Outdoor Lighting Options and Tips for Any Landscape

By Keith Markensen

There are many reasons people choose lighting the exterior of their home and landscape. If you were to take a walk around your property, you might notice areas, where once dark outside, someone could possibly trip. Maybe you have some unwanted animal visitors you want to get rid of. There is always the security of your home you want to consider and lights definitely deter thieves or vandals. Do you have an outdoor living space, you?d like to use at night? When someone is coming over, is your driveway hard to find? If so, adding some lights will help your guests locate your home.

After your survey, take a drive around your neighborhood after dark, looking for ways other homes and businesses have lit their property. What are they using to illuminate their exteriors and landscapes? What lighting techniques give off the mood you are looking for? Make notes of the types of lights used when you find something you like. You'll need this list for the next step.

Sketching out your property, special features, and outdoor living spaces, like a barbecue pit or gazebo, will help in designing your outdoor lighting. So take the time and determine where or what you want to draw attention to. The last step in your design plan is to choose the appropriate light for these areas. So, here are some possibilities for designated areas and after that some tips from professionals.

Pathways, Walkways and Water Elements

Fixtures for these areas come in mushroom shapes, tulip lights, lanterns, tier lights and specialty lights . They provide low impact lights that won't give off a glare. Shields on the fixtures direct light down onto these areas, so you don?t have a runway affect. The goal is visibility not blinding light. This soft lighting effect can be accomplished by installing your fixtures, if they are too bright, behind foliage which will both filter the light onto your pathways and show off your landscape.

Decks, Pergolas, Pools and Hot Tubs

Mounting flood lights or spot lights up high like on trellises or eaves, will give your decks, pergolas, pool or hot tub, the focused lighting they require for night time use. If you?re going for a moonlight effect, mount your fixtures up in a tree. Using a blue filter makes it even more realistic. The light will pass through the leaves creating a romantic ambiance to your outdoor space.

Decorative Ponds, Groundcover, Gardens and Shrubbery

Spread lights give off an even, circular, and soft glow commonly used in beds with flowering plants, ivy like ground coverings, manicured shrubs, and ponds. Fixtures typically come on a post or pole shining the light downwards.

Fade Features, Retaining Walls, Privacy Fences, Entryways, Statues and Topiaries

By installing well lights, spot lights or wall wash lights, you will highlight stone and brick work on your house or retaining walls. Positioning fixtures half a foot to a foot from the element at a 90 degree angle will provide a dramatic effect. Points of entry into your home and poorly lit areas of your yard where an intruder could hide should also be well lit. Doing so will deter burglars and pesky animals roaming around. To create a striking shadow from topiaries or from an original statue, play with distance and angle of fixtures that light them. You will definitely turn heads with this technique.

Trees

To light up trees with little foliage, place fixtures closer to the trunk. Installation at the foot of the tree will give trees a sophisticated, 3-D effect. Moving the lighting on trees with dense foliage to where the edge of its branches are produces a much better upshot.

Mix it up! By using varied lights, placement, and angles your lighting design will be a hit.

Reducing damage from mowing, fertilizing, and watering can be done through the use of well lights.

Use a timer, movement sensors or photocells that automatically turn on and off lighting. It will conserve energy and save you money.

Overlap the light given off by fixtures to avoid unwanted shadowing. Another shadow fix is to install fixtures behind shrubs.

Effects created with different solar lights and angle, areas to light, and careful planning should go into your landscape lighting design. Plans without planning are plans that spell disaster. Happy Planning!

About the Author:

Keith Markensen shares his vast knowledge at http://www.plant-care.com. It is time to remove the clouds of doubt on the topic of solar landscape light.

What You Should Know About Home Security Euipment

By Ray Lam

The majority of people think that you simply cannot choose to be too careful when it comes to the safety and protection of your family and home when you invest in home security equipment to guard their safety. Depending on your budget and your needs you can obtain home Security equipment as sophisticated or a simple as you wish.

