Why Exterior Lighting is An Important Part of Any Building?

When it comes to lighting, it is evident that it plays a vital role in almost everything be it a function, an event, education institution or simply a lamp in your study room. Exterior lights are one of the first things that visitors notice. Exterior lighting has fundamental importance for the security and safety to avoid accidents and unforeseen situations. If correctly used, they can upgrade and enhance the architecture of any building or structure.

Types of exterior lighting for house:

Spotlights

These are general terms for lights that point in one direction. Spotlights produce cones of light if a specific volume. These are used to illuminate and highlight a particular object or an area. A simple spotlight has a strong light source and comes with a manual device to adjust the intensity of light. They come in different types including ellipsoidal spotlights, Fresnel spotlights, and beam projectors, piano convex and parabolic aluminized reflector.

Floodlights

Floodlights are the most common types of outdoor landscape lights that are used for brightening larger areas. They are a kind of spotlight with a high brightness and wide coverage range. They serve the purpose of illuminating driveways and patios from above.

Up/down lights

With a wide scope, these bright lights are the absolute best from a plain angle. Up-lights can rejuvenate sculptures, make designs on dividers and can enhance the backyard.

Garden lights

Setting garden lights in characteristic zones can highlight the plants in the large garden. These exterior lights go downwards and marginally out. Thus keeping focus on the plants rather than other props of the garden.

Bollard lights

Bollard lights are used as signposting on stairs and in gardens. They illuminate open spaces and pathways. Each bollard light has a self-powered light source that requires minimal maintenance.

Strings light

Ideal for hanging through trees and over hardscapes for enhancing the object’s beauty. They appear as a garland with transparent bulbs that come in different sizes and are symmetrically spaced apart.

Uses of exterior lighting

The indoor lighting plays an important role in beautifying the building but exterior lighting is equally important. It helps in creating the first impressions plus they are important for security purposes. Some of the prime uses of exterior lighting include the likes of:

Safety and security

Exterior lighting is particularly important at night. They keep the area bright and work as a security tool. It assists in reducing the crime by giving the impression that the street or house is well-protected.

Practicality

There is no point in owning a house, a backyard or a play area if you can only use it in the day time and cannot play or enjoy it at night due to insufficient lighting. On the other hand if there is proper exterior light, all activities be it having a badminton match, BBQ party with friends or simply a workout session can be enjoyed in the open air.

Beautifying the property

Imagine a big property beautifully and luxuriously built but without any lighting. How awful and unattractive would it look! Not just that but also it would creep people out and discourage social activities. On the other hand if the house is decorated with lighting it will look more appealing.

Enhanced home value

Professional outdoor lighting adds value to the property or home in many ways. It can make certain designs of the house prominent. If used correctly, it can make an area appear larger. Therefore, it adds beauty to the place and draws everyone’s attention to the place.

Things to consider when choosing exterior lighting

An effective lighting plan includes multiple layers and sources that work together to get the desired attractive and professional look. Fortunately, there are wide ranges of beautiful and creative lighting ideas. Some people use lights to project a certain part of their house or commercial building. It helps make a home look more welcoming and inviting.

No matter how the design is or how much a person is willing to spend, there are many important things to consider before making a decision when a person has a long-term approach. For instance, exterior lighting should be combined with landscape lighting as part of a complete lighting plan. Therefore, it is very important to consider all the options available and other basics to make cost effective decisions.

Weather: In well-built exterior

Lighting fixtures and high quality hardware should be used in exterior light that can undergo tough weather conditions. In America, the exterior lights are assessed by centers and laboratories such as CSA International – an independent product safety certification organization, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Intertek (ETL). They assess lights under categories as damp or wet rated.  Best-suited lights are determined considering the area where the lights have to be installed. For instance, a damp rated fixture is ideal for covered places as it cannot be directly exposed to water even in the storm. If the area is wet then a wet rated fixture is suitable as it can be exposed to direct precipitation.

Energy efficiency

It is very important to install energy efficient lights. If a person chooses incandescent-based lighting fixtures, energy efficient bulbs can be chosen. All sorts of exterior lights should ideally have a long life (of around 15 years) as they go through extreme weather conditions unlike interior lights. They should be low maintenance. Considering the cost effectiveness, they should consume less energy and have more brightness. Some lights also have color control features that add to their value.

The style of the house

Choosing the right exterior light for the right place is important. It is inevitable to assess the architectural style, whether it is more modern or traditional. Finding a reliable and cost-effective store for exterior lighting is the first step towards getting the desired look of the building. Stay Off The Roof offers a range of exterior lights for home and business purposes. It deals with hanging and removing the lights as well as taking care of all storage and takedown for its customers.