called “Gullah Woman.”

The second body of work “Seven Women” springs in part from thinking about a workshop I attended at St. Mary’s College in Oakland, California in 2003 where Barbara Ann Holmes, author of Race and Cosmology. She read a poem at the end of her presentation about a lesser-known Biblical Woman named Rispa (Samuel II) who was a concubine of Saul.

Because of Rispa’s humility, integrity and courage, she influenced the decision of a king. Rispa sat from April until October at the site where the bodies of her two sons had been left hanging and were denied proper burial by King David. Rispa sat there day and night graciously dealing with the elements, fighting the wild beasts from the air and the ground to protect the remains of her two dead sons. All she had was a sack cloth to sit on during the day to cover her at night. King David was so moved by Rispa’s dedication that he ordered her sons to be removed and given proper burial. Rispa is is one of the women who I’ll include in the installation I’m planning called “Seven Women.”

The third body of work is “The Legacy of the Dress” which could be subtitled, “If this dress could talk.” Can you imagine a dress worn by Princess Diana? Can you imagine what a dress might have felt and seen from being on the body of phenomenal women worldwide? I’m currently researching women who aren’t well-known, but have made major influences all over the world.

Janet: And to be on the verge of creating this work…how does that feel?

RZW: It’s very humbling and exciting at the same time. Whenever new creative ideas come to me that invoke critical thinking, it’s like becoming pregnant that you have to take care of this baby, this embryo, and bring it forth, bring it to life. It has to be well researched, meditated on. I have to concentrate on how I want to present these concepts to the world in a way that truly honors who these women were.

Janet: Your work is rich with African, especially Egyptian, images. Where does this come from?

RZW: I’m an initiated priestess in the Temple of Isis out of Geyserville, California and a priestess of the Temple of Het Nefer out of New York City. Since I can remember I’ve been interested in ancient cultures including India, Egypt, West Africa, and Asia.

INTERTWINING ART FORMS: LIKE A GOURMET DESSERT

Janet: You are an all-around creative person having been trained in theater and having a strong career there before plunging into painting in 2001. I also know you’re fascinated by music. How do the arts intertwine for you?

RZW: Janet, that is one of the main goals of the work that I am doing now: to incorporate and bring together all these disciplines within my work. After being in theater for 25 years and working with world-class jazz musicians, I find that each genre its own special gifts to offer.

When they are intertwined, it is like receiving a gourmet dessert.

I’ve done this incorporation on a small scale with pieces I’ve performed. But the one I feel I’ve had the most success with to date is my “Chautaqua: My Name is Harriet.” The three faces of courage, integrity, and grace. This piece is about Harriet Tubman, Harriet Jacobs, and Harriet Powers. It was presented at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. in 2004. It included 8 original paintings, and my performance portraying all three Harriets. I wrote, directed, and performed the show.

CAREER ADVICE FOR EMERGING ARTISTS BUILDING CAREERS

Janet: You’re extremely active and effective at building your career. Some of this has been good timing and connections like the story you told me about a friend of yours who is a docent at the Smithsonian Museum who referred you to just the right person at just the right moment that led to your presentation of “My Name is Harriet.” But I know there’s also an enormous amount of effort and strategy involved. What advice do you have for emerging artists as they find a way to make their work more visible?

RZW: First of all they need to have a clear idea of where it is they want to go. And then get your name out there. Then, strategically, get you work into galleries where your work can be seen by those who can help make a difference in your career. I suggest that you do as many shows and exhibits as possible in major art cities.

Read as much as you can about the business of art. Art is a business. You have to understand this. Some refer to it as “The Industrial Arts Complex.” This came home to me last December in Miami, Florida, at Art Basel, the most prestigious art event in the USA. Four hundred million dollars worth of art was sold in three days. Artists were being represented from all over the world by top galleries who paid fifty thousand dollars per booth for the privilege of displaying the work of the artists they represented.

I believe that it’s important to follow the careers of recently successful contemporary artists such as Julie Mehrtu, Kerry James Marshall, and Kara Walker. These three African-American artists have been awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. This demonstrates that the art world has become more open and receptive of innovative contemporary African-American artists. A small work of Julie Mehrtu’s recently was sold and appraised for $850,000. She has only been in the public eye for around 15 years or less.

Second, you must believe in yourself. And know what you have to offer is of great value. You must do whatever you need to expand and enhance your skills. That is a lifetime journey.

Visit Janet Grace Riehl’s blog “Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21st Century” at http://www.riehlife.com for more thoughts and information about making connections through the arts, across cultures, generations, and within the family. You can also read sample poems and other background information from “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” on Janet’s website.

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