Outdoor lighting adds beauty to your property; make it easier and safer to navigate after dark and increases the time you and your guests spend outdoors. Consult a professional electrician to ensure that all the materials are UL listed and weatherproof. Here are some bright ideas.
- Entrance: A well-lighted front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify visitors. Wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a warm and welcoming look and adequately illuminate steps and other potential hazards. Take cues from your home’s architecture in selecting fixtures that match its style. When installing a wall lantern, size the fixture to the door and surrounding space. Wall lanterns should be mounted slightly above eye level at about 60 inches to 66 inches from the center of the fixture to the floor.
- Garage: For the safety and security of family members using the garage at night, install a wall fixture above or to either side of the garage doors. Use motion-sensing floodlights where it is handy to have light for short periods. Photocells are good choices. They will turn fixtures on at dusk and off at dawn, reducing energy consumption and providing added security when you are away from home.
- Security: For added security, illuminate any side of the house that would otherwise be in shadow. Use as much outdoor lighting as you and your neighbors can stand. Consider using quartz halogen motion lighting or floodlighting to save energy. Install a wall-timer, a motion or heat-sensitive control that will switch on the light only if someone approaches that side of the house. Heat from light bulbs can cause false triggering. Be sure not to position them too close to the motion detector. Trees, swimming pools, and other reflective surfaces can also cause false triggering. Choose a motion light with an indoor alarm module so that you know what’s going on outside. Motions lights will welcome visitors and startle intruders.
- Pathways: Steps, paths, and driveways should always be illuminated to make sure family members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark. Build lights into the risers on steps; the soft lights will provide just enough brightness to mark each tread and prevent glare. For paths, choose soft, non-glaring fixtures under 2 feet in height that direct most of the light downward. Avoid placing the lights all in a straight line which creates a runway effect. Light paths evenly by overlapping the patterns of light. Sharp contrasts between dark and light can confuse or disorient your guests.
- Driveway: Low level path lights can also be used to define the boundaries of long driveways. Bollards or cut down pole lights which stand 30 to 36 inches off the ground work well. Make sure that your house number is well lit for safety and practicality; solar light will automatically illuminate it every night.
- Overhang: Under a porch or other overhang, you can use recessed, chain hang, or close to the ceiling fixtures. A separate rear or side entrance can be lighted with a single wall lantern installed on the keyhole side of the door. To conserve energy, consider post and wall lanterns that use new compact fluorescent or high intensity discharge light sources such as mercury vapor or high pressure sodium.
Well-designed outdoor lighting will enhance your home’s beauty, help protect your home and your guests from accidents and crime, and extend the evenings for outdoor activities. Keep these tips in mind as you consider how best to add beauty, safety, and convenience to the exterior of your home; all should be illuminated to you.
