Facade lights have a great influence on the effect of a building: they create picturesque effects and provide safety and orientation. In this blog article, you will learn which lamps are suitable for facade lighting and what to consider when buying and installing them.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from BITASO.

What are the advantages of facade lighting?

With architectural lighting for your house facade, you can highlight details such as a beautiful window sill or the brickwork. In addition to the great effects, the light also provides security. An illuminated facade creates a homely impression and thus offers effective protection against burglars. Uninvited guests avoid illuminated houses; they only feel at home in the dark. Furthermore, well-directed facade lighting also serves as an orientation aid, for example when you install lights at the entrance to the house - so you can always find the keyhole straight away.

What should be considered when illuminating the facade?

Note: Regardless of whether you want to illuminate the facade of your private home or a commercial building - in both cases the lighting should not be a disadvantage or even a nuisance to the general public or neighbourhood. No one may be dazzled by facade lighting (even if it is intended to protect against burglars). Our tip: Talk to your neighbours beforehand and explain your plans to them - this prevents disputes.

Tips and tricks: For facade lighting, we recommend using a grazing light (shines in strips along the wall). This can be used to create beautiful effects, such as highlighting the structure of the facade (whether old brickwork or new glass fronts), window ledges or reliefs.  In addition, a successful mix of uplights and downlights - i.e. lights that shine upwards, downwards or in both directions - can help to bring out details of the house facade.

Protection classes: Facade lights must be able to withstand the elements - under no circumstances should they break down in a thunderstorm, sleet or storm. It is therefore essential to pay attention to the appropriate protection classes. From protection class IP44, we speak of outdoor lighting - but this protection class only makes sense if the lamps are mounted under a canopy or similar. Only with an IP of 65 do facade lights no longer need additional protection. We have already taken care of the suitable material for you. In our online shop, you will only find products made of stainless steel, aluminium or high-quality plastic.

Which lights are suitable for facade lighting?

Floor lamps illuminate the facade from below. Depending on the beam angle, large areas can be covered with a single lamp. Please note: The light is softer at the top of the wall than at the bottom. In addition to spotlights (with or without ground spike), recessed ground lights are also an option. You can use these well on the garden/patio side of your house, for example. Alternatively, you can install LED floodlights on the ground.

Wall lights are the most popular products for facade lighting because they are used directly where the action is. They can be used to create great light-shadow effects. There are differences between the individual wall lamps. Some shine only downwards, others on all sides and then there are some that emit light downwards and upwards (so-called up-down lights). For single-storey buildings, downward-radiating lamps mounted in the middle of the facade are sufficient. For multi-storey buildings, we recommend wall lights that shine upwards and downwards - this way you need fewer lamps.

Ceiling lights can only be used if your house has a pitched roof on which the lights can be mounted. Ceiling lights therefore do not need a high IP protection class because the projecting roof protects them from rain, snow and the like. When aligning and mounting the ceiling lamp, bear in mind that the light becomes increasingly softer across the facade.

Is LED facade lighting worthwhile?

Yes, facade lighting with LED light sources is definitely the better choice compared to halogen/energy-saving lamps or even conventional light bulbs. This is because LEDs are not only much more environmentally friendly and long-lasting than the three aforementioned power guzzlers - they are also more switchable and not as harmful to insects buzzing around. In addition, LED lamps are completely flicker-free and flicker-free from the first day to the last.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Surface Facade Light price. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Are solar lights suitable for the facade?

Solar lights have a decisive advantage over other light sources: They do not have to be connected to the power grid and do not consume energy that you have to pay for. This is because solar lights harness the power of the sun and can store energy to be used in the dark. This is not only useful for the garden or balcony, but also for the facade.

Are there smart facade lights?

Nowadays, lighting can be controlled not only by light switch, but also by app or voice function - this applies to both indoor and outdoor lighting. The latter includes facade lighting. The house facade does not need to be illuminated when it is bright and the sun is shining. To activate the building lighting only when it is dark, you can either fall back on tried-and-tested motion detectors or opt for Smart Lighting. This intelligent technology not only gives you the possibility to control the lighting with schedules in advance, you can also adjust the colour temperature, brightness and, depending on the lights, the colour at the same time - and all this from anywhere thanks to an app.

What colour temperature is suitable for facade lighting?

If you want to illuminate your house facades, you have a free hand when it comes to colour temperature. Suitable light sources are available in the classic light colours (extra) warm white, cool white and daylight white. In addition, some models are dimmable or can change to bright colours with the RGBW function. As a rule, modern houses tend to use cooler tones, while warm tones are more popular in country house style. Just like the light itself, the colour temperature should match the style of the house and underline its architecture.

Facade lighting for commercial buildings

Recessed vs Surface-mounted - which is the better way to mount luminaires for basements?

While lighting a basement there is one thing that is of prime concern and that is the ceiling. Basements have a low-heightened ceiling in comparison to the main floors. Whether the basement is used for commercial or industrial purpose, proper placement and selection of lighting are of utmost importance. The first point to be considered is the headroom if someone is planning to install surface-mounted lights. It is because in surface-mounted lights the whole interior led fixture is exposed. Whereas in recessed lights, the gang box is hidden behind the surface. Numerous other pointers need to be kept in mind while choosing an appropriate lighting solution for the basement area.

Pricing

Cost is an important factor that we need to consider in every project, especially when we are focusing on lighting because the price of luminaires differs a lot based on forms and usage. For lighting of a 10'X10' basement area, we can install one surface-mounted light fixture or around four recessed luminaires. So, it is clear the recessed lightings are going to put more pressure on the pocket. Hence, you will end up spending 4-5 times more with recessed light as compared to a surface-mounted fixture.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics cannot be ignored when lighting a space. The opinion of two people will differ when we talk about aesthetics. Someone can find recessed lights clean and modish, while some can find it cheap and tacky. So, here the main question arises what type of look you are aiming for? Whether you are looking for a clean appearance or you need some decorative lighting options. Recessed luminaires get vanished within the room but the surface-mounted light can be the point of attraction.

Remodel Vs Construction

Surface-mounted lights can be a good option while we are remodelling the area because of two reasons - i) less wire is required for completing the remodelling task, ii) the junction box can be placed using the existing or old workbox. In recessed lighting, there must be a precise circular hole in the ceiling. Then wires must be properly chained from one fixture to the other.

Difficulties in installation

In comparison with surface-mounted lights, it is difficult to install recessed lights. Installing recessed luminaires is more time-consuming. It is challenging to create a layout that will work aesthetically without obstructing the surface. Moreover, in both remodel and new construction projects, recessed lighting fixtures should be installed between the floor joists.

However, choosing recessed fixtures and surface-mounted luminaires depends on the requirements and usage of the space. Both forms of fixtures can be used optimally but, one thing you must keep in mind while selecting the luminous fixtures is the brand you are choosing. Wipro's LED lighting fixtures can be your prime choice because we offer a wide range of LED lighting solutions with optimum specifications. You can explore our indoor lighting section to get a perfect match as per your requirements.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Surface Ceiling Light.