Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor and LED garden lighting are as varied and diverse as interior lighting. Below, we will look at some of the most common types of exterior lights available:

• SPIKE LIGHTS. Spike lights are lights that have bulbs mounted on top of a short post or spike. The spike is pushed into the soil wherever you like. These lights can be solar-powered, battery-powered or attached to mains, so there is plenty of freedom of choice when deciding how and where to install them. Many people like to use them to light footpaths, the edges of driveways and near seating areas.

• BOLLARD LIGHTS. Other common ground lights you will see are bollard lights. These lights take on the appearance of a mini street light and look especially attractive in larger outdoor spaces such as gardens. They usually emit light at a 360-degree angle, which is why they are so good for roomy areas. Others do shine in a beam, so you can use them to light up a specific area.

• Spotlights can be mounted at a higher position on a tree or wall and angled downward to shine on a path. They can also be placed on the ground and point up at walls or features. They offer a wide beam of illumination that is ideal for lighting up a big space. Spotlights are used to light up driveways, pathways and lawns when positioned from above, and walls, bushes and trees when placed at ground level.
  

• OUTDOOR WALL LIGHTS. Wall lights differ from the aforementioned spotlights in the way that they serve to decorate as much as they illuminate. You will find some battery-powered or solar-powered garden wall lights, but most wall lights are mains.
  

• DECK AND PORCH LIGHTING. These lightings are similar to in-ground lights in that both of them are embedded into the surface. Deck and porch lighting tends to be shorter since they need to be mounted in wood instead of in the soil.

• If you need a large amount of light that brightly washes over a large area of space, floodlights are a good choice. They can be used as patio lighting or lighting for other such seating areas as well as paths and fences.

• LED SOFFIT LIGHTING. Soffit lighting is a type of light that is installed into or on the surface of the soffits of a home. Doing so can outline the shape of a home in a decorative way while also shining a gentle glow down onto the sides of the home.

The porch lighting you choose can affect whether the home feels inviting or it doesn’t. The best kind of porch lighting depends on several things, including:

• The layout of the porch
• The size of the area
• Whether it is enclosed or open air
• The type of effect you want to go for

Below are some tips for beautifully and effectively lighting a porch:

• Be sure there is balance. You’ll want a porch that is bright enough to approach safely without being glaring and harsh on the eyes at night. Typical porch lights should have around 200 lumens to accomplish this.

• Layer the light when possible with ceiling lights, wall lights and pendant lights.

• Choose a lighting design that meshes well with the exterior and even interior style of your home.

• Consider the amount of natural light available to the porch during dawn and dusk and add lights accordingly.

• Choose appropriate IP rated lights. Porches that have a roof and offer protection from the elements can get by with damp-rated IP44 lights. On the other hand, open styles of porches need an IP65 light that is rated for protection against more moisture.

• Use wall lights to create an atmospheric space on your porch.

• Consider adding a statement pendant to beautify the entrance to your home.

• Decorate using seasonal lighting to change up the way your entryway looks throughout the year and give it a fresh appearance.

• Think about illuminating the steps both for safety and for aesthetic reasons.

• Install uplighters to highlight any potted plants or architectural features and give the porch some flair.

Because of the famously dreary weather in much of the UK, many homeowners may be wondering if using solar lights in the garden is even worth it. Fortunately, solar lights do not require direct sunlight to work.

While sunny days do indeed charge the lights up and make them shine brighter for longer, the lights can still be charged on cloudy or even snowy days. At any rate, they might not shine brightly enough for homeowners to choose solar lights over traditional exterior lights that run on battery or mains power.

Below are some dos and don’ts of using exterior lighting in the garden:

DO:  

• Use many layers of light to ensure that the brightness is evenly distributed. This means ground lighting, soffit lighting, garden wall lighting and spotlights. Mix them up as much as you can.

• Use LED lights. LED outdoor lighting is much more energy efficient than traditional lights. This is important if you plan to keep your lights on throughout the night. Otherwise, you could expect a pretty hefty electric bill to come of it.

• Choose pathway lights that shine downward or at a 360-degree angle.

• Pick warmer colour temperatures so the lights aren’t harsh on your eyes.

• Consider security when planning your lights.

DON’T:

• Choose the brightest light available. For outdoor living spaces and patio lighting, softer lighting that is gentle on the eyes but still gets the job done is preferable.

• Cover wires. Be sure that you bury the wires completely beneath the ground if the lights use mains power instead of just covering them with mulch. This way, you won’t accidentally mow over them, nor will you have to worry about them being uncovered on windy or rainy days.

• Forget staircase lighting. Lighting steps on the paths in your gardens will make them more comfortable to navigate while also increasing their safety.

• Place the lights in a straight line, this isn’t as visually appealing as it might seem in your head.

As opposed to traditional halogen lamps that last only 1,000 hours on average, you can expect an LED light to hold up for around 20,000 hours. This will significantly decrease how often you need to purchase new lights, saving you plenty of time, money and effort.

IP ratings are an important factor to consider when buying your outdoor lights. Since outside lights for the garden spaces are constantly exposed to the elements, it is important that they are protected against water and sun damage.

Waterproof garden lights are a good place to start. To determine whether a light is waterproof, look at its IP rating. IP ratings indicate a light’s resistance to moisture and solids. The higher the IP rating, the more resilient it is.

For outdoor lighting, it is recommended you get IP65 or IP67 lights. These will protect the lights against wind, rain and debris no matter how exposed they are.