Outdoor Lights

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Lighting the outside of an Irish house

We get roughly seventeen hours of darkness a day in December. For half the year, the outside of your house is something you see lit or you don't see at all. That is a bigger deal than most people allow for when they are planning a build or a garden.

Good outdoor lighting does three separate jobs, and they rarely need the same fitting. It gets you safely from the car to the front door. It makes the house look like somebody lives there and cares. And it extends the useful hours of a patio or a seating area well past the point the sun gives up.

The mistake we see most often is one bright floodlight over the back door doing all three badly. Two or three lower-output fittings placed properly will beat it every time, and they will not blind the neighbours.

What to use, and where

Where	What works	What to look for
Front door	A pair of wall lanterns either side, or a single fitting above if the door is narrow.	Mount at head height or just above. Both lights on one switch.
Covered porch	A small pendant or flush fitting. Sheltered, so you have more choice here.	Still needs an outdoor rating, even under cover.
Driveway and paths	Low bollards or recessed ground lights, spaced along the route.	Light the surface, not the eyes. Space evenly rather than clustering.
Patio or seating area	Wall lights washing up and down, or festoon strung overhead.	Warm, low output. This is atmosphere, not floodlighting.
Garden and planting	Spike spots angled up into trees or across a wall.	Aim away from windows. One or two features beat lighting everything.
Side passage and back door	A bulkhead or wall light with a sensor.	PIR sensor so it only runs when something moves.
Coastal locations	Stainless steel or powder-coated finishes.	Salt air eats cheap fittings. Our fittings are powder coated.

Weather ratings, in plain English

Every outdoor fitting carries an IP rating. The second digit is the one that matters for rain, and it runs from nothing to fully hosed down.

As a rough guide, a fitting rated IP44 handles splashing and light rain, which covers most sheltered positions like a porch or a wall under an overhang. IP65 handles direct jets and driving rain, which is what you want on an exposed wall, a path or anywhere fully open to the sky. Ground-recessed fittings that might sit in a puddle need more again.

We list the rating on every outdoor product page. If you are unsure which applies to your spot, ring us and describe where it is going. It takes a minute and it is cheaper than replacing a fitting in January.

Sensors, switches and timers

A PIR sensor turns a light on when something moves and off again shortly after. Sensible for a side passage or a back door, where you want light on arrival and nothing the rest of the night.

Dusk-to-dawn works differently: the fitting reads the daylight and switches itself on when the light drops. Better for a front door or a driveway, where you want the house lit all evening whether or not anyone is coming or going.

Most people end up with both. Sensors round the back, dusk-to-dawn at the front.

Fitting outdoor lights

Anything hardwired outside should be installed by an electrician registered with Safe Electric. Outdoor circuits have their own requirements around weatherproofing and RCD protection, and this is not the place to improvise.

Worth planning the cable runs before the patio goes down or the driveway is sealed. Retrofitting a path light through finished paving is a miserable job.

See them lit

Our showroom in Donabate, Co. Dublin has outdoor fittings on display so you can see the finish and the spread of light before you commit. Being on the coast ourselves, we have a decent sense of what lasts out here.

Opening hours and directions

Outdoor lighting: your questions answered

What IP rating do I need for outdoor lights?

IP44 suits sheltered positions such as a covered porch or a wall under an overhang. IP65 suits anywhere fully exposed to rain. Ground-recessed fittings need a higher rating again. Every outdoor product page lists its rating.

Can I fit outdoor lights myself?

Hardwired outdoor fittings should be installed by an electrician registered with Safe Electric. Outdoor circuits have specific requirements around weatherproofing and RCD protection.

Will outdoor lights survive Irish weather?

Properly rated ones will. Cheap fittings fail because the seals give way and water gets into the housing. If you are near the coast, salt air is harder on metal than rain, so ask us before ordering and we will point you at finishes that hold up.

Should I use a sensor or a dusk-to-dawn light?

A sensor suits side passages and back doors, where you want light only when someone is there. Dusk-to-dawn suits front doors and driveways, where you want the house lit all evening. Plenty of houses use both.

How many lights do I need along a path?

Space them evenly rather than clustering, and light the surface rather than shining into people's eyes. Two or three low fittings along a path work better than one bright floodlight at the end of it.