Nights are not meant to stay only at home, but head outdoor for work or my time. To make this possible it is necessary to have quality outdoor lighting. Today, outdoor light is not limited to home space but used by offices, stores and other areas where security at night is a concern. It offers an added advantage of enhancing looks of the place. Walk through this outdoor lighting guide to understand the different types of light, their application and more.
Flood Lights
To remove darkness from your walking path, nooks, and corners, you need to have flood light. It is a wide-spanning light that floods the large area with high-intensity light that saves people from falling and bumping into things in the dark. It is also referred to as security light since the broad beam leaves no scope for criminal activities such as robbery and damage. It is generally installed in parks, parking area, stadium, driveway, and aisle.
- Things to consider
You can choose from the normal flood lights and LED flood lights (latter being the better option). Before making a purchase, you must select the color of light and brightness well depending upon the place and purpose of installation.
- How to install?
Installation needs some effort irrespective of the brand you buy. Whether you are a professional or not, you need to follow these steps for easy installation
- Read the installation manual received with the light
- Select a high point for installation and a power source to turn in on/off
- Drill hole for the electrical cable to pass through and connect with a power source
- Do a testing after installation
Garden Light
Garden light or path light is the most common form of landscape light. It highlights the path to watch your step as you move in a private or public garden. Garden lights are of different forms such as wall lights installed on walls as lamps or post light installed on a small post in garden, driveway or a pond. These are generally installed for decorative purposes instead of focused lighting.
- Things to consider
It entirely depends on you to choose from the post or wall lights. You can use both depending on the place of installation since both serve a different purpose. Also, check for the right style of garden light that is in sync with the garden our landscape design.
- How to install?
Installation needs some effort irrespective of the brand you buy. Whether you are a professional or not, you need to follow these steps for easy installation
- Read the installation manual received with the light
- Decide the pathway and line the post lights at a distance of 8 to 10 feet apart.
- Remove all grass and dug-in at least 3-4 inch below the ground.
- Drill hole for the electrical cable to pass through and connect with a power source for both wall handing and post lamps
- Do a testing after installation
Spotlights
Spotlight, as the name suggests, offers direct and focused light in a particular area. The major difference between spotlight and flood light is that the former focus beams in narrow line at a single focal point and does not spread light to a wider area as done by the latter. These are generally installed to highlight things such as building, address/name, sculpture, etc.
Things to consider
Your spotlight placement should be so that neighbors or anyone is not disturbed by the high-intensity light. Too many spotlights can spoil it all.
- How to install?
Installation of any kind of light is quite similar. There are steps to follow you need to follow these steps for easy installation
- Read the installation manual received with the light
- Select the place for the spotlight installation and fix it.
- Connect the spotlight to the power source and do a testing
Street light
Street lights are another form of outdoor light used to brighten the streets and highways at night. In addition to normal street lights, there are solar street lights that work on solar energy. Nowadays, solar light has taken over traditional street lights largely. Street lights come with manual or automatic on/off system depending from dusk to dawn.
Things to consider
Street light should not block the road or passage and its wiring should not be spread anywhere to affect people crossing the area.
- How to install?
Installation of safety light is not an easy task it takes good planning and professional set up.
- Read the installation manual received with the light
- Install the light over the pole
- Dig the area where you need to place the pole
- Set timer or weather condition for an automatic/manual switch on/off the light
- Keep minimal and underground wiring of the light
- Connect street light to the power source and do a testing
Foot light
LED foot lights add a warmth and theatrical appeal to your ambiance. These are majorly used in staircases and pathways, especially in theatres for illumination. They come in different color, shape, and style. Foot lights are made from high-quality aluminum for long-lasting service. These give a terrific look in the dark.
Things to consider
Before making a purchase, decide on the number of lights you want and brightness that will work for you. The size of light should be smaller than the width/length of the stair.
- How to install?
Installation of foot light involves neat work.
- Read the installation manual received with the light
- Cut the size of stair/area for installation according to the size of stair
- It will require internal wiring
- Foot lights should be equidistant and in a line
How to select the right outdoor light?
There are some elements to keep in mind when choosing the outdoor light, such as
- Purpose: Understand your requirement and then purchase a light. For instance, in the case of security reasons, op for flood lights. Whereas, in the case of accent lighting, go for garden lights or wall lights.
- Placement: Is it important to decide on the place of light placement. If you don’t have a required space than you are likely to waste money by buying the light. Look and feel is also an important component in making your light look well placed and efficient. Size is also an important factor to think of when deciding the placement.
- Durability: It is always good to have a durable product that makes you feel value for money purchase. Lights enhance the beauty of a place or fulfill other requirements of security. So you need a solution that is not expired every now and then.
- Brightness: Yet another important factor affecting light selection is the brightness of the light. You would need a bright flood light but not necessarily a high-intensity garden light.
- Cost: Last but the most important factor to consider is the cost of the light being purchased. Remember bulk buying is always beneficial as it comes with bigger discounts. With numerous choices in the market, cost helps you define your choice.
- Timer, motion detector, dimmers, sensors are other features and accessories you can add to your lights.
To wrap up, outdoor light has a significant role to play. It eliminates darkness outside our house, office or building and provides us with safety against various criminal activities at night. Now that you know so much about outdoor lights, have and offer others a good night time with the best outdoor lighting.
