Outdoor Lighting Tips for the Winter Months
Whether it’s for entertaining, safety, aesthetics, or personal enjoyment, outdoor lighting is becoming more and more a vital part of our homes all year round. Most of us tend to concentrate on lighting our gardens, patios and pathways in summer but it’s equally as important to look at outdoor lighting in the winter months too, mainly for safety reasons; though you can ensure your outdoor space looks great at all times with a small investment in essential lighting.
Check out these outdoor lighting tips for the winter months from the Light Company’s resident expert Judy Davison.
Safety First
With outdoor lighting, it’s important not to expose electrical equipment to the elements. That’s why it’s always important to take steps to protect your fixtures by choosing light fittings and bulbs that are rated for use outdoors.
Lighting that will be protected from direct exposure to rain, such as those under porches, should have an IP rating of at least 44 - picking a fixture with the right IP rating ensures that your lamps won’t be affected by moisture or dust and debris. Areas with less protection should use lighting with an IP rating of at least 65.
When attaching or installing lighting, remember to use fasteners that won’t damage any lighting elements and remember to keep cables out of common walkways to prevent a tripping hazard.
Importantly, outdoor space lighting can be difficult to adjust because often the fixtures are more protected or are located in hard-to-reach locations. Choose light bulbs with a long average rated life-time to cut down on maintenance.
Lighting up Key Areas
Outdoor space lighting can go almost anywhere you’d like as long as there is access to a power source and the light fixture and lamp are properly rated for the level of exposure.
The key areas you need to light for safety and security purposes include dark corners, driveways, doors, pathways, steps and stairs. If you want your garden to look great in winter too, then you can also consider lighting architectural elements, gardens, plants, water features.
A good place to start when it comes to outdoor lighting is the doorways and gates to your garden. These locations use lighting to help set the tone for the space, make it easier to see so you aren’t fumbling with keys or gate latches in the dark, clearly show where guests can enter and leave the property.
A lit path can help to create a welcoming environment as well as providing you and any guests who may not be as familiar with the space with enough lighting to see where they’re walking and easily avoid any obstacles. Pathway lights should be angled downwards to keep the light from shining in your eyes.
An illuminated driveway, especially in dark areas, can make the trip to your door a little safer by making it easier to spot hazards. Use warm lights with a lower lumen level and make sure the lights are directed downwards.
Stairs are a great place to use illumination to add visual interest while making them safer to climb.
Top Outdoor Lighting Tips
Tip 1 - Brighter isn’t necessarily better: Harsh, bright lighting can create unsafe areas and dark pockets. Instead, choose warm lights with a lower lumen level for more even lighting. This creates a more relaxing environment and makes it easier for your eyes to adjust so you can see beyond the lit areas.
Tip 2 - Space your lighting so that light beams overlap: Your outdoor lights should be placed depending on the beam angle and type of fixture you select. Proper spacing will help eliminate shadows and dark areas.
Tip 3- Choose directional, shielded lighting: To cut down on energy waste and light pollution, choose fixtures and bulbs that direct light where you want it to be. It’s also considerate to your neighbours, who may not appreciate lights shining directly in their bedroom window at night.
Tip 4 – Use Dimmers & switches: Having control over your outdoor lighting is just as important as it is indoors. Putting your outdoor lights on dimmers and dividing them into sections makes it easier to adjust the light level to suit your needs at any given time.
The Light Company
Whether you’re interested in a classic look or if you’d like to incorporate some modern designs into your outdoor lighting, don’t be afraid to get creative! At the Light Company we stock an extensive range of outdoor lights from leading brands, designed to light up the outside of your house all year round.
These include wall lights and sconces from Dar Lighting, Hudson Valley and David Hunt to Alfresco pendant lights from Frank Light. See our full range here.