Lighting a house from the outside improves the appearance of the facade, illuminates the area and highlights the right elements of the structure. Properly using the light can transform the building and focus attention on its features. It is important that you can choose and install the equipment yourself if you follow the instructions.

The device of facade lighting of a country house

Many architects think through the lighting in advance as a full-fledged element of the exterior of the house.

Functions and requirements

It is necessary to understand the functions of street lighting to understand what tasks it will perform:

Aesthetic. If you choose the right type of lighting, you can transform any house and make it stand out from the crowd. With light, it is easy to accentuate certain elements of the facade or emphasize the unusual architecture.
Practical. Light is reflected from the facade and spreads throughout the area, illuminating it and increasing the safety of movement. You can use additional elements along the paths or near the recreation areas, select them so that they fit in with the facade lighting.

No matter what tasks the equipment will perform, it must meet the requirements:

Reliability and simplicity. This takes into account resistance to weather conditions and service life. Of great importance are the features of installation - the simpler it is, the less risk of doing something wrong.
Economical use of energy. Since backlighting works for many hours, when using uneconomical fixtures, the electricity bill can double. Choose the most economical models.
Safety. When installing, eliminate any risk of electric shock to people and animals. Carry out work in accordance with building regulations and use open air components.
Autonomy. It is better to use systems that automatically turn on and off at a set time, and they can also adjust the brightness so that the light is dimmed at night. The second option is photocells, they turn on the backlight at dusk.
Repairability. It is important that you can quickly replace the lamp or a damaged element.

The device facade lighting of the country house

Facade lighting also illuminates the space around the house.

It is best to design the wiring even during the construction of the house or during a major renovation.

Types and techniques of backlighting

There are several options, each has its own characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to choose taking into account the type of structure, its architecture and the effect that needs to be achieved. Sometimes a combination of different solutions is used, if it helps to better highlight the features of the building.

Flood (fill) lighting

Its feature is that it illuminates the entire facade or building from all sides. Looks good when the house is located in an open place or on a hill. The differences from other methods are as follows:

The surface should be illuminated evenly from the foundation to the roof. The smaller the difference in illumination, the better the illumination looks.
If it is necessary to highlight certain elements, additional lights are used. They create color accents on the surface.
This solution illuminates the house and the surrounding area well. Due to the abundance of light, it is possible not to put lights in the yard or along garden paths.
The method is not suitable for small plots, places with large trees and dense construction. In such conditions, the effect of facade lighting decreases.
When illuminating the surface, lights can be placed on the ground, along the roof, put on poles or trees near the house. The latter type may not be suitable because it illuminates not only the facade but also the rooms inside. It is desirable that the bedrooms are located on the other side or the windows should be placed on the blinds.

The device of facade illumination of the country house

This option allows you to fully illuminate the walls of the structure.

For one-story buildings, ground spotlights will be enough, the main thing is to direct them to the surface.

Local

This type of lighting is also called local or accent lighting. It is suitable for private houses and country plots, as you can highlight only certain parts of the structure or illuminate buildings of small size. The features are as follows:

More often used wall lights, which highlight elements of the facade or accentuate some parts of the surface. It is allowed to highlight both the walls and the roof, if it has an unusual shape.
You can also illuminate the lower part of the structure to create a light background on the site. In this case, both the house and the garden paths are illuminated, which is very convenient.
It is better to take into account the peculiarities of the building and combine different solutions depending on the specifics of the site and the house.
You can highlight only the corners, highlight the house number and street name. There are no restrictions, it is worth proceeding from practical considerations.

Facade lighting device of the country house

Local lighting highlights the individual areas of the house.

It is better to use variants of lights with the ability to adjust the direction of the light, so as to expose perfectly accurately.

Concealed-type lighting

This option is distinguished by the fact that not direct, but reflected light is used. For this purpose, use special design fixtures with a deflector, which directs and reflects the light to get the desired effect. Features are as follows:

Backlighting is installed on the facade in a suitable place so that the reflected stream of light highlights certain areas or emphasizes the architectural features of the building.
Fixtures can also be used to create a decorative effect by illuminating. They do not necessarily have a practical function.
Equipment can direct light in one, two or four directions. Moreover, the width of the reflected beam is different, which allows you to create interesting light compositions by combining different models.
This option can highlight windows, corners of buildings, highlight the entrance or emphasize the contours of the roof. It all depends on the wishes of the person.

Arrangement of facade lighting of a country house

Concealed lighting uses reflected light.

Concealed illumination of the facade of a private house requires the prior laying of cables to the location of the fixtures.

Artistic LED-lighting

Method appeared recently, but has gained popularity in the facade lighting for a variety of reasons:

LED strips consume little electricity, while providing good illumination of the structure. Service life with proper installation is 50,000 hours, which is much more than any other analogue.
They can be used to highlight the contours of the building, frame windows or entrances. Also suitable for highlighting roof slopes, porch steps, etc.
To fix light can be attached to any protrusions, niches, corners of buildings. It takes up little space, so you do not need to prepare the walls. The connection point can be chosen at either end of the strip, which is also convenient.
The system can be complemented by classic lights. In this case, also choose LED options to save as much energy as possible.

LED strip allows you to highlight the contour of the roof and other elements of the facade.

Outdoors, you can use LED strip only in silicone sheathing.

