Make Sure Outdoor Spaces Are Ready for Guests This Summer

Summer means outdoor parties, family BBQs, and time with friends. To create a welcoming outdoor space, homeowners might look for upgrades to their backyard – beyond planting new flowers and improving their landscaping. Improving their lighting, ensuring power during severe Texas weather, and adding a pool or hot tub can make a property perfect for summer guests. These additions can also improve a home’s safety. Electricians provide backyard ideas on how to make these upgrades to outdoor living spaces and what to consider before the installation.

Add Exterior Lighting

Electricians recommend adding exterior lights outside a home to improve its ambiance and safety. Lights can provide mood lighting for parties and help guests see better in the dark, preventing slip-and-fall injuries. There are numerous types of outdoor lighting homeowners can install throughout their property. Some of the most common ones electricians recommend are:
  • Step Lights: Placed on stairs, these outdoor lights illuminate the steps, making it easier for people to walk up and down staircases in the dark. These can prevent falls and injuries.
  • Security Lighting: These are typically the brightest form of yard light. They light up large, dark spaces to prevent intruders and pests from entering a property. These are typically installed above the garage or in eaves – high places – to cast a wide beam on the yard. A popular form of security lighting is motion-sensing floodlights. These will turn on if movement is detected in the yard. This gives intruders the impression that homeowners see them and just turn on the lights, adding another deterrent.
  • Path Lighting: These are installed on the ground, along walkways, to light up the path and make it easier for residents and guests to navigate a home’s walkways.
  • String Lighting: These are perfect for outdoor entertainment. As warm, intimate lighting, string lights provide a desirable look and feel for outdoor dinners and parties. They can be hung across a patio, deck, or wherever the party occurs.
  • Wall Lighting: These can be used for both safety and decor. Typically, low-voltage lights can add light to a dark area of a yard. They can also be hung around a patio or deck to add ambiance for outdoor dining.
  • Lanterns: These soft lights are perfect accent lights for outdoor walls. They are typically installed near doors or by a window. They provide additional light for a space, as well as ambiance.
  • Spot Lighting: Also called up-lighting or landscape lighting, these lights shine beams upwards to showcase a feature in the yard. This can be shone on a tree, a statue, a pool feature, a water feature, or another area.

Get a Generator

Texas homes can be at risk of losing power frequently during the summer months. Between the extremely hot and humid temperatures and strong storms, homeowners can experience blackouts that can leave them without power for hours. To avoid this, electricians recommend installing whole-house generators. Installing these can provide many benefits for property owners. The biggest advantage these offer is peace of mind for homeowners that they won’t be left without power during the next major storm. This ensures that security systems will keep running, HVAC units will be able to provide comfort, and any medical devices will be able to be used during the power outage. Generators can also provide cost savings to homeowners. If a blackout lasts for hours to days, residents will lose any perishable food items in their freezers or refrigerators. This can be expensive to replace. Any medications that are stored in the refrigerator will also need to be replaced. And perhaps one of the largest expenses is if a family is forced to evacuate their house and stay in a hotel until the power is restored. If the power outage goes on for days, a household may need to relocate to get comfort from the heat or have the power to perform other tasks – like work or school. Electricians can help homeowners determine the right type of generator for their house to ensure they are installing a system that will benefit their household the most.

Add a Pool or Hot Tub

One of the best forms of summer entertainment can be pool parties. They are not only fun, but they provide relief from the hot temperatures. However, it’s also essential for homeowners to ensure their pools and hot tubs are following all current electrical codes and regulations to keep their families and guests safe. Electricians recommend scheduling an annual inspection to check the electrical wiring around pools and hot tubs and ensure regulations are followed – including how close the pump is installed to the pool. They will also check the lights in and around the pool areas to ensure they are safe. Electricians also check GFCI outlets to ensure they are working properly and that the house is up to code by installing them in areas around the pool or hot tub. A pool safety inspection will allow electricians to check all of these issues and will also let them provide homeowners with other safety tips, like how far away to keep electrical appliances and electronics from the water.

About The Bosworth Company

Proudly serving the Permian Basin for more than 70 years, The Bosworth Company is dedicated to providing comfort to its neighbors in Midland. They guarantee on-time delivery and satisfaction with every job! Call them today for Midland, TX plumbing, HVAC, and electrical services.
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