Are you looking for exterior lighting options? Give Mel Northey Co. Inc. a call and see the best exterior lighting products on the market. We carry both commercial lighting and residential lighting, as well as street signs and commercial mailboxes.
At Mel Northey Co. Inc., we know finding the right outdoor lighting fixtures can be a daunting task for homeowners. In fact, you may not even be sure where to start!
Don’t worry; we’ll help you get your project started! Here’s a quick look at some of the most frequently used outdoor lighting.
Types of Exterior Lighting
When it comes to exterior lighting, choosing the right size, bulb, and placement are key.
To find the best area and street light for your home makeover, you’ll want to decide the light’s energy source, color, height, and purpose.
Energy Source
Today, you can use solar power, batteries, or electricity to power your lights. Each has its own pros and cons.
Solar Lights
These are very popular for outdoor lighting because you can install them without wire connections. However, the lights need to be in an area with a lot of direct sunlight. Many panels do not charge as well on cloudy days, so it’s important to check a company’s options before investing in solar-powered lights.
Electric
Electricity offers many benefits when it comes to bulbs, such as reliable lighting on the cloudiest days. Of course, if your electricity goes out, your lights won’t work. That’s where your solar-powered or battery-powered bulb would win the race.
Battery-Powered
Powering actual lights with batteries used to be a joke because the system needed tons of energy to work. Batteries would not last long at all. However, with the dawn of energy-efficient lighting, battery-powered lights can be the best option in certain circumstances.
For example, if you lose electricity, your lights go out. While you could continue to lug around a flashlight and work off limited light, there’s a much better solution: battery-powered wall lights.
You can strategically place these along your wall in rooms that you frequently are in. Then when the power goes out, switch the light on. In fact, there are even remote-controlled battery lights.
Color
There are multiple colors to choose from, but the most common are LED, blue light, soft white, and yellow. However, these colors are not necessarily interchangeable.
LED outdoor lighting is usually very bright, so it can quickly eliminate darkness. However, many neighbors find the lights are too bright, and drivers can struggle to see. So, LEDs may not be the best solution for certain home projects.
Blue lighting is considered dark sky friendly because its blue hue won’t blind drivers. In addition, the bulb is very bright, so it will still provide plenty of good quality light.
Soft white bulbs are sometimes used outdoors, but they are not as bright as blue lights or LED lights. A high-wattage soft white could work for short distances, but if you need light beyond a few feet, LED or blue would be better.
Finally, there are yellow bulbs. This antique color quickly disappeared after we updated to energy-saving options. However, many folks mourned the loss of this beautiful color. Thankfully, companies have found a way to bring back the color without compromising the energy-efficient benefits.
Posts come in all shapes and sizes.
Height
Post sizes are endless. We know you don’t need a post as tall as a street light, but you can still choose from multiple heights for your exterior lighting.
Homeowners usually choose outdoor ceiling lights and ground-level lights. With ceiling lights, your bulbs would be as high as your patio ceiling. Ground lights could refer to either pathway, landscape, or courtyard lighting.
Landscape lights are tall enough to stick out from behind bushes. Otherwise, the light won’t be helpful at all. So, you might find landscape posts from 12 to 36 inches.
Pathway lights, on the other hand, are inherently short. They are used to light up a walkway, so they are very close to the edge of sidewalks. Since you wouldn’t want to blind someone walking along your path, the lights are very short, sometimes only 1 foot tall.
Purpose
There are so many reasons to choose outdoor lighting. At Mel Northey Co. Inc., we often see homeowners choose lights for patios, security, pathways, landscapes, and decks.
Patio lights
There’s nothing more difficult than having to work in the dark because your porch light is out or doesn’t provide enough lighting. Thankfully, that old bulb outside the door doesn’t have to be your only lumination source.
You can add more lights along your patio ceiling or landscape. If you have a deck, you could add lighting to the deck. For small patios, you can brighten up your way with higher-wattage bulbs.
Security Lighting
With crime on the rise, security systems are trending. So, what kind of lighting should you use for security?
Ideally, your light should have a motion sensor and an LED bulb. Usually, this type of system is referred to as flood lights. You could choose bright lights that are always on, but the constant LED would contribute to light pollution. Further, an always-on light won’t startle an intruder the same way a motion-sensor would.
Many security cameras on the market have built-in, motion-activated lights. This is very effective because the camera can more easily record the person, and the lights alert the intruder that they are being watched.
Path Lights and Landscape Lights
Also called landscape lights, pathway lights are placed close to the ground and are help you see the sidewalk at night. Pathway lights also provide some security and help children see as they walk to the school bus.
Call Mel Northey for the best exterior lighting on the market.
Deck Lights
A beautiful deck deserves to be seen all the time. There are many stylish ways to brighten up the area, such as placing lights along the rail or attaching post lights. You could also use a more hidden light source by strategically placing lights in your landscape.
About Us
Mel Northey offers durable aluminum outdoor lighting options, street signs, and commercial mailboxes. Our wide selection of commercial lighting products meets your dream design and will last a lifetime.
Our commercial and industrial light posts and poles for sale include old-world and modern options, as well as everywhere in between. We hope the next time you’re looking for the best exterior lighting, you’ll give our team a call.
Fun Facts About Houston, Texas
- Westheimer is home to more than 3,500 restaurants.
- Houston has over 150 museums.
- If you love bats, be sure to visit the Waugh Drive Bridge at dusk to see the 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats take off for the night.