Tag Archives: Low voltage lighting

Welcome to TRU Landscape Services

The solution for all of your Orange County Landscape needs.

We are a licensed and certified landscape company that installs everything from sprinklers to sod, and patios to pool decks. We are known for professional concrete and hardscape installations, custom patio areas, and excellent landscape maintenance. If you need a trusted company to transform your outdoor area, call us today for a free estimate at

1-866-487-1359

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Orange County Patio Cover Construction

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Part Three: Patio Cover Construction

The third and final part of this Mission Viejo Patio Remodel is this custom wood balcony to patio cover tie in. Our expert teams took the previously bland space and added this important new element. The sturdy custom wood balcony construction adds a whole new space to the house. With a view like this home has, the balcony addition was absolutely essential to maximizing the potential of this family’s backyard space. If you want to capitalize on your view, call TRU Landscape for professional patio cover construction.

Patio Cover Construction Orange County Balcony In a warm climate like Orange County, backyard shade is absolutely essential for entertaining guests! The previously wide open backyard now has several square feet of shade provided by this new patio cover. It is 10-15 degrees cooler in the shade than in direct sunlight. A patio cover also provides the option of installing overhead misters. Rain or shine, a patio cover is an excellent addition to any backyard space.

Patio Cover Pictures

Customize your Patio Cover Installation

There are other options for patio cover construction from variations on columns, lighting fixtures, and tongue in groove construction style. We can wrap your posts with a decorative pilaster. This will add interest to the columns of your new patio cover. They also make a great landing area to place potted plants. There are many options. We could add a simple stucco finish, or we could attach just about any stone from slate to stacked stone.

Here’s an example of a stack stone pilaster at the base of a patio cover post

Landscape Lighting Orange County

TRU Landscape Services is also a full service landscape lighting technician. We install high grade low voltage LED lighting systems. The small lights pictured here are LED and save a lot of power while still sufficiently lighting the outdoor space. Other options include can lighting. A can light is built flush to the ceiling of a patio cover and is a 120 volt light. They are a little bit brighter, give a different look, and give you the option of hooking up a dimmer switch to your system so you can set mood lighting. Another LED lighting options include up lighting to shed light on your plants, pool, or home at night time.

Custom Patio Cover Styles

Our Orange County patio covers come in many styles. There is the open lattice patio cover like the one pictured here. We also install many solid roof style patio covers. It all depends on your home’s style and the functionality that you hope to get out of the patio cover. We can do a full roof tie in for a seamless new outdoor area as well.

Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio

Once the space was finished and the homeowners had settled into their new outdoor living area, they sent TRU Landscape some pictures to show us the finished product. The patio cover provided a place to hang lights over their new outdoor dining table. They told us how much they love sitting on their newly constructed balcony and watching the sun set over Mission Viejo.

The complete backyard landscape remodel really made some happy customers! With the barbecue island, stamped concrete, low voltage lighting, and custom patio cover, the family was thrilled with their new space.

Call TRU Landscape Services for sturdy landscape construction will last a lifetime.

True Landscape Services

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True Landscape Services

The other day a customer was telling me that they couldn’t find our landscape company online. I was surprised because we have a pretty big web presence for a landscape company. It turns out that the customer had been typing in “True Landscape Services” instead of “TRU.” It was an honest mistake, and makes sense because “True” is a word, and “TRU” is not. Instead, it’s simply an acronym for Tobi Robert Ulemek, the name of the business owner.

How do you spell our company’s name? True, or TRU?

Clarifying an Honest Mistake

An honest mistake, but a crucial one. We still want people to be able to find our webpage, so I’m writing this blog. That way we can make sure something exists online to help people find our website even if they add an “e” to our company name. The misspelling makes sense, but it could cause a new customer quite a bit of confusion. There is apparently a “True Landscaping Company” but they’re located in Cleveland… It’d be a little inconvenient for them to work with a client’s landscaping in Orange County California. And vice versa actually. I wonder if anyone ever drops the “e” when searching for their company and finds our Orange County landscaping company instead!

