How Bright Should Outdoors Lights Be?

Installing outdoor lighting is a great way to improve the safety and style of your home. Each light fixture style helps highlight critical features around your property, from path lighting to floodlights. Determining outdoor lighting brightness is one of the most important aspects of safety and security for your property.

Each light fixture type requires a different brightness level for its purpose. If a light is too dark, it could pose a safety concern. However, if a light is too bright, it can cause too much light pollution.

This article will help you pick the ideal brightness level for your outdoor lighting setup and cover how bright outdoor lights should be for your home.

How Is Brightness Measured For Outdoor Lighting?

When measuring the brightness of a light, the standard unit of measurement is lumens. This measurement can refer to any type of light bulb, whether it’s a LED, halogen, or incandescent light bulb.

The higher number of lumens, the higher the brightness level. There is a wide range of lumen options on the market, usually starting from 200 lumens and reaching up to 5,000 lumens or more.

Each space requires a different number of total lumens to illuminate the space. If you are indoors, the average bedroom requires 1,000 to 2,000 lumens. However, the number of lumens required to light an outdoor space is harder to predict, so working with a professional is best.

Why is Outdoor Lighting Brightness Important?

You may be curious why the brightness of your outdoor lighting system is so important. By picking the optimal brightness level for your outdoor lighting, you will be getting the perfect blend of safety and style for your home.

If a landscape lighting setup includes too many bright lights, it can wash out the features that make your property unique. An outdoor light should act as a complement to your features. A light that’s too bright will take away from the focus of your landscape features.

However, there is also a concern for lighting that is too dark. Landscape lighting is a crucial safety component that creates a welcoming environment. Dim lighting can create an intimidating atmosphere and does not reveal potential tripping hazards in the path.

Determining Brightness Levels Based on Light Fixture Type

A proper landscape lighting design will have several light fixtures that work in unison to create a complete look. There is a recommended number of lumens based on the type of outdoor light fixture.

These recommended lumen numbers based on the fixture are:

• Step Lighting: lumen count between 15 and 100
• Path Lighting: lumen count between 100 and 200
• Landscape Lighting: lumen count between 50 and 300
• Motion Sensor Lighting: lumen count between 300 and 700
• Floodlights: lumen count between 700 and 1,300

Get a Free Consultation With Our Lighting Company

Outdoor lighting brightness is a crucial factor that you should consider when installing lights. If you want to get the most out of your outdoor lighting setup, you need the help of Houston Lightscapes.

Our landscape lighting company will ensure your outdoor lights have the ideal brightness. Call us today at (713) 461-3600 to schedule a free consultation.