Basic vibration detectors for your windows or door jam magnet contacts have a fairly easy installation procedure and guard the entry points of your home. For surveillance of the interior rooms, home security equipment can include devices such as motion detectors, which have options to adjust their sensitivity to compensate for household pets, yet detect a person passing through the protected area.

An additional helpful piece of home security equipment are what are known as infrared detectors, that measure ambient temperature changes of a monitored room and triggers the alarm if it notices any difference in temperature passing through. This function also allows for adjustments for any known changes.

Home security equipment can also include a dialer system, which instantly sends a phone call to a call center to alert of a break-in, a medical emergency or fire, depending on the particular home security equipment that triggers the alarm.

Motion detectors are an excellent way to insure that your home will not be broken in to undetected. Even if for some absurd reason a burglar gets into your home and bypasses the window and door sensors, they will certainly not be able to bypass a motion detector.

If cost is not an issue then you might like to get a color security camera but a black and white one will probably be ok for the average home security system. Beyond those options you can choose to get a locked safe. These can either be opened using a combination or a key, at your option. This is a great place to put your most valuable possessions and information.

About the Author:

Learn more about monitor home security and get a FREE "Total Home Security Tips" ebook by visiting http://homesecurityadvisor.info, a popular website that provides free home security systems advice and tips.

Inaccurate Odometer Disclosures Are Against The Law

By Karl O. Heil

Used car buyers factor in a vehicle's mileage when they're deciding the condition and value of the used vehicle. Odometer readings and disclosures are therefore a very important part in determining a vehicle's condition and value.

It's because of those reasons that state and federal laws restrict both odometer tampering, and also a false odometer disclosure papers. federal laws require those seller provided a detailed odometer disclosure statement and certifies the following:

(a) the odometers mileage reading is accurate for that car,

(b) the odometer reflects the amount of miles beyond the mechanical limit of the odometer, or

(c) the odometer reading does not reflect the actual mileage.

Other than modifying the odometer by rolling back the display, shady used vehicle dealers also ignore evidence of fraud or tampering. Sometimes, the odometer readings that have been recorded in the repair records of the vehicle are inconsistent.

One example would be where the mileage drops during one calendar year. That's pretty much a give away that something is going on. In other cases, the seller may notice that the odometer has been tampered with by seeing missing screws or scratch marks on the odometer casing.

These are signs that the seller should take seriously and check into the history of the vehicle. If he fails to do this then he's not certifying that the odometer is showing the correct mileage.

Car buyers who are concerned about the accuracy of odometer readings on a used vehicle can check the services such as Autocheck that gather background information on used vehicles. sometimes even these background reports are not accurate so. Another option is to take your car to a specialty garage where they can check for signs of tampering.

If it turns out that the seller does mess with the odometer or that he doesn't provide airtight odometer disclosures, use really looking for trouble, because federal law has serious penalties for such violators. Keep in mind though that federal laws regarding odometer tampering does not apply to vehicles that are more than 10 years old.

About the Author:

Karl O. Heil is a leading professional in Lemon Law practices At Romano, Stancroff & Mikhov PC. For top results you need lemon law attorneys. southern California has unique laws. Getting lemon law lawyers in southern California is like cash in the bank

Business or Home Security Systems - One Of Today's Necessities!

By Mike Lesell

A place of residence is there to protect us from anything this world can throw at us, whether the threat be from nature or from someone in our own society.

In today's world, sad as it may seem, to keep your residence and or business safe from the law breaking demographic of the general public, it really is vital that you install some kind of home or business security device.

Home security systems, not difficult to set up any more!

Setting up a home or business security device in today's world is no longer a difficult task. Thanks to technology the home security devices of today are very easy to set up and affordable.

You can guarantee that the most deserted entrances to your premises will be a thieves first choice when attempting to gain access to your building. If you do not have a system in place to prevent a thief from being successful, it will just be too easy.

