awright, Author at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping

Enhancing Your Outdoor Living Space With Outdoor Audio

by awright | Feb 28, 2021 | Outdoor Living

Four people sitting beside a pool roasting marshmallows around a fire. — Enjoy your outdoor space with outdoor audio

Enhance your outdoor living space with outdoor audio. Eliminate the need to try to play your indoor system loudly enough to be heard outside, with the tinny sound that entails. With the right equipment, not only will it sound wonderful, but you can play your music on the patio while the kids can play their music by the pool. That keeps everyone happier.

If you have decided to install an outdoor audio system, there are several steps. Skipping a step can mean you are just never quite happy with the install. With the amount of money you can spend, and the amount of labor involved, you want to get it right the first time.

Make A Plan

Before you buy any equipment, you need to assess your space. Figure out how big the space is, what architectural features it has, and how many speakers it will take to cover it. A pair of speakers can cover 200-400 square feet in most cases. Too few speakers lead to overworking the ones you purchase, which will have poor sound quality and can blow the speakers. Too many speakers can waste money.

The acoustics outside are very different than the acoustics inside. Outside there are no walls to contain and reflect the sound. Unless you distribute the speakers properly, and use the correct speaker for each area, you will have loud spots and quiet spots. If you do not position the speakers right, you may flood your neighbors with sound. That would be a bad thing.

Speaker Considerations

The first rule when buying speakers is do not ruin your outdoor system by scrimping on your speakers. The second rule is buy outdoor speakers. Indoor speakers are just not built to last in the face of rain, snow, wind, sun, heat, and cold. The first time they get wet they will stop working. Even if you could somehow put the speakers in little houses to protect them, indoor speakers cannot handle the volume needed for the outdoors. They are designed for small, enclosed areas and are set to use the walls and ceiling to contain and reflect the sound.

Types Of Outdoor Speakers

Outdoor speakers come in wireless and hard-wired versions. The advantage of wireless speakers is that you can easily add them to your indoor receiver and control the whole thing on your smartphone. The disadvantage is that if you do not have a fast and stable internet connection in your home, the wireless speakers will not be able to deliver consistent sound. If your receiver does not have enough slots for the speakers you are using, you may have to get a new receiver that does.

Hard wired speakers deliver the best sound. They also work best for permanently mounted systems. One caution is that you must use heavy-duty, outdoor wire. Using internal speaker wire will cause static and the wires do not last long buried.

An example of an outdoor speaker installed in a flower bed.

When spacing speakers, be careful about putting them too close together. You will need to space them at least ten feet apart or they will interfere with one another. When placing the speakers, alternate right and left speakers so you have stereo wherever you are in the yard. You can purchase speakers that are disguised as garden rocks or bury more modern speakers partially for a sleek look. Place your speakers under natural cover such as trees and bushes to protect them so they will last longer.

Receivers And Amplifiers

You will need a receiver and an amplifier. The receiver gets the signals from the radio station and amplifies it before sending it to the speakers. However, it can only amplify the signal so much. You will need a multichannel amplifier to boost the signal so that it will reach each speaker with the strength necessary to have even sound around your space. Buy one that is compatible with your speakers.

Even if you have an indoor receiver, it is a good idea to buy a multi-channel receiver for your outdoor system. This allows each speaker to get a dedicated receiver channel. You can then segment your audio into zones just as your sprinklers have zones. One of the zones can be your indoor speakers so you can control your indoor and outdoor system from your smart phone. The zones can balance out soft and loud volume in your space. You can even use different zones to play separate channels. Make sure your receiver is compatible with the amplifier and speakers. Do not under power your speakers. You will need at least 40 watts per channel.

Now you have all components for your outdoor audio system. Be sure to test your speakers before final installation to make sure they are working as you expect before filling in the trenches that hold your wires.

Get A Professional To Design and Install Your Outdoor Audio System

Installing an outdoor audio system has a lot of moving parts. It also requires a lot of work. If you get it wrong, you will have to dig up the wires and move the speakers around until it sounds right. This can be very time consuming and incredibly frustrating. Consider how much your time is worth before tackling a big job like this.

Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping has experience installing outdoor audio systems. Our Blue Crew includes trained audio/visual experts that can install an outdoor audio system that will serve your needs, the first time.

We use Coastal Source speakers. They are durable, reliable, and have the many shapes and sizes of speakers it requires to really fill your outdoor living room with the sounds you love. As always, our goal is to bring you the ultimate outdoor experience. Contact us today to request an outdoor audio system consult.

