Illuminate Your Home and Keep it Safe: A Guide to Outdoor Wall lights, and Outdoor Security Lights

When it comes to home lighting, we tend to focus on the interior, but what about the exterior? It's often an afterthought! Outdoor lighting can not only improve the look of your home but also enhance its safety and security. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about outdoor lights, including wall lights and security lights, so you can light up your life in style.

Let’s Shed Some Light on the Benefits of Outdoor Lighting!

Outdoor lighting has numerous benefits, and one of the most significant, by far, is safety! A well-lit exterior can deter potential intruders and give you and your family peace of mind. Plus, it makes it easier to navigate your property and avoid tripping over garden gnomes.

But outdoor lighting isn't just about safety. It can also be used to enhance the aesthetics of your home. With the right lighting, you can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests or a romantic ambiance for date night with your significant other. Just be sure not to overdo it; you don't want to be known as the neighbour who has the Blackpool illuminations in their garden!

But what about the actual installation of these lights? We say this every time we come into contact who wants any sort of power going outside - as soon as you put electrics outside, they're open to the elements - wind, rain, sun. External parts of the electrical installation are going to be subject to much more heavy duty conditions that those in the warm and dry. We want to make sure the outdoor light itself has the correct IP rating (IP44+) and more crucially, we want to make sure as the cable leading up to and entering the fitting is of suitable IP rating and specification. If you're feeling unsure, don't be afraid to call in a registered electrician.

Want some possible outdoor lighting ideas for your home?

If you're looking to add a touch of style to your home's exterior, outdoor lights are the way to go. These versatile lights can be used to highlight your home's brickwork and architectural features, or to illuminate your front door or porch. Plus, they come in a variety of styles and designs to fit all properties.

The best wall lights:

Up and down lights are very popular. As are the tradition coach lantern styles, and more and more so the Scandinavian style, often made from galvanised steel. Often controlled with a light switch, or fitted with motion sensors, timers, or dusk to dawn sensors, to help automate the lights for your convenience. Smart ighs can be given a schedule via an app on you phone, and some are even controllable through Alexa commands!

The best Flush Spot Lights:

Another great feature to make your home pop! When done right, flush spot lights located in the soffits can really the exterior of your property to life. It's a little like goldilocks - Too many can spoil it. Try to edge on the scarcer side, perhaps a spot light every 2 meters. Spot lights in the soffits are also very popular, and are just as available as IP rated bathroom spot lights (in fact we recommend them, because of their IP rating). You can often find diameters from 20mm all the way up to 140mm, with different colour bezels to suit your property. The most popular being: white, chrome, brown, and black

The Best Driveway Lights & best patio lights:

In-wall lights are popular for walls around driveways; providing they aren't retaining walls. As are bollard lights and post lanterns. Once you start coming away from fitting lights directl o the fabrc of the property, you ned to start beig careful about the cable ype, how the cable is routed, how the cabe is what we call 'made off' and most importantly, how we can best hide the cable all the whilst ensuring you have access for future maintenance.

As a final note on outdoor decorative lights

We recommend keeping the lights above the ground. Remember our whole 'open the elements' speech. It gets worse when electrical installations are buried in the ground or in retaining walls. Then these light are open to wind, rain, sun, and immersion. unless the ground has been specifically designed and built for the drainage required, we fully recommend staying away from this scenario.

Outdoor Security Lights: Let There Be Light;

If you're looking for an extra layer of security for your home, security lights are the answer. A lot of these outdoor lights are triggered by motion sensors, making them energy efficient, convenient, and can startle potential intruders! Just be sure to angle them properly so they don't flood your neighbor's backyard with light every time a fox passes by!

Best outdoor security lights:

Most likely you will want a light with a motion sensor, or a light that is controlled by a 3rd party motion sensor. Also getting more and more popular every year: Some outdoor security lights come with advanced features like mobile app control and integrated cameras. That way, you can keep an eye on your property even when you're not home. 

Finishing up!

So, there you have it! Whether you're looking to enhance your home's safety, style, or both, outdoor lighting is the way to go. Just remember to keep it tasteful and not upset your neighbours with their very own local blackpool illuminations exhibition. And if you're feeling unsure about installation, always call in a professional – it's better to be safe than sorry (or have tripping issues).

We've had the pleasure of fitting countless outdoor lights for our clients in Medway and Maidstone - some areas include:

Weavering, Maidstone - Historical Rochester, Kent, Borstal, Rochester - Shorne, Gravesend - Downswood, Maidstone - Walderslade Woods, Chatham.

Require assistance? Feel free to call the office on 01622 277 321 for a free quote.