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January 20, 2014 By Josh Hyatt Leave a Comment

How to Hire the Best Landscaper in Charlotte NC

Sometimes choosing the right landscaper can seem like a daunting task. There are so many different landscaping companies — how do you choose which is best for your home or business? Hyatt Landscaping provides 3 useful tips when hiring a landscaping professional in the Charlotte NC area:

Testimonials
Look online and ask others for testimonials of the landscape company you’re interested in hiring. One of the best ways to investigate a landscaper is to do a quick search online to see if anyone has left reviews about that company.  You can even ask the landscaper for previous customers you may contact.  Nothing gives you a better look inside the company than the testimonials you will read online or hear in person.

Price
Do not let the cost of landscaping or landscape design be your only deciding factor.  Always compare apples to apples regarding landscape quotes.  Material quality and quantity are often major factors in calculating the final estimate.  Size and maturity of plant material and trees can be somewhat misleading as well.  You may find one company offering a 6-8′ Dogwood in a 15 gallon container and another will quote a 6-8′ Dogwood that’s field grown. Most times the latter will be a much larger caliper and more mature tree, though they may look like the same item when comparing quotes.  Make sure you look into all aspects of the proposal when hiring a landscape company to renovate or install your landscaping project.

Experience
Anytime you hire a contractor to take handle a project around your home, it’s imperative that you find someone with experience.  Many professions have certifications and licenses that allow companies to show instant credibility to potential customers.  In the horticulture industry, these are becoming more and more necessary to distinguish between companies who have experience and those that do not.  Hyatt Landscaping is fortunate to have multiple Registered Landscape Contractors, Licensed Irrigation Contractors, and Certified Plant Professionals on staff.  Another great way to be sure a landscaping company has previous experience is to flip through their website and look at the photos of previous work. However you chose to go about it, it’s important to make sure you hire a landscaping expert that can handle your job properly.

Hyatt Landscaping has been serving Charlotte NC for over 30 years. With their exceptional customer service, competitive pricing and over 30 years in business, you can rest assured they will be able to create you the perfect outdoor living area you have been dreaming of. Contact them today for a Consultation!

Filed Under: Charlotte NC, Landscaping Charlotte NC Tagged With: best landscaper in charlotte nc, best landscaping company charlotte nc, landscaper charlotte nc, landscaping charlotte nc

January 20, 2014 By Josh Hyatt Leave a Comment

Reasons to Redesign Your Yard This Winter | Landscaping Charlotte

If you’re like most folks, you never stop thinking about how your landscape and outdoor living area could be better!  As with anything, getting a plan in place before breaking ground can make all the difference in the end result.  Our professional landscape design services can help you transform the visual appearance and add functional elements to your home and garden.  Using appropriate design techniques, you can help the curb appeal of your home while at the same time increase its overall value. With winter right around the corner, there are several reasons you should consider making some changes to your landscape.

Stay Warm

There are many items that can be added to your landscape during the colder months that are actually installed to provide a break from the lower temps.  Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are becoming more and more popular as the years go by.  Having a place to sit and stay warm during the winter is priceless when you start to feel cooped up inside.  Friends, family and guests tend to gravitate to these spaces because of the calm peaceful effect of a warm soothing fire.  In addition to the obvious, pergolas and hot tubs can be just the thing for a more intimate, moon-lit night with your spouse or loved one.  We invest a lot of hard work and money in our landscape.  Why not add something to your outdoor living area that can increase the time you’re able to enjoy it?

Ready by Springtime

Some major landscaping improvements take a while to install.  Rather than wait until spring when the weather turns warmer, why not go ahead and get your project installed during the winter?  That way by the time spring arrives, and you can enjoy your new landscape during one of the loveliest seasons of the year.  Patios, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, etc are all projects that can be done very efficiently during the winter months.  Also, contrary to popular belief, the winter is actually a great time to plant trees and shrubs!  Many thing are dormant and will have not stress or shock from transplanting as it common during the hotter months of the year…and you’re giving it some time to grow and root in before the heat of the summer arrives.  Not to mention many popular flowering trees and shrubs bloom in early spring.  If we’re able to get your new landscape design implemented this winter, you’ll have the entire year to enjoy all the different aspects of your new landscape. 

