Installing outdoor wall lighting can be a great way to increase the aesthetic appeal of your home, as well as provide additional security and safety. Whether you’re looking for a practical solution or simply adding a touch of sophistication to your outdoor space, installing wall lighting can make all the difference. But before you begin, several important steps need to be taken to ensure a successful installation. In this blog post, we’ll walk through each step of the process and provide helpful tips along the way so that you can feel confident when it comes time to install your lighting fixtures.
Choosing the Right Fixture For Outdoor Wall Lighting
When it comes to choosing an outdoor wall light fixture, many factors need to be taken into account including brightness, wattage, design, and cost. It’s important to pick a fixture that fits with both your style and budget while also providing enough light for your desired purpose. Some popular types of outdoor wall lights include sconces, lanterns, up-lights and down-lights – each offering its unique benefits depending on what type of look you are going for. For example, sconces offer softer illumination whereas up-lights provide more direct lighting with greater intensity. Consider how much light is needed in your space as well as other factors such as design and weather resistance before making a final decision on which type of fixture will work best for you.
Planning the Layout
Before purchasing any materials or beginning work on installation, it’s essential to plan out where each fixture will be placed to ensure accurate measurements and secure mounting locations. Take careful measurements of the area surrounding where each light will be installed so that you know exactly how much space is available for wiring connections and holes drilled into walls or posts if necessary. Once these measurements have been taken, determine placement based on aesthetics and practicality – where would look most visually appealing? Where will provide maximum benefit? Be sure also consider any potential obstacles like windows or doors when deciding exactly where each fixture should go for proper functionality and visibility from all angles once installed properly.
Gathering Necessary Materials
Once you have selected a fixture type and determined placement within your space it’s time to gather all necessary materials needed for installation such as screws or anchors used for mounting onto surfaces like wood or concrete; drill bits; wiring tools; circuit testers; screwdrivers; etc., depending on what type of material is being worked with (e..g., metal versus plastic). Knowing what size drill bit needs to be used is especially important since this could affect how securely fixtures are mounted onto walls/posts. Most importantly, though, make sure whatever supplies/tools are required match up with those stated by the manufacturer (or professional) before beginning any installation.
Safety Precautions When Installing Outdoor Wall Lighting
Before beginning any installation process involving electricity and/or tools, it is important to take all necessary safety precautions to avoid shock or injury. Make sure you wear the appropriate protective gear such as gloves, goggles, and other clothing items that can protect you from harm during work. If working with electricity be sure to turn off the power source before starting work and if possible use a circuit tester on the outlet to double-check that power has indeed been shut off. This step should not be skipped as a failure to do so could result in serious consequences later down line. Additionally, when drilling holes into walls make sure there are no water pipes behind where the hole will be placed to avoid any potential flooding issues afterward due to leaking pipes.
Determine Power Source Location
Now that safety measures have been taken and materials gathered it’s time to determine where the power source will come from. This part of the process involves locating the nearest available outlet outside of the house (this doesn’t necessarily mean the one closest). This should then be used to feed power into the wiring running to each wall light fixture instead of running separate wiring back to the main breaker box inside the home (which can become costly). Depending on the setup, the surrounding area may have obstacles like walls that need to be navigated around to reach the nearest outlet but don’t worry because these types of scenarios can easily be handled using either extension cords run alongside the house or conduit piping buried underneath the ground outside perimeter of the property.
Connecting Electrical Wires For Outdoor Wall Lighting
Once the location for the power source is determined, it is now time to connect wires, running each light fixture back to this point safely and securely while also making sure the correct type of wire is being used (e.g. low voltage versus standard household current). Start by cutting two pieces of wire the same length and measure out how long the distance is between the wall or post where the fixture will be mounted and the nearest available outlet. After this is done strip insulation off the ends of both wires leaving enough exposed metal inside terminal connectors to attach securely to the fixture. Once the wiring has been connected, test the connection to make sure everything works properly before moving on to the next step.
Drilling Holes for Fixture Mounting
The next step in the installation process is drilling holes for mounting the fixtures onto surfaces like walls or posts. The exact size drill bit needed depends on specific parameters needed. Finally, when beginning to drill make sure to start slow and gradually increase speed to avoid any potential accidents while also making sure to stay within the boundaries marked.
Installing Light Fixture
Now that the holes have been drilled correctly and the wiring connected securely it’s time to install the light fixture. Begin by threading each wire through a hole made earlier taking care, not to damage the insulation covering. Then attach wires onto the actual fixture using the terminal connectors mentioned before, making sure metal parts are secured tightly together to avoid any short circuits. After this is done, position the light into place carefully, then use the screws and anchors to mount the fixture onto the surface. Finally, once everything looks good you are ready to move on to the next step of testing and making sure the lights working properly.
Testing Light Fixture
The last step in the installation process is testing to make sure the lights are working properly. To do this, turn on the power source and check for proper illumination from each wall light. Make sure all connections are tight, no wires are loose or broken, and the fixtures are securely mounted. This step is especially important because if there’s a problem with one of the lights, it could be an indication of a larger issue such as faulty wiring or an incorrect connection that could potentially lead to more serious safety concerns.
How To Install Outdoor Wall Lighting Conclusion
Installing outdoor wall lighting can be a great way to add style and practicality to your home while also providing additional security and safety. With careful consideration given to factors like wattage, design, cost, placement, and safety – you’ll be able to confidently complete this project yourself with minimal hassle or difficulty. We hope this blog post has provided helpful insight into each step of the process for installing outdoor wall lighting so that you can feel prepared when it comes time for installation.
