Mounting

Mounting height is critical for effective lighting, but how high you mount a light is a trade-off.

If you mount a spotlight low, it will shine in your eyes and those of visitors to your home or business. To fill an area with light from a low-mounted spotlight, you will have to aim it nearly horizontally. Such a light will shine off your property more easily creating light trespass.

Mounting a light higher makes it less likely that light will shine in your eyes. Furthermore, you can aim the light at a more-downward angle, reducing the likelihood of light trespass. But, mounting a light too high makes maintenance difficult. Since light spreads out as it leaves the bulb, you'll need a brighter bulb and use more energy the higher you mount a light.

Here are some recommendations:

• Never mount a spotlight at eye level. Mount it at least 10 feet high, but not higher than you are comfortable climbing to replace a blown bulb.
• When possible, mount under the eaves of a porch or projection just above the first story.
• Mount the light so that as much as is possible it won't shine in your eyes or those of visitors. For example, mount a floodlight high in the middle of a walk that runs along the side of a building. In this way, it won't shine in the eyes of people arriving or leaving, but it will light their way.

home  ::  par  ::  mounting  ::  aiming  ::  shielding  ::  efficiency  ::  shop