Shed Some Light

This is also a great time of the year to consider outdoor lighting.  With daylight savings time in full effect, the days are shorter and you find yourself at home in the dark much more often than the rest of the year.  Landscape lighting is the perfect addition to any home because it extends the ability to use your landscape.  Whether you’re pulling in your driveway after a long day, peaking out your kitchen window at your beautiful back yard, or just out getting some fresh air after dark, landscape lighting is sure to enhance your experience.  Properly designed systems can help you safely enjoy your most valuable asset, while allowing you to take advantage of and appreciate your landscape whenever you want.

Hyatt Landscaping has been serving the Charlotte NC area for over 30 years. Let us help you create an attractive outdoor living area this winter! Contact us today for a Free Consultation.

Filed Under: Charlotte NC, Landscape Tips, Landscaping Charlotte NC Tagged With: best landscaper in charlotte nc, charlotte landscaping company, landscaper charlotte nc, landscaping charlotte nc

December 20, 2013 By Josh Hyatt Leave a Comment

Landscape Lighting – LED Means Smart in Lighting

Energy Savings-resized-600 Ever wondered what LED stands for?  Well, in low voltage lighting LED means smart, intelligent, brilliant and in some translations, genius!  If you’ve ever had a low voltage landscape lighting system that used typical halogen bulbs, you know that the cost and hassle of constantly changing bulbs can sometimes outweigh the benefits of the system.  Not to mention the higher electricity costs associated with higher wattage use.  There’s no doubt the upfront costs of using LED products are higher than if you were to use comparable halogen products.  However, there are other factors to consider in determining if the additional cost is justified.  Whether upgrading an existing system or installing a new system altogether, it’s usually only a matter of time before LED bulbs pay for themselves.  Below we’ll look at 3 reason why we recommend LED systems in almost every situation.

1. Bulb Life and Replacement Cost 

A typical LED bulb will generally cost about 5 to 10 times more than its halogen counterpart.  The difference is that an LED bulb will last 8 to 10 times longer.  That may seem like a wash over time, but when you factor service charges on top of material costs for changing bulbs, the benefits are much easier to understand.  Halogen bulbs will need to be replaced about every year, whereas an LED bulb would last close to 10 years.  Even if you decided to tackle the labor yourself, you’ve still got to figure your time into the equation.  Also, given that halogen bulbs have a much smaller window of recommended voltage, it’s not uncommon to see a domino effect of burn outs if you don’t regularly check the system for necessary replacements.  In other words, when one bulb burns out, more voltage is being pushed to the remaining lights on that run.  Higher voltage means a decrease in bulb life.  If the first bulb isn’t

flex-home-mr16

 replaced, the second will burn out quicker, and the third even quicker, etc.  The moral of the story is, if you choose to go with a halogen system, keep replacement bulbs handy and check the system regularly!

2. Energy Consumption

Low voltage lighting is already efficient because it allows you to customize how much light you need in every scenario by choosing from a plethora of fixtures and lamps.  However, with LED lamps, you’re using much less wattage for the same light output.  A 35 watt halogen MR-16 may be replaced with a 5 or 6 watt LED MR-16.  You could use 2 watt LED bi-pins to replace 10 watt halogen bi-pins.  The lower the total wattage for your system, the fewer kilowatt hours it will use over the life of the system.  As you can see, it’s not uncommon to use 5 times less energy, which means it cost 5 times less to run!  Depending on the size of your system, that could add up quickly.

 

flex-home-t3

3. Simplified Voltage Distribution

Without getting too complicated, let’s look as how a low voltage landscape lighting system works.  First and foremost, you need a transformer.  This transformer will reduce the amount of voltage being sent to the fixtures.  Most systems are 12 Volt systems, which means when you plug the transformer into a 120 volt outlet, it has to reduce the voltage down to accommodate the system’s 12 volt requirement.  Now, because the fixtures are not all right beside the transformer, wire has to be run from the transformer to each fixture.  This distance, along with the number of watts on that run, are used in determining how much voltage loss you’ll have at the light itself.  Most transformers have various taps that put out anywhere from 11 to 15 Volts to accommodate for this voltage drop.  These calculations are very important in halogen systems in order to ensure maximum bulb life and equal brightness throughout the system.  As stated above, higher voltage means less bulb life…but it also means a brighter bulb.  The recommended voltage at each light for a halogen bulb is between 10.8 and 11.5.  Where 12 Volts would theoretically give you 100% bulb life and 100% brightness, the recommended range allows for a much longer bulb life without loosing too much in the way of brightness.  This range for LED lamps is MUCH greater.  They can operate anywhere from 10 to 18 Volts without sacrificing bulb life or a noticeable difference in brightness.  In addition, the lower wattage on that run means that you’re loosing much less voltage anyhow.  This allows you to put more lights on a run, use smaller gauge wire, and in the future you’re less likely to negatively effect the system by adding more lights. 

