A Simple Guide to Purchasing the Best Outdoor Wall Lights
“Let there be light.”
This phrase might be circulating your brain as you look at poorly lit outdoor spaces come dusk, then watch as they disappear with the blanketing shroud of night.
The best outdoor wall lights highlight your home and surrounding landscaping, while also adding a sense of illuminated security to your castle (it’s hard for burglars to creep around a well-lit path).
From outdoor barn lights with a rustic appeal to glossier, modern-looking LED outdoor lights designed to brightened accents on a wall — as well as fixtures and bulbs that will flood an area with light when their motion sensors are triggered — you’ll find a cornucopia of options when shopping for lights for the exterior of your home.
How Wall Lights Differ from Other Types of Outdoor Lighting
While scratching your head, trying to think of outdoor wall lighting ideas that fit your particular abode, make sure you’re not confusing wall lights with other types of outdoor lighting.
In a nutshell, these are any type of light that mounts on an exterior wall or vertical surface. Examples include posts (which shouldn’t be confused with post lights), tall fences, the side of a barn or shed, etc. Outdoor wall lights, or any type of outdoor lighting (landscape lights, hanging lights) should be sturdy built, standing up to the elements and requiring as little maintenance as possible.
Choosing Outdoor Wall Lighting
When searching for the best outdoor wall lights around (decorative or functional), the first task is deciding their primary purpose in your exterior lighting scheme.
Typically, outdoor wall lights can provide accent lighting, highlighting a particular feature of your house or property, as well as ambient lighting (illumining an area without overpowering it) for a porch, veranda, pathway or set of steps. That being said, they can also be used for task lighting, flooding a location with light for safety and security (maybe there’s a hazard like a pond or precipitous slope nearby).
Once you’ve narrowed down what you’d like you outdoor wall lights to accomplish, you can get into different styles, which include barn, traditional to LED lights, fixtures with black tones and more.
You’ll also have to decide on bulb type (halogen, incandescent, LED, etc.), wattage, plus the number of bulbs a fixture can hold.
A Quick Outdoor Wall Lighting Checklist
Here’s a checklist of some of the main features you’ll want to verify (depending on location and intended purpose) when asking yourself the question, “How do I choose outdoor wall lights?”
- Damp or Wet Locations
If you live in the desert, heavy precipitation isn’t an issue for you. If not, you’ll need to choose between National Electrical Code (NEC) light fixtures rated for damp locations or wet locations. Damp locations are subject to some moisture, whereas wet locations are occasionally saturated with water, or get splashed. The Modern Forms Suspense Brushed Aluminum LED Outdoor Wall Light is a good example of a light rated for damp and wet locations, as is Craftmade Lighting’s handsome Satin Nickel Seeded Glass LED Outdoor Wall Light.
- Harsh Environments
If you require extra durability when it comes to outdoor lighting choices, you’ll want lights rated for harsh environments. Imagine you lived in a coastal lighthouse or a setting battered by wind, rain and rough surf. If that’s the case, then a distinctive yet tough light, like the Steampunk LED Outdoor Sconce, might be the best pick for you.
- Dusk to Dawn or Motion Sensors
Outdoor wall lights with dusk to dawn sensors (pretty standard), like the ruggedly stylish Vaxcel Bronze Delano Farmhouse Barn Light, can provide accent or ambiance lighting. For security concerns, motion-activated floodlights are the better option, as movement will trip them on, causing the fixtures to inundate an area with powerful light.
Lantern direction is also important, as are ADA compliant lights for folks with disabilities. Several other factors that often come down to individual taste, like shade material, color and wattage need to be taken into account as well. Even so, the above checklist should serve as a solid foundation to jump from when diving into the multifaceted world of outdoor lighting.
Best-Selling Outdoor Wall Lights at DestinationLighting.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lumens do I need for outdoor wall lights?
The number of lumens you’ll need for outdoor lights will depend on the lights’ purpose and use. Outdoor accent and ambient lighting generally fall into the 100-200 range. Motion sensor lights tend to be in the 300-700 lumen range. For floodlights, which should be brighter than other lights, you’re looking at 700-1300 lumens, depending on the size of the area being covered.
How do I choose outdoor wall lights?
Choose based on your location (dry, wet, stormy), your basic needs (accent, ambient or task lighting), budget and access to power (wired or solar). Of course, also select outdoor wall lights based on your taste in design, materials, bulb types (fluorescent, halogen, LED) and overall desired lighting aesthetic, which should fit in with the décor of your home.
Who should I talk to if I have more questions about what outdoor wall lights are right for me?
Feel free to contact our amazing customer service team! You can reach us at 1-800-653-6556. Our customer service team is available for any questions big or small. We are available Monday through Friday from 7AM – 5PM, Saturdays from 8AM – 5PM and Sundays from 8AM – 5PM Pacific Time, excluding holidays. You can also submit a message through our Online Form and someone will reply back within one business day.
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