We DO Provide “True Landscape Services”

Despite all that potential confusion, TRU Landscape Services can definitely be called a “True landscape company” for several reasons.

First off, we’re a licensed, bonded, insured, and certified landscape contractor by the California contract licensing board (#894221). That means you, the customer, are protected. It also means our company has the knowledge and experience to do things right the first time!
Our free landscape construction estimates are honest (and true). We competitively price our products and services and will never try to cheat you on cost or quality. Honesty is one of our highest priorities.
Our hardscape construction elements are straight and true too. You’ll be impressed and happy with just how well made those finished elements are.
Lastly, we’re “tried and true.” Living and landscaping in Orange County California for over 25 years, TRU Landscape Services is an experienced local landscape company you can trust.

We don’t like working with dishonest people either! So no matter whether you need us for low voltage lighting or a stamped concrete patio with an outdoor fireplace, we want to be a company you can trust. Why deal with dishonest contractors when you can work with just one “true landscape” company? Woops, I meant “TRU Landscape Services.” Honest mistake…

For an estimate, call 1-866-487-1359

Concrete Entryway Remodel & Landscape Lighting

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Concrete Entryway Remodel

We recently completed this front yard landscape remodel in Orange County California. Stick around till the end for a cool video of the finished landscape project!

Concrete Entryway Orange County
The landscape was transformed from unappealing and unfinished to inviting and complete with the addition of a concrete entryway. All it took was a little elbow grease, concrete, landscape lighting, sod and plants. But, it all started with a palm tree removal.

We were called out to a landscape in Westminster for a tree job. When our salesman arrived at the customer’s house, the customer told him that the palm tree could be dropped across the yard. Why? Because they were planning on installing a new front yard landscape.

Before and After Pictures

The customer told us that they had their backyard landscaped 6 months back. They wanted to hire the same contractor, but he was not returning our customer’s phone calls. Luckily, TRU Landscape Services is much more than a tree service! Our salesman explained to the customer that we perform all of that work they needed to complete the project. The customer requested an estimate for the entire front yard landscape remodel. A few days later, the customer called us back and hired us.

On day one, we removed the Palm trees and the grass from the front yard. On this project we had to change the grade of the front yards to flow away from the house and the new installations. Concrete Walkway Orange County

Concrete Walkway and Planter Walls

As an Orange County concrete contractor, we were well prepared for the scope of installations on this remodel. To begin with, the customer had an idea of the design for the front yard, but was open for suggestions. The purpose of re-landscaping the front yard was to add curb appeal, accent the already beautiful home, and provide a more inviting entryway. To achieve this, we built a concrete walkway, stucco planter walls, bullnose concrete steps, and a ceramic tile front porch.

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Orange County

Our design for the concrete walkway includes concrete bull nose steps as you can see in the picture. It also incorporates path landscape lighting into the steps themselves. The customer really liked the idea of the walkway being surrounded by a planter wall. We installed a block wall with a concrete cap on top of the wall. We applied stucco to the side of planter walls for a finished look. To finish the entryway experience, we installed a custom tile on the front porch. Our customer really liked the wood grain ceramic tile. And with that, from sidewalk to porch, the entryway was complete.

Ceramic Tile Porch

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After completing the concrete work we moved onto installing the softscape, plants and lighting.

On this project, we meet the customer at the nursery to go over the plants. After meeting, we had a clear idea of the trees and plants that the customer wanted. Once the plants were set in place, the crew planted soil amendments and fertilizer tabs. That’s how you start things off right! These fertilizer tablets last up to 3 years giving the plant all of the proper nutrients to grow big and healthy.

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After our crews were done planting, we installed LED low voltage lights. LED landscape lighting was placed in key positions throughout the planters. We haven’t taken any night pictures of the property, but it looks great in the dark!

