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Types of Outdoor Lighting an Electrician can Install

February 1, 2023
3:04 pm

Outdoor lighting plays a vital role in uplifting the beauty of your landscape at nighttime. Be it illuminating pathways, alleys, patios, or even your garages. It adds aesthetic value to your house while providing safe and sound surroundings.

Our team at Charlie Sparks has completed thousands of residential/commercial electrical projects at affordable rates for households across Sydney for years. And we understand the value and safety good electrical work gets into your space. So, we are here to share some insights about outdoor lighting. We want to provide an in-depth insight into different outdoor lighting options and how to make the best of them.

There are numerous types of outdoor lighting an electrician can install depending on your lighting requirements. It might be overwhelming at first — being bombarded with so many categories of lights and their diverse functions by your electrician. Want to know more? Read on!

Various Types of Outdoor Lighting

Floodlights

No, they are not for floods! If you wish to illuminate a great deal of outdoor space, like a massive private garden, floodlights are your best bet. They emit high-intensity light beams and can easily flood a large area with a single unit. Hence, the name. Floodlights come in four types — Metal Halide, LED, Halogen, and Electrodeless Induction. LED floodlights have gained immense popularity today for their low power consumption and better durability.

Inground Lights

Inground lights are ideal for trippy paths. These can seamlessly fit inside the soil, ground and even concrete to beget light without showing the fixture’s exterior. Thus, these lights do not pose a threat on tricky turfs since they are completely out of your way.

Inground lights require seasonal maintenance — mowing grass and clearing snow/leaves around the fixtures for proper illumination.

Up/Downlights

As the names suggest, these fixtures cast light in two directions — either vertically up or down.

Uplights are good for illuminating your garden landscape — trees and decorative figures for a pleasing layered look with minimal shadows. Downlights are majorly used for security purposes, i.e., to brighten up a dark area from high above.

As a result, uplights can be installed on the ground, walls, or near garden decorations like fountains and statues. On the other hand, downlights usually sit above doors, windows, fences, etc.

Step Lights

While lighting up your outdoor landscape, it’s crucial to pay attention to stairs — then be it just a couple of steps leading up to your main door or an entire staircase. Step lights are the most practical way to shimmer up your stairs.

Surface Mount Step Lights are fixed on the risers and throw a downlight on the steps. Since the fixtures remain visible, there are a myriad of styles to accentuate their appearance.

Hardscape Lights rest under treads and capstones, often hidden from your eyes. They come in different sizes and pair perfectly with structures made up of natural stones.

Wall Lights

Walls lights should be your top priority if you’ve recently moved into a new house and are planning outdoor lighting. They can be easily mounted on a wall, for example, on either side of your main door or even on boundary fences. Some vintage-looking options include wall lanterns, bulkheads, and barn lights. If you wish to have a contemporary or modern touch, flush mounts and spotlights are recommended.

Post-lights

A post-light is one of the most aesthetically pleasing outdoor lighting types. Not only do they glamorise your exteriors, but often come in a weatherproof casing for longer life. As a result, all the electrical elements remain safe even during rainstorms and heavy snow.

With the advent of technology, you can also purchase post-lights that have a vintage outer appearance but are equipped with motion sensors for smart lighting. You can run them on electricity, gas, as well as solar power (depending upon their type).

Path Lights

Pretty self-explanatory, path lights are mainly used for avoiding accidents in poorly lit areas and highlighting the path for the user. They aren’t too bright to hinder your vision and can easily withstand extreme weather conditions.

Garden Lights

Garden lights are specifically used to highlight your plants during evening hours. They can also be used to glow up your lily ponds or backlight trees for making a statement. Stakes are the most commonly used garden lights. They can be installed along the edge of the pathway or your flower bed, as per your choice. You can also use overhead lights for your barbeque area and open kitchen.

Bollard Lights

Bollard lights are short, upright posts mounted in the ground. The posts are usually made of aluminium or stainless steel and have a mounting base. Bollard lights are categorised into louvres, cone reflectors, and glass reflectors. With these options, you can cast a downward or 360° light to illuminate driveways correctly.

String Lights

String lights serve the sole purpose of decoration and you shouldn’t rely only on them for security purposes. You can wrap them around the tree trunks and branches or hang them over a couple of trees to lighten up a bigger area.

For a festive vibe, you can go for lantern string lights, fairy lights, and globe lights. If you are a minimalist, jar and rope lights can do the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are LED lights better for outdoor lighting?

LED lights pose a better alternative than your traditional lights for outdoor landscapes because they are energy efficient, durable, soft on the eyes, and highly cost-effective. Moreover, they are environment friendly, i.e., their glare doesn’t amount to light pollution. Not to forget LEDs can illuminate the surroundings in their natural colour, unlike your traditional bulbs.

How many lights should I buy for my landscape?

There go numerous factors in planning out outdoor lighting. First, you need to find out what areas you wish to illuminate. Second, decide on the type of lighting to install. For example, you wouldn’t want to use post-lights pretty close to your door, where you can easily mount wall lights. Third, every house is different. You need to figure out what works best for your outdoor layout — how many steps are there, how long is your driveway, and the density of your garden. Maintenance of your outdoor light fixtures is also a crucial thing to remember, Thus, it’s best to contact an electrician and get a consultation. We at Charlie Sparks provide efficient electrical services with quality assurance and superior customer satisfaction. Contact us today for more information about our services!