The 7 Most Common Landscape Lighting Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

TPG Lighting’s guide to a system that looks stunning and performs beautifully

Landscape lighting has the power to completely transform your home after dark—but only when it’s done right. At TPG Lighting, we’ve seen too many homeowners and even some contractors make critical mistakes that leave systems underperforming, unattractive, or short-lived.

In this article, we’ll break down the 7 most common landscape lighting mistakes—and how our expert team helps you avoid them.

1. Overlighting the Home

The Mistake: Blasting the house with bright floodlights washes out the beauty and creates a harsh, uninviting look.
The Fix: TPG Lighting uses layered lighting techniques with low-voltage LED fixtures and warm color temperatures to create a balanced, welcoming glow that enhances features—not overwhelms them.

2. Poor Fixture Placement

The Mistake: Placing lights too close to walls, plants, or walkways can cause glare, hot spots, or unwanted shadows.
The Fix: Our team carefully positions each fixture to maximize coverage and minimize glare, ensuring your lighting highlights the right features with the right angles.

3. Inconsistent Color Temperatures

The Mistake: Mixing warm white, cool white, and blue-toned LEDs leads to a jarring and mismatched look.
The Fix: We use consistent, professional-grade LEDs (typically 2700K–3000K) throughout the system to maintain visual harmony across the entire property.

4. Using Low-Quality Fixtures

The Mistake: Cheap fixtures from big-box stores corrode, break, or dim quickly—costing more in replacements and repairs.
The Fix: TPG Lighting installs commercial-grade fixtures built to last, with solid warranties and performance designed for long-term outdoor use.

5. Neglecting Key Features

The Mistake: Many systems focus only on paths or entryways, leaving trees, architectural elements, or gathering areas in darkness.
The Fix: We design a custom lighting layout for every client that highlights your home’s best features from every angle—including landscape beds, water features, outdoor kitchens, and more.