This particular  type of landscape lighting  uses 12 volt electrical instead of the 120 volts delivered by regular household current. These 12-volt systems do not require an electrician to install which makes them safe, easy to work with, and thus popular with homeowners.  Most people can install these lights after a “do-it-yourself” class offered by local hardware stores.

Another benefit is that light fixtures can be added and adjusted while the system is plugged in and turned on. Low voltage landscape lighting kits are generally affordable and available in most hardware and building centers.  With that being said, professionally installed and designed low voltage systems using higher grade components will give you lasting satisfaction that stands the test of time.

When planning your new garden, ask any landscape architect and they’ll tell you that well chosen and situated outdoor lighting is essential to all-season enjoyment of your garden.

 When carefully planned and installed, outdoor lighting can transform your property at night, turning trees, buildings and other landscape features into dramatic focal points.  Lighting is also essential for safety along paths and walkways, and around decks, patios, and stairs.

Staining concrete, also known as colored concrete,  is one of the most popular applications for transforming plain concrete slabs. Homeowners, builders and designers are using stained concrete because of the unique outcome that can be achieved combining colors. The results of this process is limited only by the creativity of those involved in the stained concrete process.

Because of concrete’s porous qualities and neutral tone, it is the perfect blank canvas for applying color. Using acid-based chemical stains, decorative concrete contractors have been able to achieve rich, earth-toned color schemes resembling natural stone, marble, wood, or even leather, giving a completely custom look to cement floors, concrete driveways, patios, walkways, pool decks, concrete walls and more.

Most acid stains are a mixture of water, hydrochloric acid, and acid-soluble metallic salts. They work by penetrating the surface and reacting chemically with the hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) in the concrete. The acid in the stain lightly etches the surface, allowing the metallic salts to penetrate more easily. Once the stain reacts, it becomes a permanent part of the concrete and won’t fade, chip off, or peel away. Like stains for wood, acid-based stains are translucent and the color they produce will vary depending on the color and condition of the substrate they are applied to. Each concrete slab will accept the stain in varying degrees of intensity, creating natural color variations that bring character and distinction to each project. What acid stains don’t offer is a broad color selection. You’ll mostly find them in a limited array of subtle earth tones, such as tans, browns, terra cottas, and soft blue-greens. But newer products on the market such as water-based penetrating stains and water- and solvent-based dyes are greatly expanding the color choices available. These colores can range from soft pastels to vivid reds, oranges, yellows, and purples.

Stamping isn’t the only way to put a realistic brick, stone or tile pattern in your concrete. You can achieve very similar effects with stenciling—and often with less time and effort. And the stencil can be applied to patios, driveways, sidewalks, floors and any other flatwork that you can think of using it on.

Both processes are completed while the concrete is still in its plastic state, but instead of rubber stamps, stenciling uses disposable paper stencils to impart the pattern. Because the stencils mask off the underlying surface, they leave behind realistic “mortar joints” the color of the gray concrete base. By applying a dry-shake color hardener to the exposed concrete before stencil removal, you’ll get the appearance of individual stones or bricks in a design pattern that all yours.

 Stamped concrete, which is sometimes referred to as patterned concrete, is a great choice when it comes to hardscaping your yard. This, in part, is due to its ability to mimic  both the color and texture of popular paving materials such as cobblestone, brick, fieldstone and slate. Yet stamped concrete surpasses these traditional favorites in many ways, offering greater versatility, economy, long-term performance and ease of installation.

Stamped concrete may have built a reputation as the ultimate copycat, but today it’s gaining respect for its design flair and versatility. Unlike masonry pavers or natural stone, cement offers  a myriad of options for customization. This is  because it can be shaped, imprinted, textured and colored to achieve almost any look imaginable. With concrete, stone that looks like the natural material can be economically recreated when patterns are pressed into the concrete. Stamping concrete can also blend harmoniously with just about any landscape or architectural scheme, making it suitable for all types of exterior hardscaping—and some interior applications as well.

The best news is that because stamped concrete is a customized product, it can be tailored