One of the concerns that homeowners commonly have when adding landscape lighting to their Northern Virginia property is how it might affect their neighbors. “Light trespass” is a situation that occurs when lighting from one property shines onto another when it is not desired.

It’s a form of light pollution and also the source for some potential disagreements between neighbors.

After all, it can be annoying if a light is shining into your yard (or even through your window) from another property.

For that reason, homeowners want to know how to prevent light trespass with landscape lighting.

In this article, we will talk about some of the strategies that can be used to avoid this common landscape lighting mistake:

• What Is an Example of Light Trespass?
• How to Prevent Light Trespass With Landscape Lighting Design
• Pay Attention to the Brightness of Your Landscape Lights
• Don't Overdo the Number of Lights in Your Yard
• Be Strategic With the Direction of Your Lights
• Plan Your Successful Lighting Design

Much of it boils down to wise choices for landscape lighting design with advanced planning. That’s why we’ll also discuss working from a landscape lighting design.

What is an example of light trespass?

An example of light trespass would be if a spotlight placed in your yard also shines light into your neighbor’s yard. Maybe it’s shining into one of their windows or even in their eyes when outside, negatively impacting their experience.

Light trespass is essentially any form of light that is shining somewhere it was not intended.

Spotlights are a common culprit of this problem as they can easily get kicked or moved. So, even if the light was originally pointed in your yard, it might now be shining elsewhere.

Of course, sometimes light trespass is a matter of poor planning, like using more lights than necessary or lights that are too bright. We’ll dive into that next.

How to Prevent Light Trespass with Landscape Lighting Design

There are many ways to prevent light trespass, and most of it comes down to a well-thought-out landscape lighting design. The key is to plan ahead and think through factors like brightness, the number of lights, and the direction the light is pointing.

While that might seem obvious, light trespass is a common landscape lighting mistake, particularly on DIY jobs. This is why we always recommend professional landscape lighting. But it’s also a mistake made by some “pros” who aren’t skilled at thoughtful designs or planning ahead.

Here are a few things that will help avoid this common problem.

Pay Attention to the Brightness of Your Landscape Lights

When too bright, landscape lighting can become intrusive and even uncomfortable. Lights that are too bright can also contribute to light trespass as they may shine further than intended.

Paying attention to appropriate brightness is important when it comes to enjoying your landscape lighting to the fullest and also avoiding light pollution.

Your landscape lighting professional should know how many lumens you need. Lumens are a unit of light measurement that helps determine the brightness of the light. Different landscape lighting applications will require different lumens. For instance, in an outdoor kitchen, where you are preparing food, you might need more brightness than in a cozy spot by the outdoor fireplace.

These are important details to consider when creating your landscape lighting design.

Paying attention to the brightness of the light not only helps prevent light trespass but it can also impact aesthetics and functionality. Lights that are too bright simply don’t look good and they can even be “blinding.” This can negatively impact the functionality of the space you are lighting.

Don't Overdo the Number of Lights in Your Yard

With landscape lighting, less is more. That’s a design concept that sometimes gets ignored but it’s incredibly important.

One common landscape lighting mistake is lining up too many lights in a row or having them too close together. Too many lights can make it more likely that you’re contributing to light pollution and potentially shining light into your neighbor’s yard.

But installing too many lights can also detract from aesthetics. It can look sloppy and overdone. Even worse, if they’re all lined up in a row, you could create the look of an airport runway.

This is a common mistake that we see when using walkway or pathway lighting. It’s very important that people can see where they are going, but this often requires fewer lights than people think it does.

A landscape lighting professional should know just the right number of lights that are needed to light your property appropriately and not overdo it.

Be Strategic With the Direction of Your Lights

How the lights are pointed or aimed is also a huge contributing factor to accidental light trespass. Making sure that lights are pointed where you want them to shine (and not shining light where you don’t want it to shine) is critical.

On tight properties that are side-by-side, extra precautions can also be taken with lighting accessories like shrouds and shields, which help to contain the light to a limited area.

The type of light also matters. Smaller lights, like bullet lights, are highly directional and can be pointed at a very specific location (without casting light further than desired).

So much of this does boil down to paying attention to the direction of the light and how the fixture is pointed. It is a small but critical detail.

What can I do if my neighbor's light is too bright?

While this article was intended to focus on how to avoid light trespass, we know that some homeowners might already be experiencing it. If you are a homeowner frustrated that your neighbor’s lights are shining into your yard or home, you might wonder what you can do.

As you might have guessed, this can be a complicated situation. Many would argue that it’s a private property matter and that light trespass invades private property.

But as far as what the laws say, it can vary by county. For instance, Fairfax County has some ordinances in place, including a statement that lights must be shielded to avoid shining into a neighbor’s property.

Ultimately, if you are dealing with an issue with your neighbor, we always recommend taking a friendly approach to try and come to an agreement. Sometimes neighbors might not realize the impact that their landscape lighting is having on another property.

It might only be one or two lights that are causing a problem and hopefully can be an easy fix (like changing the direction or adding a shield).

Plan the Right Landscape Lighting Design for Your Alexandria, Arlington or Springfield, VA Home

As we’ve mentioned, at the end of the day, avoiding landscape lighting mistakes (like light trespass) comes down to smart planning. That means working from a landscape lighting design and not just haphazardly placing lights around your property.

Ultimately, you’ll get much better results if you choose professional landscape lighting.

Of course, you can’t just choose anyone. To ensure you’re getting the best lighting for your Northern Virginia home, we recommend taking the time to explore your options.

That includes looking through the websites of the companies you’re considering. Go to the “About Us” page of any company you’re considering to learn more.

Working with a landscaping professional with an eye for design and extensive outdoor experience can help ensure the quality of your landscape lighting.

There is an art to landscape lighting, making it easy to tell the difference between a project completed professionally by a skilled company and one not. With a professional service, you can expect high-quality lighting fixtures—not something you can find in the local box store—installed properly and with an eye for design.

This includes avoiding landscape lighting mistakes, such as pointing lights toward a neighbor’s property or using lights that are too bright.

When your landscape lighting comes together the way you desire it, you’ll maximize your use and enjoyment of your space. It’s not worth any compromises.

If you’d like some guidance on adding landscape lighting, request a consultation, get your customized plan, and get ready for the royal treatment.