Do Outdoor Lights Have To Match? (How To Make It Work!)

Well, you may have asked yourself this question when choosing outdoor lighting fixtures for your home. There are a lot of different styles and types out there. Not all of them will fit with your decor and allow you to create the ambiance that you are looking for.

But don’t think that you only have to settle for boring or mismatched fixtures!

Outdoor lights can match or be mismatched in color, size, or style. However, you just need to make sure they don’t look too out of place. It is a good idea to match the color of the lights with the color of the exterior of the house.

So, now that you know that outdoor lights don’t have to match, you might be wondering what else you should know about outdoor lighting. More specifically, what are some of the questions people ask about outdoor lights?

Keep on reading for some of the most common ones!

What kind of outdoor light should I choose?

There are several different types of lights available today including fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, compact florescent lamps, LEDs, etc. Each type offers its own advantages and disadvantages. Fluorescents tend to last longer while CFLs require less maintenance. Halogens provide great color rendering and HIDs produce very bright white light. All these options work best outdoors but each has its pros and cons. The choice really depends upon what you want from an outdoor lamp.

How many lights am I going to need?

This is another easy question to answer. Just multiply the number of windows by the wattage required per window. For example: A single-pane glass door has 1/4 inch thick glass so it needs at least 100 watts of power. So, if you have 10 doors then you need 2,000 watts of electricity. That means you need two 20 amp circuits running off of 120 volts AC.

Is my roof strong enough to support these lights?

If you plan on installing multiple lights onto your roof then you need to check into whether or not your roof supports the weight of those lights. Some roofs aren’t designed to hold heavy loads such as large chandeliers. In fact, some roofs are made of metal and cannot handle anything heavier than 50 pounds. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t install lights though because you can always add additional beams to increase the load capacity.

Can I put up lights without having to drill holes through my walls?

Yes, you certainly can! Many manufacturers offer wall mounting kits that include everything you need to hang their products right over your existing drywall. These kits usually come with anchors, screws, washers, nuts, and other hardware needed to mount the product securely.

Are outdoor lights safe?

You bet they are! Most outdoor lighting fixtures are UL listed meaning that they meet safety standards set forth by Underwriters Laboratories. They also conform to ANSI Z133.1 Standards which ensure that all electrical equipment meets certain requirements regarding voltage, current, and resistance.

Is my fixture going to get wet if it rains?

Most outdoor lighting fixtures will stay relatively dry since they are mounted outside. However, there may be times when rainwater gets inside a fixture. It happens quite often actually. When this does happen, just make sure that you clean out the fixture regularly. Otherwise, water damage can occur.