Outdoor Lighting - Recommendations?

[bulletpruf]

Fellas -

Have a 3,000+ sq foot house on a .8 acre lot. Recently repainted; the old floodlights (30 years old) and exterior lights are being replaced. Electrician will be here this morning.

As it stands, there are a pair of floodlights on each corner of the house. Any reason to change that? I'm assuming I will be going with motion sensor lights; crime isn't bad here, but can't hurt to have these.

I'd also like a LOT of light right outside the garage, where we park our cars. I also do some maintenance in the driveway in that area.

Anyway, wondering if there's anything I should consider before I pull the trigger on a plan for lighting.

Here are a few older pics of the house. Have done a lot of cleaning up since these were taken.





Thanks,

Scott

 

[yeldogt]

FYI: Most trade guys are not very good a lighting -- inside or outside. Some of the low volt guys are OK -- most follow or copy what a pro has done .. usually too much/many.

IMO -- those corner lights are for security and utility.

Layered light is best .... I have timed lights that allow for safe movement -- and perimeter that are on all the time (night). Some that I only use for entertaining and when guests are coming and going ... finally a higher level when I'm cleaning up or something else is up.

I never use the motion lights

 

[fourbyford]

Sorry for the bad pic but, at the moment it's what I have...
Anyways, I used these dusk to dawn lights on our garage... they've been great. Very bright light and only ~40 watts. If I remember, they were around $50 each. Think I've had them up for 3 years now. Absolutely trouble free. If you're interested, I can snap a pic of the box. I still have one on the shelf for the garage expansion.
Or, the brand is Honeywell... you can find similar on Amazon or Walmart sites.
I use led string lights (see my avatar) for various areas around our place. Just enough light to see what's going on. I've wired them to a photo cell... they're dusk to dawn as well.

Good luck... post up pics when you're finished with the job!

...D

Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[bulletpruf]

Appreciate the input. Think I'm going to go with LED dusk to dawn lights - these aren't cheap, but they are highly rated - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lithonia-L...grated-LED-Dusk-to-Dawn-Floodlight/1000702986

 

[nadogail]

Appreciate the input. Think I'm going to go with LED dusk to dawn lights - these aren't cheap, but they are highly rated - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lithonia-L...grated-LED-Dusk-to-Dawn-Floodlight/1000702986

I am replacing all the rental property incandescent exterior lighting with compact florescent lamps or LED as they fail. The cost of the LED is offset by their predicted longer service life. A 40 mile round trip to change a light bulb makes an LED replacement look like a "No Brainer"

 

[yeldogt]

Appreciate the input. Think I'm going to go with LED dusk to dawn lights - these aren't cheap, but they are highly rated - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lithonia-L...grated-LED-Dusk-to-Dawn-Floodlight/1000702986

Not very attractive .. ?

I must have misunderstood what you were going for.

Be mindful of neighbors -- some of those have pinpoint output and it's very annoying

 

[Falcon67]

Not very attractive .. ?

I must have misunderstood what you were going for.

Be mindful of neighbors -- some of those have pinpoint output and it's very annoying

Yea, that's ugly as heck. And same - the LEDs on the Ring cam on the shop are like huge white laser beams. Light up spider eyes at 50 yards and put a spot on the backyard fence of the house across the street.

I would go with near surface mount LED dimmable down spots under the eves.

 

[bulletpruf]

Not very attractive .. ?

I must have misunderstood what you were going for.

Be mindful of neighbors -- some of those have pinpoint output and it's very annoying

I'm not terribly concerned about aesthetics. They're replacing those clunky old dual floodlight fittings; they're not any worse than these.

I'll aim them away from the neighbors.

thanks

 

[bulletpruf]

Yea, that's ugly as heck. And same - the LEDs on the Ring cam on the shop are like huge white laser beams. Light up spider eyes at 50 yards and put a spot on the backyard fence of the house across the street.

I would go with near surface mount LED dimmable down spots under the eves.

I'm looking for something to replace old floodlights so I can light up the dark areas of the yard. I don't think down spots would be my best bet.

Thanks

 

[tez929rr]

I have these on our newest building - work fine and inexpensive if I need to replace them. Two years so far and no issues.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant...D-Twin-Head-Flood-Light-DFI-5852-WH/301160449

I also have several traditional floodlight fixtures, some with motion sensors. I have had low power LED bulbs and recently replaced some with these higher output LED bulbs. Big improvement in light level.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017Y7Y2F0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

With the traditional floodlight fixtures and a weatherproof box they will last forever. I find I get about ten years out of the sensors and so far none of the LED bulbs has failed.