If you’re considering installing a new system, to me it’s a no brainer.  LED is the only way to go!  If you have a system and you’re trying to decide whether to upgrade to LED lamps, I strongly suggest it.  You will save time, money, and aggravation in the long run…guaranteed!

Ready to get started on your Landscape Lighting Project?  Contact us now for a free estimate!

Stay tuned for more professional landscaping tips from Hyatt Landscaping, Inc!  If you enjoyed this article, please comment below and be sure to “like” us on Facebook.  Thanks!!!

Filed Under: Charlotte NC, Just for Fun, Landscape Tips, Landscaping Charlotte NC Tagged With: charlotte landscape lighting, landscape lighting charlotte nc

December 16, 2013 By Josh Hyatt Leave a Comment

Landscape Lighting Automation – Photocells VS Astronomical Timers

 For years the landscape lighting industry has relied on a number of methods to automate when low voltage transformers would turn on and off.  Without this automation the system would have to be manually switched on every evening and off when desired, which is a daunting task to ask of anyone.  Basic mechanical timers were originally installed within the transformers to provide some level of automation.  Many of these timers would allow you to set multiple “on” of “off” times by inserting small pins beside the desired time on a mechanical dial.  These timers were definitely better than nothing, but as you can imagine, they were less than ideal.  If for any reason you lost power, time would stand still and your settings would be incorrect.  The next thing you knew, it’d be 8 o’clock at night and you’d be in sitting in the dark! 

Both Daylight Savings Time and the subtle changes in sunrise / sunset that happen daily would also bring about similar frustrations.  Sometimes you’d be left in the dark, other times you’d look over and see lights shining in broad daylight.  Since then, there have been many products that have given us much more control and programmability for the automation side of our landscape lighting systems.  As you could imagine with anything technological, new and improved products are being designed and invented every day.  The sky’s the limit on what you could do if you were willing to shell out the appropriate amount of cash to accomplish your automation goals.  However in this blog, I’m going to focus on two widely used methods of automation.  Almost every system installed today comes with either a photocell or an astronomical timer.  Below I will quickly describe what each one does and which one I lean towards using in the projects I’m working on. 

Photocell collage
Various examples of photocells used to automate low voltage landscape lighting

Photocells are broadly used and very popular in low voltage systems.  They are small devices that use light to regulate the flow of electrical current.  In other words, when light hits the sensor it turns the system off.  In the absence of light, the current is then allowed to flow as normal and the system turns on.  These are also widely used for street lights because it’s a simple formula: On at night, off during the day.  The problem with that formula and a landscape lighting system is that some applications require an “off” period at night, typically to save on electricity.  For this reason, digital and mechanical timers are often used in conjunction with photocells to allow a programmable “off” period.  The photocell can be used at dusk to turn on the system while the timer turns it off at a desired time: 10pm, 12am, 2am, etc.  You can also set the timer to turn the system back on in the morning, say around 5am so that you can appreciate it when you wake up.  The photocell would then turn off the system at dawn and keep it from turning on until the cycle begins again that evening.  Either of these scenarios are actually pretty amazing because you no longer have to adjust the on / off events to match the ever changing sunrise and sunset times.  Of course, if you use a mechanical timer, it would need to be reset after daylight savings or if you ever loose power to the outlet, but in theory this setup works wonderfully!  Photocells make it very easy to control when your system should be on and off based on the amount of light is sees.  Pretty amazing technology if you ask me!   However there are some downsides to using photocells that should be mentioned. 

First off, durability.  The jury’s still out on how long these guys are supposed to function properly.  If I were to guess, most of the photocells that I’ve had to change out were about 2 years old.  For what they do, this may be an acceptable time frame and knowing that they won’t last forever may not be that big of a deal.  

Secondly, location.  Many times your transformer is installed in somewhat hidden or inconspicuous locations, say behind some foundation plantings on the side of your home.  The amount of light that is able to shine on these locations can change overtime, mainly because of growing plant material.  When that plant grows and blocks the photocell, you may find that the lights come on earlier, stay on longer or simply never turn off.  When this happens your only options are to trim the bushes or extend the photocell to an area where it can receive the appropriate amount of light.  I have seen instances where neither of these options are desirable…which leads me to my next topic.

