A Guide to Exterior Lights
Understanding what exterior light to use in which circumstances can be somewhat confusing.
This guide aims to help demystify what you need to be looking for in an exterior light by explaining IP ratings and what you need to be looking for to meet your scenario.
At a basic level exterior lights are any lights that are situated on the exterior of a building or in a place that is to some degree open to the elements, this can often include wall lights, step lights, festoon lighting and garden lighting.
The most essential consideration when specifying exterior lights is the degree of exposure the lights will have the elements to ensure that they won't get damaged or cause an electrical fault.
Understanding IP Ratings
Ingress Protection Ratings, otherwise known as IP Ratings, are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness against foreign bodies such as dirt and moisture (according to the EN 60529 classification system). The rating is formatted as "IP" followed by 2 numbers (e.g. "IP00"), with the first number indicating the level of protection against solids (such as dust) while the second number indicates the level of protection against water. When only one rating is being addressed generally a letter is substituted, normally an 'x', for example IPx4 is only referencing the moisture rating.
Selecting lights for exterior usage
The main scenarios for exterior usage and our recommendation of minimum IP ratings in each situation are outlined below. As a general rule of thumb, we do not recommend anything less than IP33 for exterior usage, even in well-covered locations.
Scenario 1 - Well protected
This first scenario covers exterior lights that are well protected from the elements. The common example here is lights situated on a covered deck. In this situation, the lights are unlikely to be directly exposed to rain or water spray, although may be exposed to moisture in the air (especially in coastal and/or humid locations).
Our Recommendation* : IP34+
Scenario 2 - Limited protection
This second scenario involves lights installed outside locations with limited protection from the elements, such as lights under eaves that could get exposed to rain or water spray.
Our recommendation* : IP44+
Please note, some fittings with lower IP ratings may be suitable for partially exposed locations, please check with out team before making a purchase.
Scenario 3 - Fully exposed
The final scenario is for any lights that are fully open to the elements and/or will be directly exposed to rain or water spray. Examples of this scenario include uncovered exterior wall lights, step lights and garden lighting.
Our recommendation* : IP55+
Please note, some high-quality fittings and bollards with lower IP ratings may be suitable for full exposed locations, please check with out team before making a purchase.
There may be some exceptional circumstances where fittings with lower IP ratings may be suitable for certain uses, we always recommend contacting our team and consulting your electrician to discuss your specific needs before making a purchase.
A note on coastal locations!
All fittings and materials have a risk of degradation in coastal locations exposed to salty sea air. For those more exposed coastal locations, we suggest selecting materials like Brass, Copper and Concrete that are more resilient to corrosion.
Please read Our Guide to Coastal Grade for more information about the pros and cons of these materials.