In the outdoor lighting category, one of the goals is to make the property safer at night. When areas aren’t properly illuminated, it can be easier for people to trip and fall. Stairs are incredibly important when designing an outdoor lighting system. When properties include stairs, we also include step lighting in the design.
While step lighting is important, there are still numerous options to choose from. At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, we work with each of our clients to decide on step lighting that fits the space and the overall landscape lighting system.
A common outdoor lighting technique is installing step lighting into the vertical part of a stair. The light output it both effective and subtle. Because the fixture itself is set inside the step, it is barely noticeable in the light of day. Even at night, visitors will notice the steps before the fixture themselves. Depending on the numbers of steps that you have on a stairwell, the property may only need a few step lights with one fixture illuminating more than one step.
Step lights aren’t always possible or best for stair lighting. Depending on the material of the step, it may not be an option to have the fixture installed in the step itself. In those cases, we often use a deck lights along the railing posts. Deck lights shoot light downward onto the steps below. They can be installed on the rail posts throughout the stairwell, just like this installation from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Austin.
If something more fun and festive is your style, there is stair lighting that will fit your style. In our video series, Transformation Augusta, we highlight a step lighting installation that used outdoor string lights. String lights, we are synonymous with holiday lighting, have come long way. They can now be used as a permanent outdoor lighting fixture. For step lighting, they can be wrapped around railings to light the stairs below.
If you have steps on your property that may be causing a safety concern, please reach out to your local Outdoor Lighting Perspectives office. Our trained lighting designers and installers will help you pick a step lighting option that works for your property.