Exterior Wall Mounting Lighting

When Selecting Exterior Wall Mounting Lighting
There are varying configuration designs for exterior wall mount lighting. Some can be a completely flush to the wall mount configuration. Some are flush with the lantern portion extending outward from the flush wall mount plate. Some extend downward considerably from the center of the mounting back plate. And some have the lantern extending upward considerably from the mounting back plate. Unfortunately, the selection of your exterior wall mount lighting should not be based solely on design, style, or simply what you like. A major consideration is the position of the existing electrical mounting boxes. Of course, an electrical mounting box can be repositioned by a qualified Electrician. This may not be an easy task with home construction involving brick, stone, stucco. And with older homes, moving the electrical mounting box location may result in completely rewiring, according to local code (and may require a local permit).

All too often we see a beautiful homes' curb appeal denigrated because of poor wall mount lighting design selection. Many times we see upward lighting designs mounted way too high, downward lighting designs mounted too low and flush mount lighting mounted too high or too low. They simply look aesthetically uncomfortable. As a general rule, the lantern portion for a residential entry should be at eye level of just above eye level. Of course, this will vary greatly depending upon scale of the entry, door, sidelights, etc.

In addition to incorrect light fixture configuration design, we often see a wrong fitted design on a home. For example, a distinctly Prairie lighting design installed on Colonial style home or on a Tudor style home can look awkward. A contemporary style light fixture installed on a grand Tudor Revival style home will also appear awkward. A misfit light fixture can be the result of selection based upon personal taste of the light fixture design without consideration of the context of the home's style. Consider consulting with a Designer or Architect when selecting exterior lighting for your home or building. Most high quality lighting made in USA is crafted based upon finish and/or glass options  and are non-returnable. Best to make certain you are selecting and ordering an appropriate lighting design and scale.

A near fool proof method that we recommend (and use) for our customers when selecting a light fixture is a "printed model" approach. In many cases, we can email an actual sized elevation drawing of a pre-selected light fixture to our customer. The printout may need to be pieced together because of size. The printout will indicate the center mounting point for mounting to the electrical box. The printout can be cut out and taped to the mounting box location on the home. Some customers will also make a crude box to the size of the fixture's projection and tape the printout to the front of the box and hold it up to the mounting location. This will provide a clear indication as to whether the scale of the fixture, mounting location for the fixture design is comfortable or appropriate.

Very often, our customers will snap a picture of the entry, and email it to us. They will provide the dimension of something in the picture and we can render in the light fixture to an approximate scale at the exact location of the mounting box. We then email this back to our customers. This can also be invaluable when selecting exterior lighting. Both methods are services we that we provide generally at no cost. You will not find this kind of service with the typical white background online stores. We know our product lines well!

We certainly hope the above information has been useful.

How to select wall lighting