Preventing Evergreen Winter Burn on Your Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

by awright | Feb 15, 2021 | Plant Care

A dead evergreen shrub that died from winter burn — This evergreen shrub died from winter burn

Winter burn is caused when an evergreen tree or shrub loses more water than it can take in. The damage ranges from brown, dry needle tips and leaf edges to the reddening of entire needles and leaves. In a bad case, entire branches can turn brown and die. Some trees, such as the one above, die entirely. Worse, the symptoms usually do not show until spring growth begins. Understanding the problem can help you prevent it.

Evergreens Never Go Totally Dormant

Even in the dead of winter, the stomates, or pores of the evergreen tree or shrub let some water out of the needle or leaf. This water has to be replaced with water the roots draw up into the tree. When the roots cannot draw up as much moisture as the tree lets out, winter burn occurs. There are several reasons why a tree or shrub cannot draw up as much water as it loses.

Drought During the Year

Roots cannot draw up water is the soil is too dry. If, at any point in the year, there has been dry weather, the tree enters the winter with drought stress. In fact, a tree or shrub that has suffered drought stress will always do worse in the winter than one who has been kept moist.

Frozen Soil, Frozen Roots

Evergreen trees and shrubs older than 2 years old should have roots that go deep in the soil. If the soil freezes deeper than the roots go, it cuts the roots off from soil moisture. It does not matter how moist the soil is, if it is frozen the roots cannot access that soil moisture. Evergreens younger than two years old do not have deep roots, so even a shallow soil freeze may cut them off from soil moisture.

Wind and Sun Are Not an Evergreen’s Friend

Winter burn is usually the worst on the side of the tree or shrub that faces the wind. As the wind goes over the stomates, it pulls water from them. This increases how much water the needles or leaves lose and increases the need for the roots to draw up moisture from the soil.

An evergreen shrub showing windburn on the side where the prevailing winds hit it.

Direct sunlight or reflected sunlight also increases water loss. If a tree or shrub get warm enough, the stomates open wider, letting more water out. The reflected sunlight and warmth from a building’s surface, especially bricks, concrete, or light-colored metal siding, can really burn a plant. For example, ornamental juniper is prone to this type of injury.

Preventing Winter Burn Starts with Water

When there is insufficient rain to keep the soil moist, it is important to give your tree or shrub a deep watering, regardless of the season. When the tree or shrub is under two years old, it needs a lot of water all at once every week during the spring, summer, and fall. Watering a little water every few days keeps the roots shallow. Deep watering trains the roots to grow deep into the soil, where the moisture they need is naturally present.

When evergreens are older than two, they only require watering spring through fall when it has not rained enough for a month to keep the soil moist. Again, deep watering is important. Stop watering when a good rain comes along or it freezes. Even if there is not a dry spell, when the first frost is forecast, but before it arrives, water the evergreens deeply to make sure the roots are well hydrated when the soil freezes.

Sealing the Water In

There is a product available that can greatly reduce the water an evergreen loses in the winter. Wilt-Pruf® uses a substance found in pine pitch to build a molecular film on the leaves or needles of evergreens that helps stop water loss. It must be applied on a warm enough day that the spray does not freeze before it reaches the evergreen. Wilt-Pruf® requires 2-3 hours of ultraviolet light to set up, so spray it on when there is at least that much daylight left before dark. Wilt-Pruf® gradually wears away, one molecular layer at a time, so it will need to be sprayed again on an above freezing day in three to four months if winter is not over.

Watering in Winter

Since evergreens never go totally dormant, they must be watered during the winter. When the temperature is above 40F, check the soil around the evergreens. If it is dry, give the trees and shrubs a big drink. It is best to do this mid-morning to allow the water to soak in before the soil freezes again. It is very important to water the evergreens whenever the soil is dry, and it is not frozen. It is essential they get water through the end the cold temperatures. When spring growth starts, revert to the regular watering schedule.

Mulch Will Help

Mulch conserves the water applied to the soil. It then slowly releases it to the evergreen. Mulch also protects the roots from the cold. Mulch 3-4 inches deep. Spread it three to six feet in diameter around the tree or shrub. Do not let the mulch actually touch the trunk or it will cause rot.

An evergreen showing winter burn to the tips of its needles.

Winter burn is frustrating because most damage is not visible until spring growth begins. The thing to remember with evergreens is to hydrate when the day is over 40F and the soil is dry. This will give them the best chance of surviving the winter without any injuries. For more information on taking care of your evergreens, ask us here at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping.