WINTER GARDEN WONDERLAND: NICEIC ADVISES ON LIGHTING UP THE LONG LOCKDOWN NIGHTS

With a winter at home spurring Brits to spend record amounts on home renovations, NICEIC is advising homeowners to consider lighting as a way of turning gardens into a haven to get through the long dark nights.

With England in a new national lockdown set to last until December 2, leaving much of the public homebound over the festive period, recent estimates¹ suggest that nearly half of Brits have or plan to make improvements to their home this year equating to an average spend of £3,169.

Faced with the prospect of a gloomy winter, NICEIC believes the clever use of lighting can transform any garden into a twilight oasis – perfect for livening up those long and dreary nights in.

Paul Collins, NICEIC’s Technical Services Manager, said: “Faced with a new lockdown that ends in early December, many Brits will be looking at creating the ultimate winter garden space to help them cope with those socially barren long and dreary nights ahead.

“From illuminating beautiful garden features to creating dramatic grounds settings, through to injecting striking ambience and warmth in outdoor dining areas – one aspect that offers limitless creative possibilities is the use of lighting.

“While it may be tempting to get carried away and attempt to dabble in potentially dangerous electrical work outdoors, it really is not advisable.  The ever changing weather poses an extra risk and having the right skills, knowledge and experience to install it properly and safely is vital. To ensure your outside lighting and electrics are installed exacting to key safety standards we would advise you to speak to a registered electrical contractor.”

NICEIC’s top tips for creating the ultimate winter garden include:

1.    Purchase some outdoor lighting. Whether its outdoor spotlights, festoon lights or even solar lights highlighting a pathway, always buy outdoor lighting equipment from a reputable retailer, and make sure all forms of lighting are waterproof.

2.    Maintain your lighting. Remember decorative lights plugged into an outdoor socket should be taken inside after use unless they are clearly labelled as waterproof.

3.    Correct Installation. Cables underground must be buried at a sufficient depth to avoid damage from garden tools. This will require the electrician to dig a trench in the garden. All cabling must be suitable for outside installation

4.    Safety comes first. All outside sockets must be RCD protected for safety. An RCD (residual current device) works by switching off the flow of electricity when a cable or flex is cut or damaged

5.    Invest in smart lighting controls. From smart bulbs that simply connect to a smart phone via an app, or a more professional smart system to help you manage, monitor and control lighting, smart lighting control could offer the convenience and design required.

For more information or to search for a registered electrical contractor in your area, visit www.niceic.com