That the outside of your home is well lit is a must for many reasons. Practicality is one – falling up the garden path is never fun. Security is another, as would be intruders tend to shy away from well lit landscapes as they offer far fewer places to lurk and hide. Then there is the aesthetic aspect of things. A dark yard does tend to look creepy and foreboding, rather than cosy and welcoming.Â
That last point is especially important to pay attention to if you are trying to sell your home, especially right now during the winter months. The chances are that any evening showings will take place in, at the least, the twilight hours and the exterior of your home should be as attractively illuminated as possible.
If your home could use a little extra lighting one newer option well worth considering are solar bricks. Solar bricks are innovative lighting sources that are as cool as they are clever. Basically they are exactly what the name suggests, blocks that take the place of a brick and provide no cost illumination in dusky and dark conditions. They can be laid into the kerb of a footpath to light the way after dark falls or, as they are more commonly used, an accent for a brick patio or even within a lawn to add a very special touch to outdoor landscaping.
Solar bricks work in the same way as other forms of solar lighting. During the day time, when the sun is out(even in the winter) solar brick lights absorb energy from the sun and store it in their solar cells. Once night begins to fall, they light up and then provide hours of bright, steady light. They can be set on a timer to go on and off by themselves or some can be switched on and off manually and used only on an as needed basis.
Solar bricks come in a number of different shapes, sizes and styles. Some are purely practical square or rectangular bricks, ideal for adding to pathways to provide illumination for safety purposes. Others are coloured, can be found in more unusual shapes and are perfect for use for landscaping purposes.
How difficult are solar bricks to install?
In essence solar bricks are designed to take the place of a regular brick or small paving stone and are laid in a similar way. It may be a little trickier than installing another type of solar light but they do come with clear instructions and the process is far more straightforward than if you were installing a traditional electric light into a pathway as that involves all kinds of extra wiring and calls for a lot of technical know how, even if you do need to call in a handyman to make sure that everything is straight!
How much sunlight do solar bricks need to function well?
The sunnier the spot solar bricks are laid in the better but they do not need tropical levels of sunshine in order to work very well. As long as they are exposed to plenty of natural light in general during the day by the time night falls solar bricks are usually all charged up and ready to go.
Are Solar Bricks Very Expensive? Where Can I Buy Them?Â
How much solar bricks will cost depends very much on the type of brick that you choose. The very decorative options will usually cost a little more than the more basic white light versions but on the whole solar bricks are very reasonably priced and have the great advantage that in terms of running costs they will not cost a penny. In terms of supply sourcing if you are an online shopper Amazon have a great selection of solar bricks available (most with Prime shipping) and for those who prefer to visit a bricks and mortar store so do big box home stores like Lowes.