To display all of the trees, we also installed “up lights”. Path landscape lighting completed the picture. We installed LED step lights on the walkway steps to provide visibility at night. This low voltage landscape lighting installation showcases the concrete work and plants. Now, whether day or night, our customer can enjoy their property to the full!

You can see the completed front yard landscape remodel in this video:

If you’re looking for an Orange County front yard landscape remodel, call us today for a free estimate. Just dial 1-866-487-1359 to reach us during the day. Feel free to leave a phone message or send an email if you are outside of service hours: info@trulandscape.com

Orange County Landscape

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Orange County Landscape

TRU Landscape Services installed a residential landscape this week. This project consists of several smaller projects. We installed a concrete patio, planter wall, putting green and low voltage lighting. The customer told us that he had received several estimates, but very few companies did all of the work themselves. The customer did not want several sub contractors working on this small project. Our customer was too busy to deal with several companies. Plus the customer felt really confident that TRU Landscape Services could complete the projects in a professional manner. When dealing with a smaller project we must carefully line up all of the jobs. If we sent over all of our crews at once there would be a traffic jam.

Orange County Hardscape

On the first day of the project we removed all of the old landscape which included the concrete. The old concrete was raised in several areas and needed to be replaced. Our crew graded the yard so that all of the water ran away from the house. We then dug the footing for the planter wall. On the second day the block crew started installing the concrete footing and the first row of blocks. At the same time our concrete crew was setting forms for the new concrete. On the third day we installed the new concrete. The concrete pour went smoothly and we moved on to the putting green.

Laguna Niguel Landscape

Synthetic Putting Green

TRU Landscape Services installs several Synthetic turf projects a year. This project was too small to install by itself. But because we were doing the other small projects it allowed us to install this putting green. If you were to install a small putting green by itself it would cost too much. We use all American made products. Most of the artificial turf has a 15 year warranty from the manufacture. The customers dog loved the new Synthetic turf.

Low Voltage Lighting

On our final day of work we installed the LED low voltage lights. These lights are made here in California and have a 10 year manufacture warranty. We have a close working relationship with our light supplier. They are always teaching us about the newest products on the market. Even though LED lights have been out for several years the new technology changes all the time. The new LED lights use 20% of the energy that the halogen bulbs used. With the price of electricity always on the rise these lights will pay for themselves in just a few years. Overall the project went smoothly and our customer was very happy.

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

Orange County LED Lighting

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Orange County Landscape Lighting

TRU Landscape went out on a estimate today for landscape lighting. This estimate was in the city of Irvine. Irvine is located in Orange County, California. The customer wanted to get a estimate on the new LED lights. Like most people they had allot of questions about our company and the lights that we are selling. We explained that the lighting company that supplies our lights has been working with us for over 15 years. In Orange County there is hundreds of landscape lighting companies, so why use one company? It’s a simple answer, They have great service!

Orange County Lighting

One of the questions our customer had was, How efficient are LED lights? The simple answer is that the typical LED fixture will produce the equivalent light output using about 80% less energy. A great comparison is a 20-watt MR-16 lamp which is the most common bulb used in landscape lighting in Orange County. Compared to 3-emitter LED with high-performance optics, using about 4.5 watts, These two provide light output that is virtually equivalent in lumen output, color temperature and beam control. By installing LED lights we can use a smaller transformer. Which saves money. We can install more lights on one run, which saves money on wire.

Orange County Landscape Lighting

Another question our customer had was, How much energy would a typical Orange County residential customer save in one year with an all LED installation versus an equivalent one with halogen lamps? Considering an installation using 900 watts of halogen lamps, operated nightly for 10 hours, the annual energy cost at the local rate of $0.145 per kwh is approximately $476.00 The same system with the equivalent number of LED fixtures with equivalent lumen output would cost $95.00 annually to operate. Another factor to consider is that your typical halogen system would require re-lamping after one year. Your LED system has a average life of 50,000 hours or 17 years of use in the typical application.