Exterior Lighting Guide
Get Started
When it comes to acquiring exterior lighting, finding a reliable lighting company can be difficult. We at Butler can help you find lighting for nearly every facet of your exterior lighting experience.
Budgeting
Small Budget
A small budget is defined as being less than $1000. When working with a small budget try to spend it on security, and curbside appeal. Some things to focus a small budget on are:
- Wall mounted lights for garages, doors and walls
- Flood lights
- Landscape lighting
Medium Budget
A medium budget is defined as being between $1000 and $5000. With a larger budget, one should shift their focus to creating a more decorative or elaborate outdoor setting. A medium-sized budget should be used on:
- Outdoor ceiling fans
- LED lights
- Targeted landscape lighting.
Large Budget
A large budget is defined as being over $5000. When working with a large budget you can have a larger focus on quality, beauty, size, and materials. Those working with a higher budget can look into:
- Handcrafted materials (Brass, copper, bronze)
- Mixing glass types
- Recessed lighting
- Outdoor fans
- Extensive landscape lighting
- Waterproof options
Butler Lighting has everything one would need at any price point. Whether your budget is extremely high, or very low, we will provide lighting that works for you. We offer tens of thousands of exterior lighting options at nearly every price point.
Design Types
All exterior fixtures below come in a wide range of sizes, finishes, collections or families.
Wall Mount
Wall mounted lights are very common and can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can provide many different kinds of lighting. Wall mounted lights can function well in a group, or as stylish individual units.
Outdoor Wet Rated Ceiling Fans
Damp rated fans need to be placed in covered outdoor areas (screen porch, overhang, front patio), wet rated can be rained and poured onto directly.
Exterior Hanging Lights
Hanging lights are lights that hang from overhangs, or any ceiling-like spaces on the exterior of your home. Hanging lights can provide tons of lighting if they are placed properly, and with many designs to choose from they can transform your exterior.
Post Lights
Post lights are lights that are fixed onto a post, typically encased in glass. These posts are great for adding flair to your exterior, and they provide ample lighting to any space they are placed in.
Landscape Lighting
Though landscape lighting is an umbrella term, it is typically used to describe any light that is illuminating your landscaping. Landscape lighting can come in the form of lights on the ground, or any lighting that accentuates your landscaping.
Security Lighting
Security lighting is meant to deter any potential threats from your home. Security lighting can come in the form of flood lights, or other motion-sensor lighting that will alert you when someone walks in certain spaces.
How To Install
Installation processes for outdoor lighting can be difficult, so we never recommend that you do this alone.
Typically, the first step in the installation process is to run an electrical line into your backyard, or desired outdoor space. There are many ways to go about this process that range in difficulty, but you must ensure that electricity can reach your desired location.
Next, you should select and place whatever light fixtures you have selected in the desired space. You then need to set up these lights to receive power from whatever electrical system you set up. Try to keep a consistent distance and position for lights that come in bulk and require special placement.
Finally, when it comes to certain exterior lights, the cords and cables may need to be hidden. For any landscape fixtures, bury the cables. For anything fixed to the ceiling, or walls, the cords and cables will typically already be hidden within your walls.
Again, we never recommend that anyone undertake this job alone as the installation can be dangerous.
Energy Costs
The price of exterior lighting typically comes in the form of energy costs. The costs associated with lighting vary heavily and are based on many factors.
Types of Lights
The biggest cost that comes with lighting is typically associated with what kind of lightbulb you’re using. The general rule is that incandescent lights are the cheapest to purchase but will cost you the most in energy use. LEDs are the most expensive to purchase but will keep energy costs down. You also do not need to do anything to prepare a fixture to use an LED bulb. The only thing you would need to do is prepare a dimmer that works with an LED bulb. The correct type of dimmer will usually be shown to you on the box the bulb was in. There are a number of lights in between, but you need to find the one that works for you.
Timers
Many exterior lights don’t need to be ran all of the time. If you don’t have a way to easily turn them on and off, then simply set timers to ensure that they aren’t running constantly and costing you money.
Commercial and Bulk Options
Looking to start a new lighting project? Sign up below to learn more about how we save our customers time and money. With options for both residential and commercial lighting, we can provide service in any job that comes our way. With access to a wide variety of vendors, we can give you a number of options while also working to stay in your budget. We at Butler Lighting are the number one source for lighting that won’t break the bank.
Why Butler?
We at Butler Lighting have been fulfilling the lighting needs of our customers since 1948. Whether you need lighting for your home, multi-family project, or restaurant, we can provide whatever lighting that you need. We will work within your budget to get your lighting to a state that you will love. As a family-run business, we put an emphasis on communication and a commitment to hard work. We at Butler work with over 150 vendors to and we can handle any lighting job you can throw at us. If you have a lighting job that needs to be finished contact us today, and we’ll take your lighting to the next level.
Exterior Lighting FAQs
When referring to an outdoor light fixed to a wall, the terms wall sconce, exterior wall lighting, and wall mounted lights are all interchangeable. Lights fixed on top of a surface, column or pole can be called pier mounted lights, or post lights. Landscape lighting can refer to path lights, spotlights, or path lighting. Though landscape lighting and decorative lighting share certain characteristics, they are not the same. There are also other kinds of lights that don’t fall into these categories such as hanging exterior lights.
Though some of these overlap the primary uses for exterior lighting are to use them as decoration, to fulfill some kind of task, to accentuate your landscaping, or to provide security. There are many different ways to go about implementing exterior lights. Our experts at Butler Lighting can help you learn more.
LED lights are good for any lighting project. Any socket can use an LED bulb. LED bulbs require less maintenance and use up less energy than other bulbs. Not only can LEDs be used for outdoor use, but we actually recommend them.
Pathway lighting should typically be a couple of yards away. Landscape lights that are decorative, or those that shine at the home will be as far away as they need to be depending on their position and application. There is no set distance.
In most cases it is recommended that you make use of a conduit. There are some circumstances where they are not needed. An expert at Butler Lighting will be able to help with your specific situation.
Outdoor security lighting can be placed anywhere you feel could be compromised. Some typical locations include near entrances such as your front and back doors, and by your garage. You can also have them near windows and such.
A good piece of outdoor lighting will always be at least weather resistant and more often than not can deal with the elements for long periods of time. At Butler we only sell quality pieces of lighting equipment that can deal with the outdoors.
Though there is a spectrum for lightbulbs and their uses, we always recommend LED lights. They are very weather-resistant and have the most long-lasting capability compared to other lights. Though there are situations where we would recommend something else, LED lights are very reliable.
