How Much Light Does Each Outdoor Light Need?
Each light that we install in the open space of our yard and villa, should have a suitable amount of light and illuminate the space around properly. In fact, it should not be so bright that it spoils the surrounding atmosphere and not so dim that it does not fully illuminate the space and cause an accident. A question usually arises for buyers of yard lights that which lamp can be used for each outdoor light? For this reason, in this article, we intend to deal with the right amount of light for different types of area lights such as wall light and park light and answer question of how much light is suitable for them. We will also get more familiar with lighting unit, the lumen.
What Is Lumen?
In simple terms, watt is a measurement unit of energy consumption and lumen is a measurement unit of light or brightness for each lamp. Previously, brightness of a lamp was expressed in wattage. In the past, the higher the wattage, the higher the brightness and, consequently, the higher the power consumption of the lamp. But today, through the arrival of LED lamps on the market, we can no longer express the brightness of a lamp in watts, because there are LED lamps that consume less watts and bring more brightness compared to the old incandescent lamps. That is why they consume less electricity. For example, a 6.5 watt LED lamp has brightness equal to a 50 watt halogen lamp. So it is no longer possible to compare the brightness of a lamp with wattage. Today, the concept of lumen has become common among the industries that produce all kinds of lamps and outdoor lights, as well as sellers and consumers of lighting products, so everyone is familiar with it.
To avoid confusing readers, we look at different lamps based on lumen and the amount of light they emit, instead of focusing on different light bulbs. The amount of lumen of each lamp is written on the box and its packaging, and the higher the number of lumen, the higher the brightness of the lamp. Now we go back to our main argument that the amount of light needed for each yard light.
How Many Lumen Are Needed to Illuminate Outdoor Lights?
It is clear that the amount of light that each light emits influenced by many factors, for example, it is possible that the design of the lamp and its bulb material cause emitting less light than the real amount or some of the light wasted and it causes light pollution. That is why we recommend that you buy high quality lights from reputable sellers and manufacturers.
In fact, it is not possible to accurately calculate the amount of lumen required for outdoor lights so its amount is usually estimated. Other factors are also affected on this amount, such as customer's taste, position and location of the lights and the amount of space to be lit, but in general the amount of light required for outdoor lights ranges from 12 to 1300 lumen.
- Entrance Path Lights & Stairs
Outdoor lights that are installed at the entrances of garden or pool pathways could be wall lights, burial lights or pathway lights. These area lights usually require lamps of 100 to 200 lumen, and if the path is uneven or unsafe, it is better to choose more light and a higher amount of lumens. If the path is somewhat bright, smooth and safe, and we just want to make the stairs and the entrance path more beautiful, it is enough to use a lamp with a brightness of 100 lumens. It should be noted that lights that are installed to illuminate the stairs should be installed in such a way that they do not cast shadows on the stairs and do not disturb the view of people.
- Decorative Lights for Garden & Villa Architectural Elements
Outdoor lights that are used to illuminate and emphasize one or more architectural elements of a garden, such as sculptures, rocks, fountains, waterfalls, plants and shrubs, are usually spotlights that shed light on a spot. Proper brightness for these lights is about 50 to 300 lumen. To illuminate plants and green space of a garden, we can use pathway light that is low in height and is placed between plants at the edge of the garden. The other for of lighting is placing a burial lamp under shrubs and short trees. In this case, a lamp with a brightness of 50 lumen is enough. The larger these elements, the more lumen they need.
- Wall Lights
Wall lamps typically require 50 to 108 lumen. Wall lights are mostly used to emphasize and illuminate a certain part of the wall or the space around them, such as the two sides at the entrance of the mansion or the walls by the pool and have different types and designs. If you would like to learn more about the different uses of wall lamps and their types, read this article.
- Park Light
Park lights, also known as garden lights or yard lights, play an important role in illuminating the open space. In addition, they are installed inside garden and yard in front of entrance and sidewalk, and with their own design, they add charm to the garden and the surroundings of villa. The lumen value of park lights can vary from 50 to 300 because they are added to the yard for better visibility and brightness so they have a functional role.
- Lights Inside the Lake & Pool
These lights are placed under the water of lakes, swamps, pools and ponds, therefore some of their light is refracted by water and less light reaches the water surface. These lights need 200 to 400 lumen of light to be able to illuminate the space inside the water.
- Floodlights
The last category of lights are floodlights, which are bright lights that illuminate large areas such as parking lots, terraces, play and party spaces, courtyards or in front of the mansion, and are mostly used for security. For this reason, they need 700 to 1300 lumen of light. It is necessary to make sure that the direction of the floodlight is such that it does not shine on the neighbors' yard or yard and does not enter their privacy.
Summary
The amount of brightness of each light depends primarily on our priorities and needs, but we can choose a lamp with a specific lumen range suitable for each type of light and its application. Combining lights with different levels of light in the garden and open space in front of the house will create a very eye-catching and attractive image, so do not be tempted to choose the same lamp for all lights, unless the lights have a dimmer and the amount of light of each lamp can be increased or decreased.
Edited by Behnaz Mahdavi