In our previous Ask McKay post we discussed tips for getting started with landscape lighting. For today's post, I talked to our installation technician, Keith, to help me answer this frequently asked question regarding our the outdoor lighting installation process:
What happens to my landscaping? Will it get damaged during the installation process?
This is a great question. The short answer is no, you do not have to worry about your plants getting damaged. During the installation process, we put the wire in the ground as delicately as possible. We know that our customers spend a lot of time and resources making their landscapes look beautiful. We want to maintain its beauty during the installation process, which is why we use spade shovels by hand to create a small trench by pushing the blade into the soil 12 to 15 inches and then back and forth to widen it. This results in a trench less than 2 inches wide to let us safely bury the wire. Doing this allows us to put the sod or soil back into place without damaging any of the turf or plants. Placing the wire in by hand allows us to feel what we are touching in the soil. In addition, installing the wire in by hand with the spades also helps us to avoid damaging any irrigation pipes, buried gas and electric lines, electric dog fences, and anything else that is in the ground.
When working around delicate plants we take the utmost care to not disturb them. At McKay Landscape Lighting, our main goal is to make it look like we were never there trenching in wire. In some cases, there will be small flowers or plants where a fixture may need to go. We safely remove it and replant it nearby to keep the landscape looking beautiful.
Our installation technicians are also very concerned with protecting all of the different trees that we encounter at each install. We are very delicate when working around trees and their roots. We want to make sure that we do not cause any major damage to the root system. We will go under or around vital roots to avoid cutting them. Sometimes the landscape lighting design calls for fixtures mounted in the trees. We take care to only use stainless steel screws so as not to cause damage to the tree. Our overall goal is to make it look like wire was never put in. We use well-trained technicians, high quality materials, and relatively non invasive methods to ensure that your landscaping remains in pristine condition.
Looking to Enhance Your Property?
Our dedicated team at McKay Landscape Lighting works with you to create a custom landscape lighting design that's unique to your property. From design to installation to service, you can count on our team of experts to make sure you are happy with your lighting system for years to come.
