Shopping A Porch Light In Houston: Tips & Tricks

The right porch light does more than just let you see your way around obstacles when it’s dark. Ideally, it’s also something that commands respect while inviting friends and family to your porch. When a porch is lit up enough, it means that the surroundings of your entrance are safer, as possible intruders are deterred. Picking out a good porch light isn’t really different than selecting a good piece of jewelry. You just need to be thoughtful about it while paying attention to detail.

Placement

Where you intend to put your porch light should guide you in picking out the best one. For instance, if you’re looking to replace a current wall light, then your options are limited to just wall-mounted fixtures. If you’re going to add porch lighting, then you have more options, but you also have to verify your circuit capacity in advance. You can put porch lights on any posts that support the roof of the porch, or you can put them on the ceiling, using either flush-mount or hanging options. If you decide to, you might even install recessed lights right into the porch floor. Weather is not likely to be a factor since manufacturers design their porch lights to get used outdoors.

Style

There are times where the architecture of your home impacts what kind of fixture is best; having said that, if your home is lacking in specific characteristics, you have the more creative freedom to enjoy. Porch lights are available in quite a few styles, with certain options being casual, traditional, contemporary, rustic, and Southwestern, as well as many more. If you want to light up your colonial-style home, then you should lean more towards traditional styles over rustic options, for instance. Still, even in colonial styles, particular aesthetics can matter, since a Cape Cod looks better with nautical lighting than Georgian colonials do. Whatever fixture style you do pick, just make sure you emphasize consistency over being eclectic.

Size

How big your porch light is needed to be a balance between the home’s overall size and the size of the entry door. If your door is the standard size of 6 feet 8 inches, then industry experts suggest your porch lighting be from 5 up to 9 inches in width. If your entry door is in the realm of 8 feet in height, then your porch light should follow suit at 10 to 12 inches wide. If you decided to install more than one light for your porch, be sure that they are all the same width and size, or at least relatively close; this holds true for wall lights, hanging lights, and flush mounts.

Functionality

A lot of decorative porch lights now come with photoelectric eyes in-built for dusk-to-dawn function, which means you don’t have to ever remember to turn them on or off. Motion-sensor porch lights also have timers built-in that turn them on when the sun sets so they stay lit for predetermined times you set. Once the light goes off, it reactivates when the motion sensor registers movement. Take note of the wattage recommendations of fixtures if you are in need of bright porch light. Never exceed the recommended wattage, or you might risk damaging your light. If you want to boost the brightness without going past the wattage of a fixture, swap out incandescent bulbs with LED or compact fluorescent bulbs.

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