Spring lawn and garden maintenance is here, and don’t neglect exterior lighting when sprucing up your outdoor spaces. Exterior lighting highlights your home’s best features, enhances curb appeal, and improves perimeter security. In the spirit of spring and summer, exterior light fixtures also allow you to enjoy outdoor living and entertaining after the sun goes down. 

In this blog, we’re breaking down the primary types of outdoor lighting, their benefits, and where to install them.

Landscape Lights

Landscape light fixtures accentuate specific features in your home’s lawn and garden. They add dimension and focal points while creating a welcoming sense of arrival.

Wall lights

These versatile fixtures are often installed along retaining walls, fencing, and block walls. Fixtures can cast light up or down, depending on the look you want to achieve, and add a lovely accent while highlighting the perimeter of your home.

Spotlights

Spotlights provide a narrow beam of light to illuminate specific areas or features, like trees, shrubs, water features, and parts of a home’s exterior.

Inground Uplights

This type of landscape lighting is installed in the ground, so the fixture itself is not visible. Inground uplights brighten pathways and steps for both ambiance and safety.

Post Lights 

Post lighting comes in a variety of types and provides a statement-making source of elevated lighting in a garden, larger yard, or along pathways. Lamp posts, lanterns, and bollard lights are ways to integrate this type of lighting into your front or backyard landscape.

String Lights

There’s nothing cozier than string lights cascading in a backyard. Their soft twinkled glow is perfect for extending your entertaining into the evening and look wonderful along a fence or strung between trees or garden poles.

Path lights

Path lighting offers a lovely exterior accent and enhances safety by illuminating walkway directions, uneven surfaces, cracks, and seams. Staked or inground fixtures are the most common types of pathway lighting. Small outdoor sconces are also great options for walkways and stairs along exterior walls.

Porch, Patio, and Deck Lights 

When the sun dips below the horizon, light up your covered outdoor spaces to savor the warmth of the season. Here are a few of the most popular porch lights, patio lights, and deck lights.

Pendant Lights and Chandeliers

If you have a covered patio, veranda, or lanai, install a pendant light or small chandelier to extend your outdoor living into the evening. 

Fandeliers

An outdoor-rated ceiling fan and light can create a cooling breeze during the hot summer months. Install under a covered patio or front porch in a style that complements your home’s architecture.

Other Ceiling Lights

If you prefer a fixture with a lower profile, consider a flush mount, semi flush mount, or recessed lighting in your covered outdoor living spaces.

Sconces

Exterior wall sconces and lanterns are ideal for porches to illuminate the area around the front and back doors and sliding glass doors.

LED Strip Lights

Strip lighting offers a continuous source of light ideal for decks, porches, steps, and stairs. Select LED strip lighting offers longer lifespans and increased energy efficiency.

Security Lights 

Security lighting provides continuous or on-demand light for access control, entry and exit points, and to deter intrusion.

Motion Sensor and Timer Security Lights

These fixtures illuminate specific areas of a home or property and feature motion-activated or timer operation.

Floodlights

Floodlights provide a wide cast of light to cover a large area like a front or back yard, driveway, or side yard. They can be operated manually or installed with motion detection or timers to customize as required.

Factors to Consider When Buying Exterior Lighting 

How to select outdoor lighting is a little different from interior lighting. Here are several factors to consider:

• Outdoor lighting plan: A customized outdoor lighting plan can help you prioritize what exterior features you want to accent for a put-together and cohesive look. Your local lighting showroom is available to help create a customized lighting plan tailored to your preferences and budget.
• Outdoor-rated fixtures: Install only outdoor-rated fixtures along a home’s exterior and in landscaping. These models are typically manufactured with moisture and weather-resistant materials for durability and safety.
  
• Style and finish:  Choose outdoor light fixtures to complement your home’s style. Consider size, design, and finish so fixtures blend seamlessly with the architecture, including siding, trim, colors, and architectural details.
• Energy efficiency: Some landscaping lighting may be in operation all night long, so energy efficiency may also be an important consideration when selecting fixtures. Consider LED or solar lights to reduce your home’s energy consumption and monthly utility bills.
• Dark sky considerations: Reduce your neighborhood’s light pollution by selecting fixtures with warmer color temperatures and less intensity (and the ability to make adjustments). Timers and motion sensors also reduce the amount of light emitted from your home in the evening.
• Installation requirements: While some plug-and-play fixtures are simple DIY projects, hard-wired lighting systems or complex installations typically require a professional electrician. Additional finish work may also be necessary for larger projects, including siding or trim repair and landscape or garden labor. 

Start Your Outdoor Lighting Plan

The size of your home and outdoor spaces, landscaping, architecture, and security needs will all influence your outdoor lighting selection. Go into spring and summer with an exterior lighting plan that will show your home’s and property’s features in a beautiful light. Your local lighting showroom is ready to help you create a customized plan along with specific product recommendations in your preferred style and budget. Find a Lighting One Showroom near you today!