Minnesota's long winters mean your home spends a lot of hours in the dark. Good outdoor lighting extends the usability of your property into the evening, improves safety on walkways and driveways, and adds meaningful curb appeal — whether for daily enjoyment or for resale. Here's what to think through when planning outdoor lighting.
Types of Outdoor Lighting
- Security lighting: Motion-activated floodlights over garages, entryways, and back yards. Bright, utilitarian, triggered by movement.
- Pathway and step lighting: Low-voltage lights along walkways and steps improve safety for guests and reduce liability. Can be hardwired or low-voltage LED systems.
- Landscape and accent lighting: Uplighting for trees, downlighting from eaves, and accent lights for architectural features. Creates depth and visual interest after dark.
- String lights and pergola lighting: Popular for decks and outdoor living spaces. Requires dedicated outdoor circuits and proper weatherproofing.
- Dusk-to-dawn and timer-controlled fixtures: Fixtures that turn on automatically at sunset and off at sunrise, or on a programmable schedule.
What the Electrical Work Involves
Most outdoor lighting projects require running new circuits from the panel, installing weatherproof junction boxes, and connecting fixtures that are rated for outdoor use. All outdoor outlets and lighting circuits near grade require GFCI protection. For landscape lighting, we install a dedicated low-voltage transformer tied to a proper circuit.
In Minnesota, any underground wiring needs to be buried at the correct depth — 12 inches minimum for conduit, 24 inches for direct-burial cable — and properly routed to avoid freeze-thaw damage.
LED vs. Halogen for Outdoor Use
LED is the right choice for outdoor lighting in Minnesota. LED fixtures handle cold temperatures better than halogen, use 75–80% less energy, and last 10–15 times longer. Cold climates used to cause problems for early LED bulbs, but current LED fixtures rated for outdoor use handle Minnesota winters without issues.
Smart Outdoor Lighting
Smart outdoor fixtures — controllable by app, voice assistant, or schedule — are increasingly popular. We wire and configure smart switches and fixtures from brands like Lutron, Kasa, and Leviton. If you want your pathway lights to come on at sunset and your garage floodlights to alert you when motion is detected, that's all achievable with a proper installation.
Hawkins Electric handles outdoor lighting installation throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul, Blaine, and the Twin Cities metro. Call or book online to schedule a consultation.