Attaching lights to trees
 

For reasons I don't particularly want to get into, I'm considering
mounting some low voltage floods to some mature trees in my yard,
principally sweetgums and maybe an oak. What is considered a reasonably
good-for-the-tree way to do this? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

Anything that punctures the bark by definition damages the tree and
is a potential path for disease / critters, though the odds are that the
tree will endure and adapt just fine. You may wish to consider
a hanging arrangement. -- Should you decide to sink screws into the tree,
there
are many commercial tree salve products available to seal the affected area.

"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...

? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

In article k.net,
wrote:

Anything that punctures the bark by definition damages the tree and
is a potential path for disease / critters, though the odds are that the
tree will endure and adapt just fine. You may wish to consider
a hanging arrangement. -- Should you decide to sink screws into the tree,
there
are many commercial tree salve products available to seal the affected area.


Thanks, I'll look into that. Hanging isn't really an option. Somebody
asked so...

One of my (good) neighbors has recently mounted a streetlight-style
light on the side of his house over his driveway. He has no windows on
that side of his house. Unfortunately, the light is not shielded in any
way, and sends light sideways in all directions, including into my
whole yard. I'm fairly sure the intent was security for the cars in his
driveway, so I'm going to see if he would be satisfied with some low
voltage floods pointing down on same from my yard. As such, the lights
need to have a pretty constant aim, thus hanging won't do in this case.
His driveway is tangent to my yard.


"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...

? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

Or he might be receptive to the idea of a motion detection system to turn
the lights on.

Dwayne

"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...
In article k.net,
wrote:

Anything that punctures the bark by definition damages the tree and
is a potential path for disease / critters, though the odds are that the
tree will endure and adapt just fine. You may wish to consider
a hanging arrangement. -- Should you decide to sink screws into the tree,
there
are many commercial tree salve products available to seal the affected
area.


Thanks, I'll look into that. Hanging isn't really an option. Somebody
asked so...

One of my (good) neighbors has recently mounted a streetlight-style
light on the side of his house over his driveway. He has no windows on
that side of his house. Unfortunately, the light is not shielded in any
way, and sends light sideways in all directions, including into my
whole yard. I'm fairly sure the intent was security for the cars in his
driveway, so I'm going to see if he would be satisfied with some low
voltage floods pointing down on same from my yard. As such, the lights
need to have a pretty constant aim, thus hanging won't do in this case.
His driveway is tangent to my yard.


"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...

? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

What about floods pointing up from the ground? Easier to wire and aim
the beam, also somewhat more attractive.

MAL

Dwayne wrote:

Or he might be receptive to the idea of a motion detection system to turn
the lights on.

Dwayne

"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...

In article k.net,
wrote:


Anything that punctures the bark by definition damages the tree and
is a potential path for disease / critters, though the odds are that the
tree will endure and adapt just fine. You may wish to consider
a hanging arrangement. -- Should you decide to sink screws into the tree,
there
are many commercial tree salve products available to seal the affected
area.


Thanks, I'll look into that. Hanging isn't really an option. Somebody
asked so...

One of my (good) neighbors has recently mounted a streetlight-style
light on the side of his house over his driveway. He has no windows on
that side of his house. Unfortunately, the light is not shielded in any
way, and sends light sideways in all directions, including into my
whole yard. I'm fairly sure the intent was security for the cars in his
driveway, so I'm going to see if he would be satisfied with some low
voltage floods pointing down on same from my yard. As such, the lights
need to have a pretty constant aim, thus hanging won't do in this case.
His driveway is tangent to my yard.


"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
.. .

? Since it would be a light mass, would

small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

Steve Holzworth wrote:
For reasons I don't particularly want to get into, I'm considering
mounting some low voltage floods to some mature trees in my yard,
principally sweetgums and maybe an oak. What is considered a reasonably
good-for-the-tree way to do this? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

I suggest a method which "hugs" the tree without penetrating the bark.
Put a length of inexpensive dog tie-out chain around the tree with the
chain tensioned by a coil spring. I've got a few coil springs which
I'm willing contribute to the project.

Daniel B. Martin

In article , Daniel
B. Martin wrote:

Steve Holzworth wrote:
For reasons I don't particularly want to get into, I'm considering
mounting some low voltage floods to some mature trees in my yard,
principally sweetgums and maybe an oak. What is considered a reasonably
good-for-the-tree way to do this? Since it would be a light mass, would
small gauge wood screws into the trunk be OK, or will that damage the
tree?

I suggest a method which "hugs" the tree without penetrating the bark.
Put a length of inexpensive dog tie-out chain around the tree with the
chain tensioned by a coil spring. I've got a few coil springs which
I'm willing contribute to the project.

Daniel B. Martin

I thought about that, using something like the extra large zip ties for
AC ducts combined with shock cord to allow expansion, but I'm afraid
that such techniques will require so much tension to keep the lamp
stable that it might crimp or collar the tree growth.

As to uplighting as suggested by another respondent, for security
purposes, downlighting will tend to give better exposure, and produce
less glare. I suspect that part of the intent of the current light is
to illuminate the interiors of the vehicles at night too.

The "streetlight" replaced two old-style PAR floods. I guess this
fixture uses less energy than the incandescent floods. My experience
with motion/IR sensors in the neighborhood are that they are mis-set to
be too sensitive and suffer from false triggers all night.

On the soapbox: As an amateur astronomer, I have a dislike of excessive
outdoor lighting, and uplights in particular which contribute greatly
to the light domes over cities and obscure the night sky. Really
intense lights do not help security that much; once the area is lit,
the extra lumens just contribute to glare. I have 10 watt bulbs in the
fixtures at my doors, along with shielded low voltage lights along
walkways. That's easily enough to light the immediate area and show me
who's at the door.

If you go to Jordan Lake at night, you can look east and tell exactly
where Cary/Apex, Chapel Hill/Durham, and Raleigh are by the big glow in
the sky.

--
Steve Holzworth* ** ** ** *** ** ** *"Do not attribute to poor spelling
* * ** * ** ** ** *That which is actually poor typing..."
Senior Systems Developer* ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *- me
SAS Institute - Open Systems R&D VMS/MAC/UNIX
Cary, N.C.