How to: Light a Water Feature
Water Feature Lighting Tips, Tricks, Do's & Don'ts
Get the Guide: Water Feature Lighting Tips
Adding a water feature can be a great way to enhance the visual appeal of your backyard or outdoor living space. By lighting an existing water feature, you can create a beautiful focal point within your backyard.
There are many different types of colour lights and lighting techniques that you can use to optimise the look of your water feature. These lighting techniques not only create visual interest and movement but can give your backyard more dimension and even be used to accentuate nearby features, such as landscaping, rock features or plantings.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to properly lighting a water feature on your property? There are a few practical tips worth keeping in mind.
Tip 1: The Right Angle
Start by selecting the right angle for your lighting; ideally, your lighting should accentuate your water feature but not overpower it. Too much direct lighting, for example, can create an unsightly glare on the surface of the water.
For the best results, make an effort to angle your lights away from the feature’s main viewing positions. This means pointing light away from a nearby outdoor seating area, for instance. If you have trouble finding an angle that doesn’t directly hit a viewing position, you can always block some of the light with plants, rocks, or other hardscapes/landscaping. As an added bonus, this can create an extra sense of dimension and visual appeal.
Tip 2: Location, Location, Location
Choosing a location for your outdoor lighting fixtures is another important consideration; generally, lighting fixtures should be placed in areas where the hardware itself is hidden but the light is obviously not. Still, when selecting a location, you’ll need to make sure the fixture is still easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
Tip 3: Consider Submersible Lights
If you have fountains and/or ponds on your property submersible lights are another option to consider. These can make your fountain or pond a lot more visible, especially at night. When choosing submersible lights, just keep in mind that these lights need to be very bright in order to be effective. This is because water will naturally diffuse the lights.
At Stone & Water World, we have a great range of amphibious lights to suit your needs. These lights are high-quality and easy to use, with wifi enabled remote controllers.
If you’ll be lighting a pond with submersible lights, you should also be mindful of fish and their habitats. Specifically, make sure that there are plenty of dark and shadowy spots for fish to escape from the light and sleep.
Tip 4: Less is More
Too much lighting can result in glare and may overpower the beauty of your water feature. And of course, too much light can also be blinding to your guests. When lighting is well-placed, you can reduce the need of having too many lights and keep your water fixture looking its absolute best.
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