The installation and general day-to-day usage of the modern home security systems is not as difficult as it once was. This really could not be more true with the modern wireless home security systems. Not having to put wires all over your home makes their installation really quick and easy.

With a lot of these new systems you can install cameras throughout your business and/or residence and then with the help of the Internet view your business and or residence live from anywhere on the planet!

But in no way are you limited to security cameras. With complex alarm systems that can actually ring the police for you, high-tech infrared sensors, heat sensors etc, etc there are just too many devices to quote here.

Thieves generally will not try to enter your residence through the front door, these days they often avoid the back door as well since more and more people are putting in measures here also to deter them, so they will often try to gain access to your property from side doors. So it is essential to cover all entrances to the home.

If thieves know your house is protected with a security system they are less likely to even attempt to enter your property, since for them it is an added risk that they don't need to take, it makes more sense for them to visit another home without a security device. So make sure you put signs around your home informing everyone that your home is equipped with a home security device.

So in closing I would say that in today's world is really is a necessity to install a home and or business security system, without one it really is just too easy for the modern day thief.

About the Author:

You can do more reading on the subject of A Home And Business Security System by visiting our internet Safe Home Security Tips guide.

Toronto: Lawyer and the City

By Amy Nutt

Being a lawyer can be quite the rewarding career, but it is a career that can vary in degree and scope based on where you are located. Let's just say that being a lawyer is going to be a bit different in Toronto than being a lawyer in a small town with about 15,000 residents. There is a bit more responsibility involved and that responsibility has been increasing in recent years. Much of it has to do with the fact that people are no longer afraid to sue when something happens to them.

At one time, an individual could have pain inflicted on them by another person or even a company and they would let it roll off their back. That has changed drastically because people are tired of becoming victims and letting it slide. Lawyers in small cities have these cases as well, but lawyers in big cities have a larger potential customer base and they thrive on that. That is great because that means a better income, a better reputation, and leads to even more excitement.

Big city law adds mystery

Being a lawyer in the big city means the cases are going to be a bit more diverse. With more people come more unique situations in which a lawyer is needed. This gives the lawyer the opportunity to set a standard in law when a legitimate and unique case comes their way. The excitement alone is hard to contain and then there is that income and reputation factor. In small towns, the income ceiling is a bit lower because there is only so much to work with. If you are a small town with ten lawyers, then the earning potential is not as high. However, a lawyer in a large city such as Toronto has an incredibly higher earning potential.

Another aspect to being a lawyer in a large city that is unique is the reputation factor. It actually works differently in the big city than a small one. That is because the small city always knows what their big lawyers and doctors are doing. There is even a bit of jealousy amongst residents when driving past the home of one of these individuals. In the big city, there are more lawyers and many of the individuals could care less about their personal lives. This allows the lawyer to focus on their job as a lawyer without having to worry too much about privacy unless a high profile case is involved.

The competition factor

And then there is the competition factor that makes the profession even more exciting. Personal injury lawyers in small cities do have competition amongst each other, but lawyers in big cities have more lawyers to compete with and a larger playground to compete on. The sky is pretty much the limit in this area and that can make ad campaigns, signs, and other advertising media a lot of fun. As a lawyer in a big city, you have the money to do it so run with it. The only thing to lose is being one of the top lawyers, if not the top lawyer, in the city. Many big cities are now getting to the point where they offer awards and other types of recognition for lawyers who have done something exceptional, so you want that case that is going to get you that recognition. More recognition means you're doing to get more clients. Most importantly, you're going to be upholding the law and being in a bigger city allows you an even larger opportunity to do just that. And that is why being a personal injury attorney in a big city definitely has its perks.

About the Author:

Toronto law firm specializes in personal injury, slip and fall injury, motor vehicle injury and paraplegic and brain injuries. For maximum results, we will work hard to recover any personal injury claim you may be entitled to.

Your Auto Is Only Protected By Lemon Laws If You...

