Exterior Light Fixtures: Choose Your Style & Finish – This Old House

Drive down any residential street, and we ‘d bet your eye is instantaneously drawn to the house with the invite, well-lit battlefront door. Done justly, exterior entry lighting makes the most of what you ‘ve got, complementing your home ‘s architecture, increasing security system, and helping guests navigate their means to the front landing .
That said, it can be a veridical challenge to select the arrant fastness. Just stroll down the fall aisle of any home storehouse, and it ‘s easy to be overwhelmed by the countless styles, finishes, bells and whistles—and that ‘s before you look on-line .
Start by evaluating your space to determine the type of regular ( or fixtures ) that best fits it, whether wall-mount, ceiling-mount, or, in very big entries, a combination of the two. In every sheath, the overall goal is to cast a wide pool of light that illuminates the entry, banishes dark corners, and casts a warm glow that ‘s easy on the eyes, says San Francisco-based ignition designer Jody Pritchard. We ‘ll explain how to determine the right size, placement, stylus, and finish of your front-door fall. Follow these steps to make your house the one that says “ welcome home. ”
Shown: A pendant that casts a wide pool of light provides primary coil clarification. Side lanterns as secondary light sources need not adhere to design-math rules. Medium Federal sconces, about $ 460 each ; shadesoflight.com

Similar to shown: Livex Lighting Mansfield 2-Light Hanging Lantern, about $ 260 ; wayfair.com

Front Porch Light Diagram

here are the basics of a pendant ; sconce and flush-mount fixtures have alike caparison and inner workings, and a mount plate .

Porch Light Fixtures: Important Considerations

Cost

What does It cost? There ‘s an option for every budget, but expect to pay $ 250 and up for a choice fixture made from solid-cast or hand-wrought metals .
DIY or hire a pro? Changing a light repair is a relatively simple job. Installing a consecrated junction box for a new repair takes more skill—and tools. For that, you may want to go pro .

Maintenance

Maintenance? While unlacquered brass requires polishing to keep it glazed, most fixtures can be cleaned with a muffle fabric. regularly applying a thin coat of wax to exposed metal parts helps protect against oxidation .
How long does it last? Warranties range from 30 days to a life for some lights made from solid bull. One to two years is the industry average .

Deciphering UL Ratings

fall fixtures sold in the U.S. should carry an Underwriters Laboratories ( UL ) evaluation on the tag that indicates what kind of location they can be used in. Dry-rated lights can not be subjected to excessive moisture and should not be hang outdoors. But tolerances vary for those that are damp- and wet-rated .
The difference between the two is in the structure. UL-rated fixtures for muffle and wet locations use different combinations of drain holes, seals, and protective gaskets to prevent body of water from accumulating on live wires and other electrical parts. Select the right repair denounce based on your entry ‘s flush of exposure .
Damp-rated: Suitable for sheltered porch areas that are protected from water—even during storms—and from excessive moisture, such as salt air .
Wet-rated: Necessary around doors fully open to the elements, where rain, bamboozle, and heavy obscure or salt air travel can come into direct contact with the repair .

How to Install: Do the Math

not indisputable how a fixture will look once you take it out of the showroom and install it at home ? Before pulling the gun trigger on your leverage, double-check that it follows the guidelines for scale on the reverse page. then make a mock-up of your choice : Cut cardboard to the size and shape of the idle and affix it to the house near the door. Back off and take a attend from the bottom of the driveway or the middle of the street to be certain it looks right .

Double Sconces

Door-framing lights, placed 6 to 12 inches from the doorway casing, are a lifelike option for harmonious entries. A 13- to 15-watt LED bulb ( labeled 60- to 70-watt equivalent ) per fixture is normally enough .

Single Sconce

When space is limited and there ‘s no coat overhead, one fixture—with a single 13- to 15-watt LED light bulb ( 60- to 70-watt equivalent ) —can suffice. Hang it on the doorknob side for a well-lit view when greeting guests .

Flush-Mount

This is an ideal solution for entries with low ceilings, screen or storm doors, and porches open to wet weather. Use a 23- to 40-watt LED bulb ( 100- to 125-watt equivalent ) or multiple bulbs with the lapp total electrical power .

Pendant

A hang fastness lights a high-ceilinged entrance, but not where it ‘s airy. With opaque glass, use a one 23- to 40-watt LED bulb ( 100- to 125-watt equivalent ) ; for clear glaze, use several smaller bulb with the same unite electrical power .

