Illuminating the house entrance - Helpful tips and ideas

Planning entrance lighting - helpful tips and ideas.

It's the first impression that counts - this applies to many things in life, including the lighting at the entrance to your home. Guests should feel immediately welcome, the letter carrier or ambulance should find you quickly and easily and you yourself should always arrive home safely in the dark.

Lamps in the entrance area therefore need to provide security as well as being attractive and inviting. An illuminated house number, path lights or wall lights are just a few initial examples of how you can design your house entrance.

With our planning guide, we want to show you even more options and provide important tips on how you can optimally illuminate your entrance to your home.

Planning preparation - How exactly is your home entrance structured?

Every entrance area is designed differently and therefore offers very different lighting options.

The first thing to consider is how your own entrance to the house is structured: Is there a Is there a canopy? Where are the power connections? Do new ones need to be planned or should solar entrance lighting be used? Where are there possible tripping hazards? It is very helpful to mark all the relevant points on a sketch to keep an overview and not forget anything later.

How do you ensure easy orientation

An illuminated house number can be helpful so that not only you can find your way quickly, but also your guests or the letter carrier can find your house directly when passing by.

Depending on the design, this can also serve as a wall light at the same time, so that you can find basic lighting with a house number here. lighting - this is perfect for narrow entrances in particular.

An LED house number is available in countless designs and versions, making your entrance look even more modern.

An illuminated house number is even mandatory in some cities and municipalities, such as Hamburg, which is why you should find out in advance about the applicable rules in your place of residence.

To avert danger, this must then remain switched on throughout the night and thus also ensure your safety, because every second counts should the police, ambulance or fire department have to come.

When installing an LED house number for house entrance lighting, it is important to ensure the right height and number size. They should not be installed too low and to remain legible even at a distance of 20 m, illuminated signs must be at least 20 cm high and backlit signs at least 10 cm high.

Is the path to the entrance also safely illuminated

In addition to the entrance lighting directly in front of the door, it is also important to illuminate the path to it, as this is often not clearly visible at night and can therefore become a tripping hazard.

Wall luminaires or ceiling lamps are usually not sufficient for this, as they simply do not shine out that far. As light for the wider entrance area, you should therefore also use base lights or path lights. include.

They make the ground conditions and obstacles visible and thus ensure a safe journey home. The following applies when installing such path lights: The lower the light point height, the shorter the distance to the next lamp must be.

Which areas should be highlighted decoratively?

In addition to all these more functional lights for the house entrance, which ensure safety and orientation, the visual aspect should not be neglected either - after all, the entrance area is the very first impression you make on visitors and you yourself should also feel right at home.

Of course, even an illuminated house number or the basic and path lighting can look chic, because here too, design is a top priority for lamp manufacturers. However, for your own individual style and the finishing touch, it is worthwhile additional decorative lights are worth using.

They create an inviting atmosphere and make coming home even more pleasant - here you can let your creativity run wild when planning your entrance lighting.

What weather conditions must entrance lighting withstand?

What really needs to be considered for all outdoor lights for your entrance area is the IP protection class. It indicates the extent to which a lamp is protected against weather conditions such as rain or dirt.

Although ceiling lights or wall lights may be better protected by an existing canopy than free-standing path lights, every lamp in your house entrance should be should have at least IP44 rating. This means that they are at least protected against solid foreign bodies > 1mm and against splashing water.

If you are not quite sure which protection rating is required during the planning stage, please contact our skapetze® Customer service - we're always here to help!

How can outdoor lighting be optimally controlled?

In addition to the choice of luminaires, placement and type of protection, you should also think about how to control them when planning your entrance lighting.

Aspects such as sustainability, safety and convenience play a role here.

Twilight sensors or entrance lighting with motion detectors not only save electricity, they also increase safety. Your lights only light up when they are needed - namely in the dark and when there is movement.

With a twilight switch, sensors detect exactly when it gets dark and only then switch the light on. For example, after work, when it is already dusk, you are greeted with pleasant light.

With an additional motion detector, your house entrance lights no longer shine all night long, but only when movement is detected.

Should a motion detector be used?

Here it is important to consider whether the lighting of your house entrance should be used to set the scene throughout or whether it is more a question of sufficient brightness for incoming visitors in the evening, for example.

Incidentally, this can also prevent break-ins, because if a twilight sensor controls your entrance lights, they will light up even when you are absent. And if you have entrance lighting with a motion detector, the light suddenly switches on as soon as someone is in the vicinity, which also acts as a deterrent.

If you want even more security here, you can also use security lights with a camera instead of a conventional outdoor wall light next to the front door.

The most ecological option for maximum energy savings is of course not electricity-based operation. It is the solar lamps that are right at the top when it comes to sustainability.

The LED house number, for example, is very often solar-powered, which offers you the advantage of free placement in addition to lower electricity bills. You don't have to stick to predetermined power connection points, but can place your solar Install entrance lighting wherever sunlight falls.

Planning checklist for entrance lighting

• Are there enough power connections available, do new cables need to be laid or should solar lamps be used?
• Is sufficient basic brightness provided?
• Is an illuminated house number mandatory in your area and if so, have you complied with this rule?
• Is the path to the entrance also safely illuminated?
• Is your entrance lighting glare-free and equipped with energy-efficient LED lamps?
• Do all the lights have the correct IP protection rating?
• Does the control system for the entrance lighting meet your needs?