Outdoor Lighting Buying Guide

Planning an outdoor lighting scheme presents unique challenges you won't encounter with an indoor layout. For example, access to electrical sources requires forethought. And outdoor lighting fixtures require special safeguards to protect them from the elements. In this Outdoor Lighting Buying Guide, we'll touch on the many different types and styles of outdoor lights, how to plan for and choose outdoor LED lighting to fit your location and how Warehouse Lighting can help you achieve your vision with high-quality, affordable outdoor lighting options.

By Warehouse Lighting

Making an Outdoor Lighting Plan

Types of Outdoor Lights

Benefits of Outdoor LED Lighting

Making an Outdoor Lighting Plan

Before choosing the necessary outdoor lights, you'll need a plan. Map out the area to be illuminated and determine how much lighting and what kind is required.

Building Entry Points: If you've ever stood in front of your door in the dark, you know the importance of entry point light fixtures. Aside from being able to see to put your key in the lock, lighting doors and windows is an essential security measure. Intruders are likely to think twice if the whole neighborhood can see what they're up to.
Walkways: Safety and security are the prime reasons to add outdoor lighting to pathways. Ensure no one trips over raised concrete, branches or other errant objects on your walkways. Lighted paths also enhance the security of the property.
Outbuildings: Garages, sheds and other outbuildings benefit from outdoor LED lighting. A gooseneck light over a shed door, for example, enables you to keep an eye out for potential intruders.
Carport/Parking Areas: Lighted areas can deter thieves from breaking into vehicles. Well-placed light fixtures in a carport or parking area also help after-dark drivers feel safe as they walk from vehicle to building.
Decks/Pools: Residential and commercial pools and outdoor gathering areas must be adequately illuminated at night. Public pools have strict legal lighting guidelines that need to be followed. And if you have a pool in your backyard, it just makes sense to keep the outdoor lights on to prevent serious injury.

Types of Outdoor Lights

When it comes to outdoor lighting, you have plenty of options for lighting your space. Whether you want to install fixtures that use traditional electrical power, battery power or solar power, you're sure to find the ideal lighting fixtures to suit your plans.

There are more options for lighting up the night than you may have imagined. Following are several popular options for outdoor lights:

LED Flood Lighting

By concentrating a wide beam of light toward a desired area, LED flood lights provide plenty of illumination for your outdoor space. These security lights often feature a motion sensor that lights up an area only when movement is detected. This energy savings feature can reduce the cost of electrical usage while still protecting from injury and potential intruders.

Outdoor Wall Lighting

Perfect for illuminating the perimeter of your building, outdoor wall lights are an essential component of any commercial outdoor lighting plan. LED wall-mounted fixtures are an efficient option if you need to light an area for long periods. The bright output and an adjustable mount make outdoor wall lighting the perfect choice for illuminating building perimeters where you need to control spill light. Primarily crafted of die-cast aluminum, outdoor wall lighting can withstand extreme weather conditions and humidity.

LED Street Lights

This is your lighting solution if you need to light up a street, parking lot or other wide-open space. These durable, high-powered street lights are designed to provide reliable illumination for your environment, regardless of severe weather conditions, moisture, debris or other outdoor hazards. LED parking lot lighting is efficient and cost-effective, making it the ideal solution to provide a high volume of LED roadway lighting to large areas.

Parking Lot Lights & Poles

If your business is off the beaten path, you may need a little help to illuminate the street and parking lot around your building. Parking lot lights cast widespread illumination over large areas. There are many choices in parking lot lights and poles, based on how tall your light needs to be and how much illumination is required. Commercial LED parking lot lights and poles are used to mount shoebox, flood lights and parking area light fixtures. If you're working on a road construction project, these lights will undoubtedly be on your list of must-haves.

Outdoor Post Top Lights

LED architectural area lighting adds a stylized look to parking lot lighting. Available in a variety of sizes, shapes and outdoor lighting configurations, these lights may look prettier, but they're every bit as durable as their plain cousins. Available in assorted sizes, shapes and configurations, this type of lighting was designed to provide bright illumination over large areas.

Outdoor Stairway Lighting

Reliable, durable commercial LED stairway lights are essential to any building construction project. You can choose stairway lighting in various lengths to fit the size of your stairway. Smaller areas can accommodate a 2-foot fixture, while larger stairwells call for outdoor lights housed in a mounting that's 4 feet or longer. For ultimate reliability and performance outdoors (and indoors), you can't beat performance LED staircase lighting.

Outdoor Canopy Lights

Offering superior internal controls and significant energy savings, LED canopy lights & fixtures can be surface- or recessed-mounted. Weather and tamper-resistant, these light fixtures are designed for outdoor use in various professional and commercial settings, including gas stations, garages, bus depots and many others. LED canopy lights provide reliable performance even in inclement weather conditions. Their energy efficiency ensures minimal maintenance. With an excellent lumen output, these outdoor canopy lights are a terrific lighting solution in various settings.