Astronomical Timer collage
Various examples of astromomical timers used to automate low voltage landscape lighting

Astronomical Timers are becoming more and more popular as people begin to learn what they do.  Now if you read the name and automatically begin to think of signs and horoscopes, that’s a completely different thing.  Astronomy is a scientific discipline that studies objects beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, unlike its non-scientific, pseudo-psychological, future predicting cousin…Astrology.  So now that that’s clear, what in the world would Astronomy have to do with my low voltage lighting system?  Simple…the Sun!  An Astronomical timer uses a pre-programmed database of times for sunrise and sunset to tell your system when to turn on and off.  All you have to do is tell the timer where you are in the world, the time / date, and when you want your lights to shine.  That’s about as easy as it comes – set and forget.  It even gives you an option to automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time.  They’re perfect for applications where light may be an issue, as described above.  I’ve seen transformers in garages, basements, crawlspaces and even boathouses.  Not that I would recommend putting your transformer indoors, but in those instances, photocells are much more difficult to use effectively.  Another noteworthy benefit to astronomical timers are their customizability.  You can easily program on / off events specific to your desired uses.  You may want your system to stay on longer on the weekends or a specific night of the week.  And finally, as with many digital timers, they typically have a battery backup which helps save your settings if the outlet looses power. 

More advanced techniques can be used to either control zones of lighting or to give remote control capabilities, but in most residential and commercial settings, one of the two automation techniques above are all that’s needed.  Between Photocells and Astronomical Timers, I tend to lean towards the timer in most applications.  The longer lifespan and increased customization when paired with a wider range of acceptable uses makes it a no-brainer for me.  However, photocells do still have their place in the market and can be very effective when used properly.  In the end you’ve still got a system that knows when to come on and when to turn off.  What more do you need? 

Ready to get started on your Landscape Lighting Project?  Contact us now for a free estimate!

Stay tuned for more professional landscaping tips from Hyatt Landscaping, Inc!  If you enjoyed this article, please comment below and be sure to “like” us on Facebook.  Thanks!!!

Filed Under: Charlotte NC, Landscape Tips, Landscaping Charlotte NC Tagged With: landscape lighting charlotte nc, landscaping charlotte nc

October 25, 2013 By Josh Hyatt Leave a Comment

Let There Be Light! Landscape Lighting in Charlotte NC

I love this time of year! Colorful leaves, carved pumpkins and worried turkeys abound. The sights and sounds of Christmas are starting to pop up all around us. The heat of the summer is behind us and the shorter days can make for a much more relaxing schedule. The only problem is, you have a beautiful home and landscape that is in the dark a majority of the time you’re there! Landscape Lighting can help you safely enjoy your most valuable asset, while allowing you to take advantage of and appreciate your landscape whenever you want.

Safety
Have you ever had to stop and wait for your eyes to adjust before walking around the corner of your home at night? Does pulling up a dark driveway in the evening make you wish you had at least left a porch light on? Properly designed and installed low voltage lighting systems can change the entire feel of your property. Well lit pathways, steps and parking areas can allow for much safer transitions as you walk around your home. In addition to physical safety, shedding light on your home and landscape is sure to increase the security of your property. Nothing adds more safety and security than light!

Accent
Your home is your most valuable asset. With today’s busy schedules, it’s not uncommon for families to leave their home early and get home late. This time of year, that means you’re not able to visibly enjoy the place you spend countless hours every week working to pay for. Some of you may even spend your weekends working in the yard, only to see the sun go down on such a beautiful landscape. Landscape lighting could be the answer you’ve been looking for. Call us today for a professionally designed low voltage lighting system.

Extend
In addition to visibly enjoying your home and landscape, many special fixtures are designed to increase the usability of the spaces they light up. For instance, path lights can provide a soft, subtle light to a patio or fire pit that allows you to enjoy spending countless hours outside well into the evening hours. Certain step lights and wall lights can provide an inviting atmosphere that welcomes you, your family and friends to kick back, relax and stay awhile.
Regardless of why you choose to install landscape lighting at your home, the benefits will be enjoyed for years to come. With the technological advancements of LED lamps, our systems are practically maintenance free! Contact us NOW for a free consultation and let’s shed some light on your beautiful home and landscape!

Filed Under: Charlotte NC, Just for Fun, Landscape Tips, Landscaping Charlotte NC, Landscaping Cornelius NC, Landscaping Huntersville NC

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