Landscape Lighting

Every project starts with an on-site design walk-through, usually at dusk so we can see exactly how light will interact with the property. We map out uplights on trees and architectural features, path lighting along walkways, step lighting on stairs, downlighting from tree canopies for moonlight effects, and accent lighting on garden beds and hardscape features.

The goal is a layered design that looks intentional rather than a spray of identical fixtures. Focal points get emphasis; transitions get subtle wash lighting; nothing glares into the neighbors' windows or the road.

We use commercial-grade LED fixtures built for outdoor use, brass, copper and powder-coated aluminum bodies that hold up to Southern Indiana freeze-thaw cycles for many years. Low-voltage wiring is buried to code, transformers are sized with headroom for future expansion, and every system is set up on a timer or photocell so the lighting runs itself.

Smart control is available on request, schedule scenes for evenings, entertaining, seasons or holidays directly from your phone.

Landscape lighting looks best on a home whose exterior is already clean. Most customers time an install right after house washing and window cleaning so the first night the lights come on delivers maximum impact. For a fully lit home year-round, ask about permanent LED lighting on the roofline, the two systems together deliver a seamless design from ground-level up to the eaves.

Great landscape lighting is built in layers, not sprayed across a yard. Uplights highlight architectural columns, tree trunks and stone chimneys. Downlights (mounted high in mature trees) throw dappled 'moonlight' patterns across patios and walkways. Path lights mark walkways at knee height without glaring into your eyes. Step lights make stairs safe. Wash lights pull garden beds and shrubs out of the dark. Focal accents pick out a single specimen tree or piece of hardscape.

Combined, these layers create depth, shadow and drama, the difference between a professionally-lit home and a yard sprayed with identical solar stakes. Every Elite Exteriors design walk-through starts by identifying the two or three focal points, then adding supporting layers so the whole property reads as one intentional composition.

We use commercial-grade LED fixtures in brass, copper and powder-coated aluminum, materials that hold up to Southern Indiana freeze-thaw cycles for many years without pitting, corroding or failing. Low-voltage wire is buried to code with waterproof connectors rated for direct burial. Transformers are sized with 20 to 30 percent headroom so the system can accept future fixture additions without upgrading the transformer.

Every system runs on a timer or photocell by default so lighting takes care of itself. Smart control (app-based scheduling, scene selection, color options on RGB fixtures) is available for customers who want more granular control from their phone.

LED landscape lighting is nearly maintenance-free, but not zero-maintenance. Fixtures drift out of aim as trees grow and mulch shifts, connections eventually oxidize, transformers occasionally need re-tuning. We offer annual maintenance visits (re-aiming, cleaning lenses, checking connections, load-testing the transformer) that keep systems performing like new for 10-plus years.

Installation happens year-round with the exception of hard-frozen ground, but early spring and early fall are the busiest booking windows because the lighting is most enjoyable in the shoulder seasons when patios and outdoor spaces get the most use.