| ABOUT
LOW VOLTAGE LANDSCAPE
LIGHTING |
|
(New this month)
Why Switch to Low Voltage Lighting?
|
Lower energy cost and better security
are two reasons why low voltage lighting is superior to 120-volt
lighting. There are many more reasons. . .
Read the article. |
| THE
BUSINESS OF LANDSCAPE LIGHTING |
|
UL and Landscape Lighting
|
What are UL Listings and how are they important
to the Landscape Lighting industry? This and other related
topics (including UL 1838) are discussed.
Read the article. |
Writing the Business Plan for the Landscape Lighting Company |
This article presents a blueprint for writing
a Business Plan specific for Landscape Lighting - useful for
start-ups and existing businesses.
Read the article. |
|
Getting Started with Landscape
Lighting – Part I |
In this interview with David Beausoleil for Nursery Lines magazine,
David talks about growing opportunities for landscape lighting
design and installation.
Read
the article. |
Getting Started with Landscape
Lighting – Part II |
In this second part of the interview, David goes into more detail
on how a contractor makes the decision to launch this new business.
Read the article. |
Getting
Started with Landscape Lighting – Marketing Smarts |
This article by Tony Grieco is an ideal starting place for contractors
new to Landscape Lighting. It provides tips for marketing and
building a customer base.
Read
the article. |
David Beausoleil Responds to
Consumer Reports Article |
David Beausoleil voices objections to a recent review of Outdoor
Lighting in Consumer Reports Magazine. He sites inaccuracies
and oversights that pose safety risks for consumers and may
result in faulty installations.
Read
the article. |
David
Beausoleil Busts Myths about Competition
|
In response to concerns from some installers that CAST trains
too many contractors, David Beausoleil addresses the myths and
realities of competition.
Read
the article. |
| THE
SCIENCE OF LANDSCAPE LIGHTING |
The
CAST System of Landscape Lighting
|
Developed over the past 12 years
and successfully used by thousands of installers, the CAST System
has many distinctive features.
Read
the article. |
Tin-Coated Copper Wire vs.
All-Copper Wire for Landscape Lighting |
This article clarifies the benefits of CAST No-Ox Marine-Grade
Tin-Coated Wire including an in-depth discussion of corrosion,
conductivity and solderability.
Read the article. |
Preventing Lamp Burnout in
Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
|
This article identifies the cause of premature lamp burnout
and identifies precautions and best-practices to avoid the problem.
Read the article. |
Why Solid Sand-Cast Bronze |
This article explains why CAST Lighting is committed to the
use of Solid Bronze in the construction of our lighting fixtures.
Read the article. |
Energy Conservation in Low-Voltage
Landscape Lighting |
Addressing the energy-wasteful practices of some lighting installers,
this article identifies simple steps that save tremendous amounts
of energy.
Read the article. |
Coloring and Patinization of
Bronze |
Simple and effective instructions for coloring bronze fixtures
– Patina and Black.
Read
the article. |
Using MR-16 Lenses and Louvers
|
CAST offers 3 lenses and a honeycomb louver for our MR-16 fixtures.
Here's what they do and how to use them.
Read
the article. |
Wire Soldering for Secure Connections
|
A step-by-step guide to making secure soldered connections for
landscape lighting. This is the technique we recommend at our
seminars.
Read the article. |
Criteria for the Selection of
Low Voltage Transformers for Landscape Lighting Systems |
This comprehensive article sorts out and explains the important
features that separate the best transformers from the rest.
Complete with detailed explanations and pictures, this article
gives the contractor or designer an advanced understanding of
the state-of-the-art of transformer technology.
Read
the article. |
A Comparison of Two Leading
Landscape Lighting Transformers |
To demonstrate the benefits of CAST's line of toroidal transformers,
a team of electrical engineers were asked to compare the
CAST
"Master Series" CM1200SSMT with a popular 1200 watt
transformer from another manufacturer. The results show dramatic
differences.
Read the article. |
Landscape
Lighting Installation and Design Tips |
An ongoing collection of installation and design tips from our
monthly newsletters.
Read
the article. |
Why Voltage is so Critical for
Tungsten/Halogen Lamps |
Tungsten/Halogen lamps require between 10.8 and 12.0 volts.
Learn why this is so and impress your friends.
Read
the article. |
David Beausoleil
Cautions Against Premature Use of LED's
|
David Beausoleil draws attention to the industry’s latest
innovation, Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s). His concern
is that landscape lighting professionals will begin replacing
industry-standard incandescent and halogen lamps with LED’s
before these new lamps have been standardized and proven.
Read the article. |
| THE
ART OF LANDSCAPE LIGHTING |
(New
this month)
Landscape Lighting Design -
Lessons Learned from the
Movies.
Part 1. The Suspension of Disbelief |
When you go to a movie, you
willingly accept artificial lighting as real. In the same way,
a skilled landscape lighting designer strives to create lighting
that evokes an emotional response without calling attention
to itself.
Read the article. |
Lighting the Hardscape |
Many hardscapers consider landscape lighting to be an integral
part of their business. This article looks at the business,
design and installation of low voltage landscape lighting
to illuminate the hardscape.
Read the article. |
Moonlighting |
Lighting the landscape is (in some ways) an attempt to imitate
the moon. This in-depth article looks at the moon, its light
and the lighting design technique of 'moonlighting'.
Read the article. |
Lighting the Garden
|
Designing lighting for garden regions requires an understanding
of how plants absorb and reflect light.
Read the article. |
Lighting the Oceanfront landscape
|
Landscape lighting on oceanfront landscapes requires greater
attention to corrosion prevention and a focus on subtle lighting
that brings the ocean into the landscape.
Read
the article. |
Landscape Lighting Principles |
An overview on the design principles basic to Landscape Lighting.
Read
the article. |
Striking a Balance between Lighting
the Home and Lighting the Landscape |
Lighting designers sometimes favor lighting the home, while
others favor lighting the landscape. This article explains the
importance of lighting both.
Read
the article. |
Landscape Lighting Photography |
In this detailed article, Steve Parrott discusses how to select
a camera for landscape lighting photography, how to determine
correct exposures, and how to set up and compose the photos.
Many examples of exquisite lighting photos are shown and
discussed.
(Note this article is a little dated - see the next article
for one that is more applicable to newer digital cameras.)
Read the article. |
(New
this month)
Landscape Lighting Photography
- Advanced Tips - Challenges and Solutions |
This article covers camera settings, site preparation, the
shoot, darkening the sky and an introduction to photoshop.
Read the article.
(pdf) |
| LANDSCAPE
LIGHTING CASE STUDIES |
Increasing
visibility and profits for a New Jersey restaurant. |
This article describes how CAST
Lighting partnered with Mike Lenyk of Signature Lighting to
dramatically increase the visibility and profits of Ruga, an
upscale NJ restaurant.
Read the
article. |
