A Guide to the Outdoor Gas Light - How To Get Old World Charm and Romance in the Landscape

With all the different types of outdoor lighting available, one kind that is thought about less often is the outdoor gas light. However, if you would like a romantic, old world atmosphere, you surely should consider it! The outdoor gas light has a lovely flickering flame with a soft glow. How charming. The soft light it gives off is beautiful and so are the fixtures.

Although the fixtures can be made of various materials, I would recommend copper gas lights for the following reasons:

* Copper ages and looks attractive after many years. It develops its own lovely patina, which is different in color than the original copper.

* There are copper fixtures that are still around from the last century.

* It will not rust, rot or deteriorate.

* It can be re-cycled and re-used; it is renewable.

By the way the flickering flame does not attract insects, an added benefit.

The outdoor gas light operates on either natural gas or LP gas and can be adjusted manually. Therefore, there is no need for electricity. However, you can incorporate an electric starter. Here, the lights can be switched on and off from your home, but an electric line is needed.

There are some other operating options also. You can choose to use a timer to have the lights go on and off at certain times. This is, of course, is a practical solution to manually doing it yourself. You may also install a photocell. This causes the lights to work like solar lighting, although the photocell itself needs electricity.

These lights can be used in many places in the landscape. A nice place is at the beginning of your walkway, in place of the traditional post light. Just using one can give the nice look. They can be used around pools. An especially lovely use for them would be along a driveway.

When using them in this way, the actual placement depends on the length of the driveway. For example, if the driveway is a long one, they could be located every fifty feet or so. This would be just for effect, as the light they give off is less than other types. Supplement them with some low voltage fixtures for extra lighting. What a nice picture...driving along, approaching the house, with welcoming, soft, flickering lights along the way.

Gas lights began in the early to mid 1800's. Why not bring back that old fashioned atmosphere and consider using them? They really are beautiful.

Susan Schlenger is a Landscape Designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Visit her website to learn more about the Outdoor Gas Light.