Exterior lights install location

[biggziff]

Is there a rule of thumb for where lights should be mounted (either side of overhead door) ? Height and distance from door jambs?

I've got about 6' on either side of my 14' wide door and am trying to figure where the most appropriate place for the lights should be. I'm not good at the aesthetic portion of this.

thanks

 

[Toomanytools?]

I have seen many a placement most likely 2 lights each side of door at about header height. Some placed at center of door overhead. "Google" pole barn exterior lights (images) and you get a lot of ideas.

 

[Lelandwelds]

I am a bit curious about the size and intended use of these lights. Are these motion sensing to scare thieves? Little bitty 20 watt downlighters so no one backs into the building? Big old honkers because you cant get enough midnight basketball?

Lighting the outside is something I hadnt thought about. Whats going on outside?

 

[biggziff]

I am a bit curious about the size and intended use of these lights. Are these motion sensing to scare thieves? Little bitty 20 watt downlighters so no one backs into the building? Big old honkers because you cant get enough midnight basketball?

Lighting the outside is something I hadnt thought about. Whats going on outside?

These will be sconce style lights mounted to the front wall on either side of the 14' overhead door. They'll be there more for presentation than anything else as I'll have a couple high powered LED security lights mounted high on the building to provide work light, etc.

My question is more about horizontal positioning. I see lots of pics online of lights mounted about in the middle of the walls on either side of the garage door, but most don't have 5-6' walls on either side of the door. My contractor wants to put the lights about 6" from the door jambs and I'm not sure that's going to look right. I **** at this part of the design stuff.

 

[roscoe2000]

I have standard size garage doors so I mounted mines using the door header height as a reference as I was more interested in aesthetics' Using three lights for two door, these are just for knocking down the shadows. These have low wattage LED bulbs. With a third (motion) light high up at the roof apex for security

 

[Lelandwelds]

My rule of thumb is to draw lines at one thirds and two thirds of both vertical and horizontal. I try to place near where lines cross. The "Golden Rectangle" is a classical answer.

I am a rookie at aesthetics. I find some of the "that's the way we always do it" assumptions baffling.

 

[biggziff]

My rule of thumb is to draw lines at one thirds and two thirds of both vertical and horizontal. I try to place near where lines cross. The "Golden Rectangle" is a classical answer.

I am a rookie at aesthetics. I find some of the "that's the way we always do it" assumptions baffling.

Thanks!

 

[jvitez]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

Yup, ratio of 1.6 has been considered esthetically pleasing since antiquity. Roman columns and all, the "perfect" face, etc.

 

[yeldogt]

I'm not sure anything is going to look correct with a 14' door .. that's not a human scale opening. Maybe a picture.

A typical downlight sconce would be at 5' an open at 5.5 and a larger lateen style needs the top to be at 6.

The 14' throws this all off .

 

[75gmck25]

I have a brick garage with a single 8' wide door, and my plan is a gooseneck barn light centered above the door. It works for a small garage, but might look too small for a 14' wide door.

Bruce

 

[cybrdyke]

Is there a rule of thumb for where lights should be mounted (either side of overhead door) ?

No.

If you were to do it correctly, there would be plan for how much area you wanted the light to cover and how much illumination you wanted there to be.
Once you have those two pieces of information, you would be able to look for fixtures that will fulfill those needs AND that suits your style preference. The fixture manufacturer provides information on the mounting height via photometric reports to tell you the optimal mounting height.

Other than that, you're going to be playing a guessing game.
Good luck,
CD

 

[Lelandwelds]

These will be sconce style lights mounted to the front wall on either side of the 14' overhead door. They'll be there more for presentation than anything else

I'm not sure anything is going to look correct with a 14' door .. that's not a human scale opening. .

No... you're going to be playing a guessing game.

Good luck,
CD

Oh, come on. He's not planning lighting for next years Superbowl. He's marking the sides of an existing door that may be a bit dominating for the space. He probably is trying to define or draw the eye away from the attention demanding door. ( A trompe l'oeil paint job probably isnt one of his skills. It isnt one of mine. )( I KNOW he is more fond of the big beautiful door than the two lights hanging on either side.

When I am making soup, I do not say " you must define your intended potato to carrot ratio before I can begin." When I build a new flat bed and it is time to add clearance lights, I dont say" email the mfg for the photometric report so first the light coverage can be determined".

No, the generally accepted method for small jobs is " that looks about right". Nothing would every get accomplished. The "1/2 and 2/3" suggestion is a common one for improving action photography. Pi and "golden rectangle" are based on observing nature and go back thousands of years. Pretty good rule of thumbs.

 

[biggziff]

Oh, come on. He's not planning lighting for next years Superbowl. He's marking the sides of an existing door that may be a bit dominating for the space. He probably is trying to define or draw the eye away from the attention demanding door. ( A trompe l'oeil paint job probably isnt one of his skills. It isnt one of mine. )( I KNOW he is more fond of the big beautiful door than the two lights hanging on either side.

When I am making soup, I do not say " you must define your intended potato to carrot ratio before I can begin." When I build a new flat bed and it is time to add clearance lights, I dont say" email the mfg for the photometric report so first the light coverage can be determined".

No, the generally accepted method for small jobs is " that looks about right". Nothing would every get accomplished. The "1/2 and 2/3" suggestion is a common one for improving action photography. Pi and "golden rectangle" are based on observing nature and go back thousands of years. Pretty good rule of thumbs.

Thanks

We used the Golden Ratio and taped up some mock up lights made from cardboard. Looks perfect!
Funny thing is...my wife and I first stood out there and just "by-eye'd" it and when I measured the location was almost identical. Funny how that works.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Funny thing is...my wife and I first stood out there and just "by-eye'd" it and when I measured the location was almost identical. Funny how that works.

Yes, I agree. I still think it is much smarter (and cheaper) to ask around a bit when tackling a foreign idea on new turf. It is hard to know what you dont know.

 

[biggziff]

\ It is hard to know what you dont know.

I think learning this lesson some years back has been the single biggest advantage I've gotten in life. Not worrying about what someone else thinks about what I don't know has made me a much wiser person!

Thanks again.

 

[whisperinsam33]

Here's the clue:
"These will be sconce style lights mounted to the front wall on either side of the 14' overhead door. They'll be there more for presentation than anything else"

Here's the answer:
Ask your wife. Only she knows where "presentation" fixtures should be positioned.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Thanks

We used the Golden Ratio and taped up some mock up lights. Looks perfect!
Funny thing is...my wife and I first stood out there and just "by-eye'd" it and when I measured the location was almost identical. Funny how that works.

Here's the answer:
Ask your wife. Only she knows

Lol. Lots of people here admit what we never admit aloud to anyone. The wife wears the pants because she decides if and when they come off.

 

[biggziff]

Here's the clue:
"These will be sconce style lights mounted to the front wall on either side of the 14' overhead door. They'll be there more for presentation than anything else"

Here's the answer:
Ask your wife. Only she knows where "presentation" fixtures should be positioned.

I'm no dummy...she was asked long before any of you guys!

 

[jvitez]

Lol. Lots of people here admit what we never admit aloud to anyone. The wife wears the pants because she decides if and when they come off.