Looking to spruce up your front porch and boost your home’s curb appeal? Upgrading porch light fixtures can be the quickest and easiest way to accomplish these goals.
Is it time to upgrade your front porch lights? Call Mr. Electric® or schedule an appointment online today.
Front Porch Lighting Guidelines
First, how bright should porch lights be? You don’t need a bright white light burning on your front porch when it’s dark outside. Such a harsh light bulb would be extremely unpleasant for anyone knocking on your door in the evening, and for the neighbors across the street who have to live with the glare.
In fact, an increasing number of states and municipalities have passed “dark skies” legislation, which limits how much light homes can emit at night. To maximize energy efficiency and reduce light pollution – and protect your view of the night sky – stick to low-lumen light bulbs. If you have one light fixture on the porch, don’t go higher than 500 lumens. If there are multiple light bulbs on the porch, 200 lumens per bulb is plenty.
Are you interested in porch lights that don’t attract bugs? Don’t bother with lights that are marketed as anti-insect; they’re overpriced and less effective than other options. Instead, choose a dim, yellow-tinted LED bulb. This bulb seems to be the type that’s least attractive to the widest range of bugs. As an added bonus, this also happens to be a great light bulb configuration for meeting dark sky lighting standards.
Types of Porch Lights
Sometimes it’s great to have choices, but there are thousands of porch light options to choose from, so it’s important to start the process with a style or goal in mind. Think about your existing light fixtures, and where wiring is already available for adding new lights. Are you willing to have new wires run so that you can add more lights to the porch?
There are a lot of factors to consider. To help you decide what will work best for your front porch, we have compiled some of the best lighting options to consider.
Flush/Semi-Flush Lights
If you have a front porch overhang, flush or semi-flush lights can be a great addition to the area. Evenly spaced flush or semi-flush light fixtures have the potential to provide the most even and widespread illumination for large front porches. Only choose semi-flush lights if the overhang is tall enough that protruding light fixtures won’t inhibit foot traffic.
Wall Sconces
Installing a new wall sconce next to the front door is a great way to add visual interest to a front porch. There are countless styles to choose from, including hanging lanterns, torches, and bell pendants. Whether you prefer brass, glass, or enamel finishes, you’re sure to find just the right sconce to greet your guests with a warm glow.
Motion-Activated Porch Light
If you want to enhance your home’s security, there are several different ways to add motion sensor capabilities to your front porch light. If you like your current light fixture, you can get a motion sensor light bulb to put in the existing fixture. If you want to swap out your whole porch light, you can opt for a motion sensor light fixture or a regular fixture with a new motion sensor light bulb.
Professional Front Porch Light Installation
When you’re ready to upgrade your porch lighting, Mr. Electric is ready with expert lighting design and installation services. And with nearly 200 locations across Canada and the United States, the nearest Mr. Electric isn’t far away. We offer convenient online appointment scheduling, or you can call us.
