Burying Wire Too Shallow
One of the most common DIY mistakes is burying low-voltage wire just an inch or two beneath the surface, or simply laying it on top of mulch. Shallow wiring is far more likely to be damaged by lawn equipment, foot traffic, or Austin’s clay soil shifting with seasonal moisture changes. We hand-trench every line to a minimum of six inches for exactly this reason.
Overloading a Single Transformer
DIY kits often lead homeowners to connect too many fixtures to one transformer, causing dim, uneven lighting and premature transformer failure. Properly calculating voltage drop and load across a system is one of the most important — and most frequently overlooked — parts of a professional design.
Skipping Waterproof Connections
Twist-on wire connectors and electrical tape are common in DIY installs, but they rarely hold up to Austin’s humidity and rain. Without properly sealed, waterproof connections, corrosion sets in and lights start failing within a year or two.
Power Boxes Scattered Across the Yard
Instead of tunneling under sidewalks and driveways, many DIY and budget installs simply install multiple separate power boxes around the property. It’s a shortcut that leaves your yard looking cluttered and your system harder to maintain — one of the exact issues we always design around.
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