Outdoor Lighting for Instant Curb Appeal

Lighting is crucial for having proper and effective home security. It’s one of the best ways to increase the safety of your home while also adding beauty and dimension to it. However, not all outdoor lights are created the same way and not all of them have the same power output. So, in order to create the desired ambience and properly light up your space, there are many things to consider to make the right choice.

Wall-mounted outdoor lights are among the most popular models. But just like with everything else, you can find an array of appealing outdoor wall lighting ranging in style, shape, finish and material. All of them are designed for different outdoor décor and for different purposes, so choosing the right ones for the right place is a great way to reap its security benefits and improve the aesthetic of your outdoor area. All of these lights are designed to be placed in key areas that need to be illuminated so you could move around with ease.

What Type of Outdoor Wall Lights to Choose for the Porch?

To get the best of your outdoor wall porch lights, you should place them on both or at least one side of the main front entrance. Also known as outdoor scones, outdoor porch lights need to be mounted near to your shoulder height as that way they can evenly spread light in the specific area. Being able to spread light both downwards and outwards, these exterior wall lights can light up your steps and entryway, and can be installed on any nearby path that leads to the entrance of your home. So besides being a great addition to your outdoor area, they can also increase your safety.

What Type of External Wall Lights to Choose for the Garage?

When it comes to adorning and illuminating the garage, the ideal way to position these lights is on each side of the garage walls. That way, you will not only illuminate the garage spot but also the surrounding area. Depending on the type of your garage and the walls, these exterior wall-mounted lights may be positioned far or near the front garage door. If your garage is near the porch, you can opt for similar or the same types of wall lights in the same shade.

Some Other Popular Types of Outdoor Lights

Landscape Lights

Whether talking about your backyard, garden or porch, landscape lights are designed to draw people’s attention. Besides providing you with a bit of light, they serve more as an aesthetic lighting fixture than a security one. Having in mind that they offer lower brightness than some other lights, you’ll need at least a few of them to light a specific area (usually driveway and pathway).

Post Lights

These appealing lights can be installed almost anywhere on your property. Besides the classic lamp post that is tall and gracious, nowadays, you can choose from the large selection of post lights depending on your exterior decorations or your chosen type of letterbox. Usually, freestanding letterboxes are positioned near the driveway, but nowadays, more and more homeowners are installing them in the middle of the front lawn or even on their porches.

An important thing to know about these lights is that they are designed to light larger areas and should be positioned away from the main building, but near to the post. In case you have chosen a wall-mounted letterbox, you should think about installing lights with a lower lumen.

Outdoor Ceiling Lights

In case your porch has a ceiling with a special place for hanging light, you should consider choosing a ceiling light. However, if you still want to incorporate wall-mounted lights, you can always do that, just make sure that they are the same style. Now, an important thing you need to know about outdoor ceiling lights is that there are two main types.

Flush-Mounted Outdoor Lights

As the name implies, these lights are designed to be installed directly on the ceiling, sitting flush. They shine most of their light downwards and are usually positioned above the entrance of your home.

Outdoor Pendant Lights

Unlike the flush-mounted, these lights are designed to hang down from a stem, cord or chain. Usually, the fixture is in the form of a lantern that can radiate its light sideways in all directions. For their installation, you will need a porch and ceiling that is high enough to accommodate such a lighting fixture. This is essential, as you are supposed to walk bellow them which means that there should be enough headroom.

Now, that you know more about outdoor lights, you must be wondering about how many lumens for outdoor wall lighting to choose. Generally speaking, path lighting should be 100 – 200 lumens, step lighting 12 – 100 lumens and landscape lighting 50 – 300 lumens. However, this can mainly depend on the area you want to illuminate, so in order to choose the right lumens, it is best to consult with a professional.