How to make lighting on the terrace or veranda in a country house

Most suburban areas and private houses have terraces, verandas or gazebos for a quiet, measured leisure. Terrace lighting in this case is a must. It will not only come in handy at night, but also create an atmosphere of comfort, focus on individual design elements. The article introduces the basic principles, rules and types of lighting for open and closed verandas.

The purpose of the terrace lighting

Conducting lighting on the terrace of a private house, its owner receives a number of new options:

• you can relax in the evening reading a book, playing board games with a company, having dinner or tea;
• additional lighting makes it easier to move around the courtyard in the dark;
• lighting is tied to security systems at home using response sensors;
• enhances aesthetic appeal.

Even a little lighting completely changes the appearance of the terrace.

Basic rules and principles

Terrace lighting is subject to a certain set of street lighting rules:

1. The light should not blind the eyes, interfere with a relaxing holiday on the terrace or veranda. This is just an auxiliary element.
2. Lighting devices must have increased protection against moisture (protection class not less than IP44), direct sunlight, dust, and temperature fluctuations.
3. If more than 20 lighting devices are connected to one line, it is better to install separate circuit breakers or fuses on them.
4. The installation height above the ground does not play a fundamental role. The main thing is that the fixtures in the pits adjacent to the wall have normal drainage.
5. Each lamp must be securely fastened in its place.
6. All areas of terrace lighting should always be open access.
7. For pendant lamps, the recommended suspension height is 1.5 m. If they cannot be installed lower, care must be taken that they do not swing and are securely fixed.

This chandelier seems to hang low, but it's hard to hit it with your head.

What are the criteria for choosing lamps for a terrace or veranda

When choosing lighting elements, it is necessary to be guided by a number of technical and operational criteria. The first and most important of them is the choice of the type of lamps:

• incandescent lamps;
• ICE (LED);
• halogen;
• mercury or sodium;
• economical.

In addition to the type, in the selection of lamps, the following are of great importance:

• lifetime;
• heating temperature;
• power;
• price.

The most popular and LED lighting is now considered to be advantageous in all respects. LED-lamps combine the highest intensity of light, economy, ergonomics. Plus, LEDs are easy to mount and, if necessary, replace with new ones.

Interesting. A good LED lamp can last all 10-15 years.

When choosing power, you should proceed from the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe terrace and the distance from the recreation area to the places where the backlight is installed. In comparison, for example, with sodium or mercury lamps, LEDs will have less power to illuminate the same area. In terms of the material of manufacture, it is better to focus on lanterns with a glass, wooden or metal base. They remain highly resistant to moisture, dust, sudden changes in temperature. If we talk about design, then it is worth maintaining a single concept with the style of decorating the terrace, courtyard and house. There is no need to sculpt poorly compatible currents to each other: classics - to hi-tech, retro - to futurism. This is aesthetically incorrect, and can spoil the whole visual impression of the terrace.

Everything is done in the same style.

According to the method of supply, street lighting is of two types:

• connected to the network 220 V;
• powered by batteries.

The second method is more economical and safer, but the disadvantage is obvious: the battery needs to be charged. However, with it you can not depend on power surges and blackouts. A good and progressive idea is to install as an energy source for the summer solar battery.

A useful bonus that lighting for a terrace or veranda can have is motion sensors. This saves more energy. The lamps will turn on only when the sensors of the sensors detect fluctuations in the specified range. The sensors are manually adjusted so that with any cat or pigeon flying nearby, the light does not turn on, but only reacts to a person, car, etc.

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The device for facade lighting of a country house

 

Speaking about suitable types of devices, choose:

1. wall sconces - fit well into closed or attached terraces to the house.
2. Chandeliers with a fabric, plastic, paper lampshade - suitable for rooms with a high ceiling so that they do not touch the head.
3. Spots - their plus is that they are equally successfully mounted in the ceiling, walls, floor, and give directional light.
   Spots in the ceiling of the summer terrace.
4. LED strips – are established in any directions and bends.
5. floor lamps on a leg - will serve as additional lighting for open terraces.

Lighting Options

The organization of lighting of terraces, verandas and arbors in country houses depends on their area, architectural style, design. In general, 3 lighting methods are widely used:

1. around the perimeter of the house. It uses LED and neon luminous threads. With their help, you can cover the entire perimeter of the site. It is best to mount RGB tapes with increased protection against moisture ingress.
2. around the terrace. Here, not tapes will be used, but recessed spotlights - spots. They are mounted inside the false ceiling and do not hang below its level. Spots give a uniform glow over the entire length of the veranda.
3. Side lighting. Wall lamps are hung along the walls from the threshold, giving a directed stream of rays to certain zones. This lighting method is well suited for small terraces with a small table.

Side lighting on a small veranda.

By appointment, they distinguish the main, decorative lighting and backlighting.

Basic lighting

The key role in conducting light on the veranda in a private house or in a summer cottage is given to the main lighting.It provides good visibility, and also emphasizes all the advantages of the design of the veranda. Requirement No. 1 for the main light is unobtrusiveness. It should radiate a soft, evenly diffused stream, and not blind or cause discomfort.

decorative lighting

Additionally, the terrace can be equipped with decorative lighting, which will focus the light on individual elements of the interior. In addition, it serves as an excellent decoration for the recreation area. Usually, LED filaments and/or spotlights are used for decorative lighting.

Speaking about specific places for installing decor, we can distinguish the following:

• railings - LED strips are wrapped around railing posts or stretched along the base;
  Illumination of railings from below with ICE tape.
• walls - with the help of threads, you can achieve any desired bend and turn from one wall to another;
• steps - here decorative lighting, in addition to its aesthetic role, helps when walking up the stairs in the dark;
• perimeter around the terrace;
• roof or attic under it - for this, luminous threads, garlands and lamps with original lampshades are used;
• fireplace - if a fireplace is installed in the gazebo or terrace, it can be additionally highlighted using the same garlands and LED strips.

Backlight

The fundamental difference between lighting and decorative lighting is that, in addition to the external effect, it provides benefits. So, first of all, you need to highlight the stairs. After all, at night, going out onto the terrace or going down, you can inadvertently put your foot in the wrong place and get injured. What to say about children, elderly or visually impaired people. In addition to LED strips, garlands along the steps and railings, spots built into each step will become reliable protection.At the same time, it is important that the lamp does not interfere with walking and does not shine directly into the eyes.

Well-lit staircase.

In addition to the stairs, the porch needs lighting. You can additionally decorate the entrance to the terrace if it is hard to see in the dark. If there are some original design elements inside the veranda - statues, fountains, flower pots - highlighting with spots, spotlights and spotlights accentuates them even more.

How to increase security

When conducting light on the terrace, several mandatory safety conditions must be taken into account:

1. Luminaires must be reliably protected from moisture, sun, high and low temperatures.
2. Light sources and wiring should be arranged so that small children or pets do not have access to them, or minimize this risk. This is another argument in favor of LED lamps as the safest ones.
3. Illumination of the stairs and porch - in the first place.
4. You do not need to place the lamps too close to the table, sofa, chairs, because in the summer there is no end to insects.

At the end of the video: Do-it-yourself pergola lighting in the evening