The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Lighting: Tips and Recommendations

We've created this outdoor lighting guide to help you set the mood and showcase the best parts, so whether you're planning on entertaining a large crowd or something more intimate is on your mind, this guide will help get you there. Let's get started.

Safety first

Before you make lighting decisions, it's important to take safety into account. Outdoor lighting must be able to cope with the elements, including rain and wind. As we know, water conducts electricity, meaning it can carry an electrical current and cause a shock. Make sure the fixtures you choose are suitable by checking their IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection and is a rating of a product's resistance to particles and water.

IP ratings are written as 'IP' followed by two numbers. The first number relates to the amount of protection a fitting has from solid objects, such as touch by hand, and the second relates to the protection level against liquids, which ranges from 0 for no protection, up to 8 for fittings which can be immersed in water. As an example, an outdoor fitting exposed to direct rain and wall-mounted would typically have an IP44 rating or above.

IP Ratings Guide:

Bulbs

When choosing bulbs, it's always good to aim for LEDs. LED bulbs are long-lasting, safe, and a lot more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs. They use 75% less energy and since they're made of plastic, they're more durable and resistant to weather conditions. Read up on the different types of lighting available: The Four Types of Lighting outlines everything from task lighting to accent lighting and more.

Now that we've covered the not-so-glamorous but very important safety aspects of outdoor lighting, we can focus on the fun stuff – with twinkling and glowing lights at the ready, let's go…

Get layered

Just as you're used to layering your outfit, as you transition from warm to cool and back to warm again, your outdoor lighting benefits from the same approach. Here's why. Let's say you want to create an inviting, and warm atmosphere, with plenty of ambiance. Hanging one central, bright hanging light might not achieve the look you're going for. Instead, you might want to incorporate focal points and highlight them.

Types of outdoor lighting

Various parts of your garden or outdoor areas will do well with different lighting types.

Ask yourself these questions to help figure out what it is you need:

1. What do you use the space for?

2. Where will you be sitting/standing, to eat, cook or socialise?

3. How will you safely navigate the space?

4. Are the stairs or other obstacles that need to be illuminated?

5. Would flood lights or sensor lights be needed for extra security and safety?

Wall lights

For instance, a wall lantern is a stylish way to illuminate an outdoor space. With a rating of IP44, the Ovia Eden Circular Wall Lantern brightens any pathway, seating area, or porch, and because it has a built-in PIR sensor, it's a practical way to provide extra security too.

Ovia Eden Circular Wall Lantern PIR Sensor Grey:

String lights

For a party atmosphere, decorative string lights are the way to go. The VTAC Decorative String Lights are easy to install on walls, patios, verandas or anywhere you'd like some extra ambience.

VTAC Decorative String Light with 15 Holders:

Decking lights and path or step lighting

If you're looking to illuminate from the floor up, a ground light is going to work wonders. It's a great solution for decks and niches, and, with the Hades design, you can benefit from interchangeable bezels to control the angles of light you want to achieve.

With its blue colour temperature, the Saxby Hades Blue is perfect for your large or small outdoor space and comes in a satin nickel plate with a frosted diffuser, giving a clean and stylish finish. Other colours are available.

Saxby 91956 Hades Ground Light:

From day to night, illuminating the way forward

As you create the well-lit outdoor space of your dreams, remember to make sure you take the safety recommendations into account and answer those five key questions to help you make your best decisions.

For more energy-saving electrical supplies for your home and the full range of lighting and electrical products, visit us at PEC Lights, your electrical store in London. Our store is open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm; feel free to email us (info@peclights.com), call (0208 503 4314), or for your convenience, shop online.