Front Entry Light

Good Choice

Price Range: $ 50- $ 150
Base metal: These basic fixtures are normally made of cheap steel sheet metallic, which can be easily bend around a class and welded .
Finish: May be sprayed on or applied with more expensive and more weather-resistant powderize coating. As the polish wears, exposed steel surfaces will oxidize and finally rust .
Glass: This is normally clear, with no faceting .
Shown: Portfolio Brayden Outdoor 2-Light Wall Lantern, about $ 60 ; lowes.com

Better Choice

Price Range: $ 150- $ 250
Base metal: Typically made of more rust-resistant aluminum, which is difficult to weld. Fixtures are assembled from multiple ( and potentially more detailed ) stamped, spin, and die-cast pieces .
Finish: May involve several layers of spray or hand-applied color. While aluminum can oxidize, it does so at a slower rate than sword. Powder-coated fixtures resist oxidation retentive .
Glass: Options include cosmetic beveled or seeded field glass .
Shown: Quoizel Newbury 2-Light Outdoor Wall Lantern, about $ 200 ; lightingdirect.com

Best Choice

Price Range: $ 250 and up
Base metal: Generally made of brass—or, less often, of copper—cast from an intricate mildew or constructed by pass. Details will be sharper .
Finish: Expect durable electroplated and hand-applied, multilayer finishes. Lacquered boldness resists oxidation for years. Polished or left to patinate, uncoated brass section and copper last for decades .
Glass: Decorative options may include double-beveled or intricate art glass .
Shown: Lancaster 2-Light Wall Lantern, about $ 270 ; seagulllighting.com

Get The Right Style

Cottage

For dim-witted exteriors, choose for quaint details, such as lantern arms that curlicue or panes of vintage-look opaque glass that emit a piano burn .
Shown: Sea Gull Lighting Ardsley Court 1-Light Outdoor Lantern, about $ 132 ; homedepot.com

Tudor Revival

A house with arced windows, stonework, or a steeply pitched roof calls for medieval-inspired ignite, much featuring hammered metals and seeded glaze .
Shown: Mill Creek Hanging Outdoor Lamp, about $ 123 ; homedepot.com

Arts and Crafts

Fixtures with angular profiles and ogee edges are a good fit for a bungalow and early clean-lined early-20th-century styles .
Shown: Quoizel Hillcrest 1913 Outdoor Pendant, about $ 310 ; lumens.com

Colonial

Unadorned houses of the era, such as saltboxes and Cape Cods, were frequently lit by copper onion lanterns, durable enough for seaside living. today, reproductions lend the same countrified spell .
Shown: Onion Wall Lantern, about $ 300 ; hammerworks.com

Ranch

While traditional-style lights are much used on mid-century homes, linear, about aerodynamic silhouettes and burnished or powder-coated metals are besides genuine to the period .
Shown: Sea Gull Lighting Outdoor Bullets, about $ 103 ; lightingnewyork.com

Colonial Revival

detail fixtures clad in gilded alloy or glossy black point of view up to the formal entrances of homes with symmetrical facades and columned porticoes .
Shown: Silverton Classic Torch Wall Bracket, about $ 260 ; rejuvenation.com

Victorian-Era

Lights with enthusiastic ornamentation match the amatory hallmarks—gingerbread trim, fancy shingling—typical of Queen Annes .
Shown: Devon Large Wall Lantern, about $ 350 ; houseofantiquehardware.com

Classical

modeled and statement-making, these globes work well on the commanding facade of an urban rowhouse or a double-height porch .
Shown: Medford Classical Revival Wall Sconce, about $ 375 ; rejuvenation.com

Federal

An elaborate, elegant entrance will benefit from lantern-style sconces. Hinged glass doors and candle-covered sockets lend an air of authenticity .
Shown: Bolton Indoor/Outdoor Sconce, about $ 300 ; potterybarn.com

Gaslights

Before electric lights became far-flung in the 1890s, natural gas light was the average. today, whether for historical accuracy or for the atmospheric glow they impart, these fixtures are popular once again. They come configured two ways : as “ gas blanket, ” where the natural gas terminates in a wire- or ceramic-fiber fabric for a steady white light ( equivalent to a 50- or 60-watt bulb ), or as “ outdoors fire, ” a softer candlelight flicker similar to a 25-watt medulla oblongata. Keep in mind, fixtures are costly, starting at $ 600, and need a flatulence hookup ; check local codes for requirements .
Shown: The Atlas lantern, about $ 700 ; carolinalanterns.com

Pick Your Finish

Oil-Rubbed Bronze

Can be sprayed or plated over another base metal, but high-grade lights use a chemical process on solid brass that alters the metallic ‘s surface .
Works with: most any manner of home

Aged Brass

much sprayed or plated over another foundation metallic element, then polished to add highlights. For lastingness, look for upstanding administration that ‘s aged chemically and tooled for smooth edges .
Works with: any traditional style

Polished Brass

normally electroplated, it ‘s sold lacquered to prevent tarnish or unlacquered to patinate. Lacquer must be reapplied every few years. Unlacquered brass will darken to brown .
Works with: conventional traditional styles

Polished Nickel

broadly a layer of nickel electroplated over another foundation metal. May have a absolved coat for total protective covering. Quality lights are plated over rustproof brass .
Works with: coastal and contemporaneous homes

Matte Black

Like all color finishes, flatness or glossy, this can be sprayed on, but for lastingness, look for longer-lasting gunpowder coating, in which the base metal is covered with a dry powder that is cured with heating system.

Works for: providing contrast and color

Copper

Can be sprayed or plated over another infrastructure metal, but the best lights are made from solid copper. A clear coat can be added to retard oxidation, but copper is normally left to patinate naturally .
Works for: adding a time-honored look

source : https://mindovermetal.org/en
Category : Maritime