Request a Free Consultation
FAQ

Landscape Lighting & Outdoor Audio FAQs

Blue Hour Lighting is a landscape lighting and outdoor audio contractor based in upstate New York, using our own team from design through installation. Since 2019, homeowners and property managers have asked us many of the same questions about outdoor lighting, outdoor sound, smart controls, and commercial work before getting in touch. Below are the questions we hear most, along with straightforward answers to help you plan your project.
Jump to a topic
Landscape Lighting
4
Outdoor Audio
3
Smart Controls
2
Commercial & Maintenance
3
Still have a question?

845-202-3369

info@bluehourlighting.com

Landscape Lighting FAQs

Every property requires its own custom outdoor lighting, planned around what the owner wants, what the grounds need, and how the property is laid out. Several factors shape the final number:

How much of the property is being lit. Lighting a front entry and primary walkway has a narrower scope than lighting a full property with pool areas, a deck, gardens, a retaining wall, a water feature, and outbuildings.

Fixture count and placement. The number of fixtures matters, but so do distance, access, and mounting conditions at each location.

Transformer capacity and wire length. The number of transformers the property needs and the length of each cable run depend on the load and the distance from each transformer to its fixtures.

Material grade. Brass, copper, and stainless steel fixtures carry a higher initial cost than cast aluminum and are selected according to the design and the site conditions.

Trenching conditions. A clear, plant-free area is more straightforward than established beds, mature root systems, irrigation lines, and hardscape crossings, all of which require added care during installation.

Multiple Zoning Areas. Each independently controlled lighting area requires additional planning, equipment, and increased power capacity.

Blue Hour Lighting starts every home project with a free on-site consultation. During the consultation, a dedicated professional reviews how much of the property is being lit, the fixture count and placement, and the trenching conditions, and uses the information to make an accurate estimate. A commercial property begins with a paid lighting assessment.

Each project starts with a complete lighting plan, drawn before any equipment is ordered. Fixtures and transformers are chosen for the property, with attention to both appearance and performance. Each fixture is then adjusted on-site so balance, aiming, and glare control are addressed before the project is called complete. Every installation carries a one-year workmanship warranty.
Blue Hour Lighting holds the county and state licenses required where we work. We are a Gold Level Kichler LightPro contractor, a CAST Lighting certified installer, a Unique Lighting Systems installer, and a Sonance authorized dealer and installer.

A low-voltage landscape lighting system operates at approximately 12 volts beyond the transformer, so most of the installation does not require a licensed electrician. The fixtures, cable, and connections beyond the transformer are all low-voltage components. If a new exterior GFCI-protected outlet or switch is needed, that work is managed in-house as part of the project. Many homes already have a suitable outlet in the appropriate location, and a property without one can be given a properly protected outlet during the landscape lighting installation.

Landscape lights most often stop working because of improper wire size, poor connections, overloaded circuits, or transformers that are no longer matched to the load they serve. The LED lights themselves are built to last, typically rated for tens of thousands of hours.

Blue Hour Lighting services and repairs existing landscape lighting systems. Many repairs can be completed in a single visit. We offer a maintenance plan with visits in spring and fall to keep the system performing as designed.

Outdoor Audio

Satellite speakers are placed low in the planting beds around the areas where people gather and walk, and often they are spaced approximately 10 to 30 feet apart depending on the series, the site, and the terrain. The subwoofer is installed below ground, typically with only its vent cap visible at the surface. A distributed layout lets each speaker contribute at a moderate level, so guests hear music at a natural volume across the yard, the patio, the pool, and the garden, and less of it reaches neighboring properties. Speaker locations are planned during the same on-site walkthrough as the lighting, factoring in where people gather, quiet seating, circulation paths, and pool zones, with property lines shaping the placement.

It does. On a larger property, the cable run from the equipment to the speakers becomes part of the design, and a 70V/100V system distributes audio at a higher voltage, allowing the signal to travel greater distances. Even a property with distant gardens, a separate pool area, long driveways, or outbuildings can be served by a single outdoor sound system. Each speaker uses a transformer that adjusts the signal to the appropriate operating level.

Very little shows. The satellites are small and are placed low in the landscape plantings where the beds screen them. The subwoofer is set below grade with only its vent cap showing.

Smart Controls & Automation

Landscape lighting can integrate with Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Savant, Lutron, Control4, and Crestron. Scenes, schedules, and zone-by-zone control can all be set up through the platform already running in the home. The system can also be controlled from a switch, a phone, or a smart device and still follow its scheduled rhythm. Sonance audio and landscape lighting systems can each be controlled through their respective apps. A single programmed scene can coordinate lighting and music for a nighttime gathering through smart controls and automation.

The number of lighting zones a property needs is based on what the lighting is meant to accomplish, from security at the entries to entertaining in the backyard, and how the outdoor space is used after dark. The lighting plan identifies which architectural features to highlight and states the zone layout before anything is ordered. Each zone can be controlled independently, so certain lights can dim later in the evening while others hold their setting.

Commercial / Maintenance / Compliance

The paid lighting-level assessment inspects the light levels across the property and is the first step in the lighting design process for a business or HOA community. The assessment gives a board or property manager a clear picture of the property’s current light levels, with a focus on protecting residents and reducing liability exposure. The landscape lighting designer also uses that information to build the lighting plan. Blue Hour Lighting can provide lighting-level checks and documentation for review and filing as part of the commercial outdoor lighting process.

Every landscape lighting installation carries a one-year workmanship warranty. After that, many clients continue with an optional maintenance plan that includes two visits each year, typically spring and fall, and the plan can be customized to meet your needs. During those visits, fixtures are straightened and adjusted as the landscape grows, lenses are cleaned, and every bulb is checked, with replacement bulbs billed separately. Control modules, timers, and photocells are tested, time clocks are reset, and transformer settings and system integrity are verified. Many of the fixtures themselves carry a lifetime factory warranty depending on the product and the maker.
Yes. Blue Hour Lighting serves Westchester County and the surrounding counties in New York, as well as Greenwich and portions of Connecticut.
Blue Hour Lighting is licensed and insured, holding county and state licenses where required:
  • Westchester County, NY: WC-32147-H19
  • Rockland County, NY: CP-H-24100
  • Connecticut: HIC.0654518
  • Dutchess County, NY: No county license is required
  • Putnam County, NY

To ask about a specific address, call 845-202-3369 or email info@bluehourlighting.com.

Service Areas in New York & Connecticut

Blue Hour Lighting is based in upstate New York and serves residential and commercial clients throughout four New York counties and portions of Connecticut.
Explore All Service Areas
  • Dutchess County, NY
  • Putnam County, NY
  • Rockland County, NY
  • Litchfield County, CT
  • Western New Haven County, CT
  • Greenwich, CT
Explore All Service Areas

Get an Answer for Your Property

A question about a specific property is best answered during a visit, free for residential work or as a paid assessment for commercial and HOA properties. A dedicated Blue Hour Lighting professional walks the property and discusses how the outdoor areas are used after dark and what the lighting should accomplish. Call 845-202-3369 or email info@bluehourlighting.com, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Request a Free Consultation