Security Lights

An integral part of any security system, commercial & industrial outdoor LED security lights provide reliable performance and energy efficiency for years with little to no maintenance. Security lights typically feature motion sensors and lighting control options to ensure the lights come on when you need them but don't consume needless energy in daylight. You can choose the security light fixture that's most suitable for your environment, with multiple heads that you can position independently. You have the flexibility to supply lighting over a large area, from different angles or focused on one spot. And you can choose the sensor that best determines how you want your outdoor lights to perform.

Coastal Wildlife Lighting

If you're designing a lighting system situated in a coastal area, you'll need to install special outdoor lighting that won't harm wildlife. Sea turtles are vulnerable to the blue wavelengths of most lights, which misdirect them away from the beach after they hatch. Coastal wildlife lighting is amber in color to ensure the safety of this endangered species. Be sure to look for lighting that's approved for use in areas located near sea turtle habitats.

Dusk to Dawn Lights

These LED light fixtures are pole- or wall-mounted and can turn themselves on automatically at dusk and off again when the sun rises, thanks to a photocell implanted in the fixture. Dusk to dawn light fixtures are used outside retail stores, construction areas, along driveways and services roads, for farmhouse outdoor lighting–or anyplace where lighting is only required after sunset. These long-lasting, energy-efficient lights are available in many styles and require very little maintenance.

Outdoor Sign Lights

Designed to illuminate commercial signs, outdoor sign lighting is a dependable and long-lasting solution to ensure your advertising message comes across, day or night, all year long. Outdoor sign lights are available in small flood lights or gooseneck light fixtures. You'll find commercial sign lighting in front of retail locations, restaurants, drive-thrus, on billboards and in government offices.

Landscape Lighting

Designed to spotlight outdoor spaces, this type of fixture illuminates exterior portions of your home, pathways and landscaping in your yard. Exterior LED accent lighting is perfect for calling out certain features on a property and setting the tone for a look you're trying to achieve. Many homeowners use landscape lighting to display their topiary, an architectural detail on their house or to create a festive look during the holidays. Exterior outdoor LED lighting is available in a variety of styles, so you can spotlight a small area or use floodlights on a larger section of your property.

Outdoor String Lights

Commercial and residential customers alike enjoy the ambiance that outdoor LED string lights add to their venue. At restaurants or wedding receptions, on patios, barns and backyards, color-changing outdoor string lights provide a touch of whimsy. At construction sites and industrial settings, string lights help light up work areas at night. Like all outdoor LED lighting, string lights must be wet-rated to illuminate even in the harshest conditions. Flexible and easy to install, commercial grade outdoor string lights are reliable, durable lighting solutions.

Outdoor House Lights

Whether you need to install a porch light or light a pathway or patio, residential outdoor house lights are a great choice. With all the styles available, you're sure to find the right match for your decor as you light up your property. Outdoor lights for the home are typically either ceiling- or wall-mounted and feature styles like lantern lighting, pendant fixtures and sconces. Because they are illuminated using LED technology, outdoor lighting is practically maintenance-free and can provide reliable service for many years.

Benefits of Outdoor LED Lighting

Contractors and residential customers enjoy many benefits by choosing outdoor lighting for their home, office or other building. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

Security: Outdoor lights work as a deterrent to criminals and critters who shy away from well-lit areas.
Better Use of Space: Even when the sun goes down, homeowners can continue to enjoy their yard, thanks to outdoor lighting.
Eco-Friendly: LED bulbs last much longer and leave a smaller footprint than other types of lighting.
Added Property Value: Outdoor lights are attractive and show that you take safety seriously.

Features of Outdoor Lighting

When you shop for outdoor lighting, there are certain features you'll want to check to ensure you're getting the best value.

What Is a Wet Rating?

An essential component of outdoor lighting is its wet rating. This rating confirms your outdoor lighting will be water-resistant and weather-resistant to perform in conditions like rain, ice, snow, salty air and wind. Don't confuse "wet" with "damp," however. A damp rating is for indoor fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens that experience indirect moisture like steam.

Why is Outdoor LED Lighting Better?

It's always a good idea to choose outdoor LED lighting. It's more energy-efficient, lasts longer, performs better and requires less maintenance than traditional lighting options.

What's the Difference Between Lumens and Watts?

Lumens refer to a light's brightness. Watts measures your energy usage. Another reason why LED lighting has become so popular is it provides higher output (lumens) using less energy (wattage).

Get Great Outdoor Lighting at Warehouse-Lighting.com

Whether you're in search of industrial or commercial outdoor lighting or you need to light up a residential space, Warehouse-Lighting.com is here to help. We have the parking lot lighting you need to complete any job, large or small. We'll work one-on-one with you to provide the best lighting solution at an affordable price. We're much more than a supplier. We're here to support you every step of the way with special services like free lighting design and layout assistance. Professional contractors and homeowners alike have trusted us for illuminating solutions, from purchasing and installation to maintenance and upgrading. We hope you will, too. Please contact us with any questions.

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