By Karl Heinzel

When looking for a new car, you should avoid cars with non-factory-installed or aftermarket accessories & components. If you see a vehicle on the car lot you like, but it does not have a specific component or accessory you want, the salesperson will probably tell you the dealership can have the component or accessory installed.

Some of the usual third-party items include: sunroofs, backup cameras, navigational systems, indash or under dash stereos, remote starters, alarms, and DVD players. The trick is to stick to factory installed items.

The deal with this is you have to wait for the dealership to either tracked down the car you're looking for, or order it from the factory. The upside is that if you have problems with any of the accessories on your car, it won't void the warranty like aftermarket products might.

Aftermarket components are typically installed by third-party facilities & not the manufacturer or the dealer. The selling dealer usually does not extend any warranty covering these components. The manufacturers warranty does not cover them because they aren't the manufacturers components.

In fact, even the aftermarket installer may not offer any kind of warranty on your spiffy new gear. If you do end up having any trouble, odds are, you may not have many options for warranty coverage.

Chances are very good your state's lemon laws are not come apply to your situation. We have scores of cases where things have gone wrong with aftermarket components and the law didn't provide any remedies.

* A remote starter from a third party was improperly installed and drain the battery dead.

* The third-party sunroof, ended up funneling rainwater right inside the car.

* The aftermarket DVD player causes the vehicle not to start due to faulty installation.

* The aftermarket navigation system compromised the vehicles entire electrical system.

Even though these were serious problems, the state's lemon laws didn't apply. As a result, these people either lived with the problems are caused, or had the components removed at their own expense

Aftermarket components can effect the value of your automobile. If they don't work right, they may void the manufactures warranty.

About the Author:

Karl M. Heil is an expert Lemon Law Attorney with Romano Stancroff & Mikhov PC. They specialize in California Lemon Law and if you call them about your car problem, there may be a major financial difference in how a lemon law dispute turns out. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Looking for Love Online, Who Isn't

By Louise Servage

Can this be true, while you hope that you will find love the old fashioned way, the truth is finding love in clubs, pubs and supermarkets is not as easy as it sounds. Today people are feeling more useless in finding love.

Well you can quietly gain some happiness because you are not alone. Today lifestyle make finding love nearly impossible. People are starting to think that it is the norm. Large cities are starting to become really lonely places.

Not wanting to be all doom and gloom the reason for today's message is to offer hope by giving suggestions for people with a shortage of time. Time starved people need love to, this is where the technological advances of the 21st century come into play.

We all know that the proliferation of fast food outlets is simply because people have no time, they are time starved and because you cannot simply rush in and find love like at a fast food joint what can you do. Well don't despair there is an answer.

Today websites make finding love online as easy as submitting your personal details and picture online, while you have to add a whole bunch of personal details; this makes finding a compatible companion easier. That's another benefit of web dating you can start your search by filtering people with things you don't / do like.

Websites offer you a great return for the time it takes to set up, as well as your love investment, as they allow you to make great contacts easily. In fact using the Internet to find love is now becoming more the norm, more mainstream if you will.

With matchmaking websites able to narrow down your desired characteristics that you seek in a potential partner (with your help) has allowed this method to become more the norm. In fact the popularity of this dating method over the years has be quite unbelievable.

While dating sites don't take all the work out of finding love, they do help. No longer do you need to spend countless hours standing at the bar, now all you need to do is simply input your details online to put yourself out there. But remember you still have to meet and communicate to your potential partners to establish the love connection. No matter how you look at it love is still a personal thing.

The truth is finding love has been revolutionized in the 21st century by dating websites the trick is to find the right one to start your search. The good news is there are thousands of websites that will point you in the right direction. So find your self a good dating website review article and join up many are free to list, so start your search Today.

About the Author:

Louise Servage writes for Find Love a website dedicated to helping people online find your match with tons of theorys, we are there to serve our members over 50 free articles.