Selecting the right exterior wall light can be a real headache. The location, the protection, the type of wall light, all of these criteria will allow you to choose your exterior wall light that suits your needs.
In this article we will detail all these criteria in order to facilitate your decision-making and reveal all the nobility of your garden thanks to the outdoor wall lights. First, let’s start by presenting the choices you will need to make depending on where you want to place your outdoor lights. Know that the outdoor wall lamp will allow you to offer targeted lighting, that is to say, it will highlight different decorative elements of your garden, or they will sublimate the paths and your walls.
Define the location of your outdoor lighting
We come directly to the location and the choices that are necessary depending on the place you want to illuminate. Indeed, in each zone that you wish to equip with an exterior wall light will have to face certain choices on your part. In particular for the protection index, which is a very important selection criterion depending on the location of your outdoor lighting.
The protection index indicates the resistance level of the luminaire. It is composed of the letters IP and followed by two numbers which indicate, for the first, the resistance to solid bodies and for the second, the resistance to liquid bodies. Let’s see now which IP to respect for each zone of your exterior:
Covered areas: This means that the areas are protected from splashing water. it can be a terrace, an entrance or a garage. These areas must respect a minimum IP23. This IP gives the applique optimum resistance for this type of location.
Exposed areas: These places are likely to receive continuous water splashes. These are your facades and your different walls. The wall lights must have a minimum IP44 in order to be properly protected and to highlight the reliefs and colors of your walls.
Submerged areas: These are areas where your wall lights may be completely submerged by water. These are areas where you could install recessed floor lights such as along a driveway or flower garden. Then your wall lights must have an IP67. This protection index certifies optimal robustness to solid and liquid bodies.
Now that you have all the answers concerning the choice of the protection index of the wall lamp according to the area where you are going to install it, let’s move on to the choice of the type of wall lamp. This is a very important criterion when selecting your exterior wall light .
Select the type of exterior wall lights
The type of exterior wall light is one of the major selection criteria. Indeed, it is above all a personal choice since it will appeal to your tastes first. However, you have to choose the right type of wall lights depending on what you want to highlight in your garden, or the utility you want to get from it. So making the right choice of the type of exterior wall light will allow you to create a unique atmosphere in your exterior. This is why first we will see the wall lights with motion detector and camera which are above all functional and practical lighting.
Wall lamp with motion detector and camera
Motion detectors as well as cameras provide functionality mainly related to the security of your home. Indeed, they will be elements of deterrence for thieves. But that’s not all, the motion detector will make your life easier by illuminating your walkways and entrances without you having to flip any switch. It will allow you to save energy because you will no longer have to leave the light on to illuminate your garden. The detector adapts to your entrances and exits. Thus the motion detector and camera will reduce your environmental impact.
Solar outdoor wall light
Solar wall lights and lights provide an ecological response thanks to their operation with solar energy. They capture solar energy during the day through a solar panel and produce light at night to enhance your garden, driveway or other area of your exterior. Solar lights are very practical because they do not require a connection to operate. They are completely self-contained, you will just have to place the light and it will do the rest of the work. Today, there are very trendy solar wall lights that will fit perfectly into your outdoor decoration. We advise you to select solar lighting with a power of 12 watts LED with an autonomy of at least 10 hours to perfectly illuminate your garden. The solar light is therefore very ecological because it does not consume energy. However, you will have to spend more to acquire one. You will make your solar wall light profitable in the long term by not spending any energy.
LED wall light
The LED wall lamp is a very effective solution to illuminate your garden. Indeed, it has many advantages over other types of outdoor wall lights.
First, the LED wall light consumes 80% to 90% less energy than a conventional or halogen bulb. With it you will therefore have a better environmental impact and you will considerably lower your electricity bills.
The second advantage is in the lifespan of the LED luminaire. Indeed, its lifespan is 25 to 50 times longer than other types of luminaire. So you won’t have to change your light bulb every 4 morning. In addition, for environmental issues it is important to reduce waste in order to minimize its ecological impact.
Finally, LED lamps are much more efficient than other conventional lamps. They project direct light and allow you to have several different light colors (3000 Kelvin, 5000 Kelvin, 6000K). In addition, it does not heat up when it is on, you will not have any risk of burns if you touch the lamp. But then why does not everyone choose an LED wall light? Well, just because it’s more expensive than other types of bulbs. However, buying a classic bulb would be a choice which, in the short term, will be a winner for you but which, in the long term, will make you lose money, time and light. !
What styles of outdoor wall lights to illuminate my garden?
Choosing your wall light according to the style of your home can be complicated, but we will explain what choices to make to select the style that suits your home. If you have a rather modern new house with several floors, we advise you to look at wall lights with high and low diffusers in a fairly modern, sober and refined style. The trend is for plain colors with sober shapes.
If you have a rather rustic country house, you can opt for exterior wall lights in noble materials such as bronze, copper or even brass in order to give charm to your stone walls or other reliefs and colors present on your exterior. However, with a traditional country house, you can also take the gamble of breaking the rustic side with a modern and designer wall lamp. It will make your outdoor decoration trendy. Now let’s tackle the question of the seaside. To light up your seaside house you will have to be careful of the saline environments and the many storms that can rage on the coastline. These conditions could harm the various lights that do not have adequate resistance. For this, we recommend the Norlys brand. The company is based in Scandinavia and has designed lighting especially for the Nordic seaside. You will find outdoor copper seaside sconces that oxidize with a gorgeous gray-green.