Porch Lights

Placing a porch light

Most front doors are lit best by a pair of wall lights, one either side of the frame, or by a single light on the side the lock is on. Fixed a little above head height, roughly level with the top of the door, a porch light puts light on faces and on the keyhole rather than into the eyes of whoever is arriving. Under a porch canopy or a deep overhang, a flush or hanging light in the ceiling lights the whole step from above, and the wall lights beside the door can then be smaller or left out. A porch that is open at the sides needs a fitting made for rain as well as damp, while one that is fully enclosed behaves much more like an indoor hall.

Getting the size right

The commonest mistake with a porch light is buying one too small. Seen from the street, a fitting that looked generous in its box shrinks against the whole front of a house. As a rule of thumb, a single light beside the door should be about a third of the height of the door, and each of a pair about a quarter. A wide door with glazed side panels, or a house set well back from the road, can take a larger lantern still. If in doubt, cut a piece of card to the size of the fitting and tape it to the wall beside the door: it takes a minute, and it settles the question better than any measurement on paper.

Wall lanterns, hanging lanterns and flush lights

Lanterns are the traditional porch light, and about a third of our range is lanterns: wall lanterns in black and bronze with clear glass, half lanterns that sit flat against the wall, and hanging lanterns for a porch with a ceiling. Modern porches suit a plain, simple wall light in black, grey or white, which lets the door and the brickwork take the eye. A flush light is the practical choice for a canopy that is too low for anything hanging, and a sturdy bulkhead suits a side or back door that simply needs to be lit well.

IP ratings for a porch

The IP rating says how much weather a light will take, and almost all of this range is rated IP44 or higher. IP44 is the usual minimum for a wall light by a door: it keeps out splashing rain from any direction, which is right for a porch with a canopy or a wall under the eaves. For a wall that takes the full force of the weather, or a house near the coast, look for IP54 or IP65. IP65 is sealed against dust and against jets of water, and it is the rating to choose if the fitting will ever be caught by a hose or a pressure washer.

Motion sensors and switching

A porch light is the one outdoor light most people want on exactly when they arrive and off the rest of the time. A PIR motion sensor does that on its own: it switches the light on as someone approaches and off again after a set time, so the step is lit for a late delivery without the light burning all night. For a light that should stay on through the evening, a standard fitting on a switch inside the door, or on a timer, is the simpler answer. Choose a sensor light for a door that is used after dark, and a plain one for a porch that is lit as part of the look of the house.

Bulb or integrated LED

About half of this range takes a standard bulb, most often an E27 screw cap, so the brightness and colour can be changed with the bulb, and a warm filament bulb behind clear glass gives a lantern its traditional glow. About a third have integrated LEDs, which are sealed in, need no bulb at all and suit a modern fitting. For a porch, warm white of around 2700 to 3000 kelvin is the usual choice: it flatters brick, stone and a painted door, where cool white can make the front of a house look clinical.

Finishes that last by the door

Black is the classic porch finish and the most popular in our range, followed by white, grey and bronze. A porch light is out in the weather every day, so the material matters as much as the colour. Aluminium and other metals are the norm, often with glass diffusers, and stainless steel suits a house by the sea, where salt air is hard on ordinary finishes. Whatever the finish, a wipe with a damp cloth a few times a year keeps the glass clear and the light doing its job.