So you have completed your lighting design and decided on a fixture family to install your design. Now, you need to place the fixtures where the light sources will provide the effects you are wanting to achieve.
The type of fixture you use will determine that actual mount you use. Many of the MR-11, MR-16 type fixtures and many of the common path/area lights use mounts that are interchangeable. This is includes some PAR-36 type fixtures as well.
One of the most common mechanical connections to fixture mounts is via a 1/2″ pipe thread. Most of these require rotating the fixture and wiring to install/remove a fixture from a mount.
More advanced connections use a clamping screw that does not require the fixture to be rotated in or out of the mount. These clamp type connections often have a slot to allow the fixture wire to slide in/out. This allows an installed fixture to be quickly removed from the mount without needing to disconnect (aka cut) the wire to remove it.
I am going to let the pictures and captions tell most of the story.
Mounts for Above Soil Fixture Placement
These slip-in metal stakes are very strong and do not turn brittle in cold weather.
These plastic stakes are all screw-in type. The one on the left is for heavy and/or tall fixtures.
Mounts for Hard Surface Fixture Placement
These mounts are used when fixtures are to be mounted to a hard surface. They are commonly used when mounting to wood, stone and concrete.
Some examples of Surface Mounts in use:
Surface mount with 1/2″ pipe thread connection. Brass coupling and threaded nipple added to move fixture further from surface.
Surface mount with slip connection mounted on natural stone.
Path/area light fixture with short stem mounted to concrete coping of entry steps. Note: Coping was drilled to allow wiring to pass down into the wall.
Sub-Surface Mounting
Fixtures are mounted below a surface in areas where they may create a hazard if they were mounted on the surface, where they may be damaged by equipment (such as turf maintenance equipment) or where they do not want to be seen.
A plastic “well” can house a gimbal that accepts various light sources such as MR-16 and PAR36 types. Shown here with a PAR36 halogen incandescent light source.
Well lights can be open (as above) or covered. Covers vary depending on the purpose. If the well light is to be protected from leaves and litter then a glass cover may be installed. If it is to be protected from traffic (foot or otherwise) then a suitable metal grate may be installed.
Metal grates (such as this one) are durable enough to be driven over by passenger cars and light trucks.
Specialty Mounts
Some of the more common “special” mounts are gutter mounts and tree mounts. Gutter mounts attach inside a rain gutter. This allows a fixture to be aimed at architectural features that may not be properly illuminate from the ground. The rain gutter serves to hide and channel the wiring. Fixtures used for this purpose are chosen to be light and small.
The better tree mounts are designed with protection of the tree in mind. The use of stainless steel for mounting hardware reduces the possibility of causing diseases to the tree. Keeping an air gap between the tree bark and the mount helps prevent rotting due to trapped moisture.
Tree mounts require periodic maintenance. Typically every 1 – 3 years the mounting studs need to be backed out to maintain the air gap and prevent the tree from growing around the fixture mount.
Clockwise from 9 o’clock: Gutter mount-threaded, tree light mount with stainless steel studs-slip, threaded to slip adapter.
Tree lights, mounted.
Problems with tree light installations from lack of maintenance.
Short circuit caused by power wire getting pinched due to tree growth.
Tree swallowing fixture mount due to surface mounting and lack of maintenance.
Just Garden Geeks 