Light dynamic illumination

LED lighting fixtures and strips are suitable for it. This option has many features:

It is possible to change the color of the illumination, which allows you to create different effects on the facade of the building.
You can highlight certain parts by contrast or select different modes.
It is possible to adjust the intensity of the light and the color temperature. This makes the design possibilities much wider.
If desired, you can use a mode with a change of colors, so that the facade is constantly changing.

LED equipment can decorate the facade in any shades.

When choosing to use controllers and dimmers to ensure the maximum number of effects.

Types of fixtures

Facade lighting of a country house can be implemented with a variety of equipment. It is necessary to choose taking into account the design of the building and the requirements for illumination. First of all, it is worth determining the type of lamps:

Halogen lamps give good light, but they consume a lot of electricity and have a short service life. They are rarely used.
DRL-Lamps are put in spotlights for general lighting. They are stable, but do not tolerate temperature and humidity fluctuations.
Fluorescent lamps Consume little power and give good light. The main thing is to choose sealed shades to protect the equipment from moisture.
LED lights consume little electricity, last a long time, so it is best suited for the facade. There are models of all types, which allows you to choose the right one for any home.
LED strips are used for outlines, highlighting individual parts or framing them. A simple and reliable solution.

Fluorescent lamps give bright light.

You can also use strips such as Duralite, flexible neon etc. And at New Year's Eve, the facade is additionally decorated with garlands.

Recessed lights

The design is the same as the variants used on stretch ceilings and plasterboard ceilings. The difference is that for facades make waterproof weatherproof models that are not afraid of temperature extremes. Main features:

The body of the lamp is hidden in a pre-prepared niche. Therefore, it is necessary to think through this point in advance, so that there are no problems during installation.
It is most convenient to place the equipment under the protrusions of the roof and in the blind area, if you leave niches beforehand.
When choosing a place to remember that it is necessary to ensure good protection of the luminaire from moisture.
When finishing the facade, you can leave space for mounting recessed luminaires in any place.

Recessed luminaires are best placed in the protruding part of the roof.

Choose the location of the equipment must take into account its power and lighting area.

Wall models

The easiest variant to install, the main thing is to bring the wiring in advance. For installation choose a reliable mounting option. There are several types of equipment:

Concealed type fixtures that illuminate the wall in the right direction. They are usually fixed with dowels, and the reflector is installed separately. Can be placed anywhere on the wall or on the foundation.
Models with a reflector, creating a directional beam of light. Most often they are mounted on a swivel bracket that allows you to adjust the illumination as needed.
Spotlights and lights on holders. To move the light source away from the wall and provide more grip, use models on metal brackets, the length of which can be from 10 cm to half a meter or even more.

Wall options give an interesting effect.

If the wires have not been laid in advance, they are placed in cable channels, matched to the color of the facade.

Ground lighting fixtures

Suitable if you are doing floodlighting of the facade, which should cover the entire surface from foundation to roof. This type has many features:

They use spotlights with a directional flux and a reflector that distributes light evenly over the entire height of the cottage or other structure. Their power depends on the illuminated area.
LED versions are better suited, as they give bright light and long life on the street.
You can install them both on the ground and in the backsplash, garden paths or pre-poured concrete platforms. Wires should be routed in a special sleeve underground.
The spotlight must be adjustable in at least one plane.

Ground lighting gives the most powerful stream of light.

Often, in order to protect against accidental damage to the equipment, it is placed in a metal frame.

Overhead options

This includes different types of ribbons that are attached to the surface in a suitable place and illuminate a small area or create the outline of a building. The features are as follows:

It is best to attach to clips of the right size, you should not use double-sided tapes, as they quickly lose their properties.
Protrusions - a good place for installation, on them the tapes are attached through the distance.
You can mount an aluminum profile on the facade under the tape. It will protect it from adverse influences. And if you choose a variant with a diffuser, the lighting will be more even.

LED strip gives a very unusual effect when changing colors.

It is very important to protect the connection of wires and think about the location of the control unit.

6 simple steps for facade lighting with their own hands

If you prepare in advance and follow a few simple tips, the work can be done in just a few days. This will save a lot of money, since the services for the installation of facade lighting is not cheap. The instructions consist of these steps:

Make at least the simplest project. It is better to do this before finishing the facade or before its overhaul. Determine the type of equipment that will be used and think about how best to bring the wires to the right places.
Connect the wiring to a separate circuit breaker in the fixture box to disconnect it separately from the interior lighting if necessary. Use copper cable with a suitable cross-section for outdoor work. Use a special sleeve for installation to provide extra protection.
If the facade is already finished, use appropriately sized conduits to route the wiring. Try to place them along ledges or eaves to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Select the fasteners for the selected type of fixtures. Depending on the type of facade, you will need a power tool with a concrete drill or other equipment. It is also necessary to ensure safe work at height, for this you can use a ladder or scaffolding.
After installing the lights or tape connect the wiring. It is best to insulate the connections with special heat shrink tubing or use an airtight connector.
Connect the controls. Check the system to make sure everything is OK.

If the facade cladding is made of special boards, it is best to install the lights at their joints.

Choose facade lighting for the cottage or country house is not difficult, if you understand the features of the main types and determine which of them will suit most. It is better to put LED equipment, as the most economical and safe. Install with their own hands is simple, if you think through the project in advance, lay the wiring and well fix the lights or LED strip on the facade.

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