subject: Popular Techniques For Mounting Wall Lights Outside [print this page] One of the more popular uses for wall lights around the home is, believe it or not, outside. It can be used to completely change a persons perspective of an area of your property at night, or even of your entire home. To ensure that you are achieving the sort of perspective that you want, however, there are a number of tips and techniques for mounting fixtures that you should familiarize yourself with first.
Wall Washing
This technique involves large walls and other big surfaces being lit up using an even distribution of illumination from a fixture. This type of lighting is able to flatten out textured surfaces, which has led to its common use in covering up imperfections and illuminating certain features. Unless you want a reflective or flattened out look, properties with textured or glossy walls should not use the washing technique.
Grazing
This is similar to wall washing in that it aims to achieve an even spread of illumination on surfaces. These wall lights differ to those used in the previous technique, however, in that it does so without sacrificing on the attractiveness of textured surfaces.
Spotlighting
This technique involves smaller features of your property (such as sculptures, landscaping structures, plants and so on) being illuminated. In terms of wall lights, these fixtures are used to illuminate a feature that is situated above or below.
Light Scallops
This technique is commonly used to add a certain impact to the exterior of your property. With diffused lighting or a reflector lamp, you can create a softer effect with the fixtures, whilst PAR lamps will ensure that you have a more defined scallop on your walls.
LEDs
When it comes to choosing the globes that will be used in your wall lights, LEDs tend to be a very popular choice. As they operate on a low-energy system, they can be used for long periods without bumping your electricity bill into extreme proportions (and you can do your bit for the environment). They are also renowned for producing light (not heat), so they are perfectly safe for use around plants and children without risking fires or burns.
