How Many Lumens Outdoor Landscape Lights Need To Work Well
It’s a great idea to know how many lumens exterior lighting needs! It can help you DIY the project or let you estimate how much it can add to your electricity.
In this post, you can discover how many lumens outdoor landscape lighting needs. You can also find out how many lumens you need for path lights, step lights, floodlights, and more.
So It’s Not Wattage Anymore?
“What happened to watts?” asks Christina.
“They’re still around for now,” answers Matt. “But lumens are where the future is. It’s an actual measure of brightness, making it more accurate.”
“Ooohhh,” says Christina. “Ok, then how many lumens do outdoor landscape lights need?”
Matt shrugs. “This is where my knowledge stops. We can do what we did when looking up the best brands of outdoor lights and look on Google.”
“That,” -Christina fishes her phone from her purse- “is a great idea! Let’s go ahead and see what we can dig up.”
Here’s what the couple discovers:
How Many Lumens For Outdoor Landscape Lighting
The Best Amount Of Lumens For Landscape Lighting Based On Area
Path lights. Pathway lighting is best at about 100 lumens. This is bright enough to see the difference between the path and your other areas without blinding anyone. You’ll want to know what pathway lighting is and how to best place them.
Step lights. Step lights are also best at around 100 lumens. You don’t want to blind anyone as they walk upstairs. You also don’t want too many shadows hiding the steps or what might be on them (like a pet toy, stick, etc).
Floodlights. Floodlights tend to work best at around 700 lumens. You want to flood the area with light so it’s easier to see what’s happening.
Security lights. How many lumens you need for security lights is about 700 too. Bright and sudden lights will surprise anything from raccoons to people. Security light placement is key.
Underwater lights. These work best somewhere between 200 and 400 lumens. It mainly depends on how well-lit you want your water feature to be.
Wall lights. How many lumens you want for wall lights is between 50 and 185. They’re mostly for accenting the texture, not to make seeing easier.
General landscape lights. These can range from 50 to 300 lumens. They’re mostly to make seeing easier and show off the best parts of your landscape.
The differences in brightness don’t just make seeing easier. It also adds more interest and visual appeal.
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“So, we have a breakdown, which means we can start our project, right?” asks Christina. Matt shakes his head. “I don’t know enough to tell if it’s DIYable or we need a pro. Let’s keep exploring this blog and see what all we can find out.”
2 Responses
I am looking for a dusk to Dawn LED to put on the front peak of my 1 storey home. I would like it to illuminate an area of 24’x24′. The light would be approximately 15′ off the ground.
Your recommendations please?
I’d go for 200 lumen