How to choose post top light for your home?

How tall should a post top light be?

Post top light lamp post heights come in a variety of sizes and designs. 2m, 4m, 6m, 10m, even 12m. So many tall lamp posts are suitable for your installation?

Whether it’s a public space or a residential setting, you can add curb appeal to your landscape with lamp post fixtures. The post top light not only illuminates functionally, but also complements whatever space it belongs to.

In many modern cities, post top lights come in a variety of styles, shapes and heights. Plenty of post top lights are designed for different purposes. Street lighting needs to be high enough to aid pedestrians and vehicles.

Post top light poles can range in height from 6 feet to 40 feet and above. Street lights tend to be taller. Most are about 13 feet or more.

Post top lights used in gardens are often used for home security and decoration. Post top light poles tend to be shorter, about 6 feet to 9 feet tall.

Street light post top light height:

More than just street furniture, street lighting post top light plays such an important role in illuminating the edge of a road or path.

The height of a street light depends on many factors such as area type, street type, light fixture type, owner and lighting conditions…

Basically, the street light post top light must be high enough to keep traffic and pedestrians safe.

Typical heights for street light post top lights range from 2.4m to 15m (8 to 50 feet). Street light poles over 10m are considered high masts.

Street lights with a height of about 5-6m are common on residential roads, while lamp posts with a height of 8-12m are common on main traffic arteries.

Garden post top light height:

Garden post top lights are primarily used to provide security to home properties and to add decorative highlights to architectural appeal.

Enclosure garden post top lights are usually shorter than street lights. Typical garden back lighting ranges from 1.5 to 5m (4 – 16 feet).

How to choose a light pole height for your area?

There are various sizes of lamp post heights, such as 4m, 5m, 6m, 8m, 10m, etc. So what is the suitable lamp post height for your installation?

The choice of lamp post height will directly affect the lighting quality of the area. That’s why the process of choosing how tall a light pole is is so important.

Below are the relevant factors you should consider when choosing a lamp post height.

1. Installation location

• In rural areas or alleys where the road width does not exceed 4-5m, the height of the post top light of the street lamp is preferably 6-7m.
• For garden post top light, heights of 2,5 to 4m are perfectly matched.
• For parks, residential roads or industrial areas, the width of the road does not exceed 6 to 7 meters, and lamp posts with a height of 8 meters should be installed.
• For street lights with a width of 8-9 meters on secondary roads or roads intersecting with expressways, it is recommended to use light poles with a height of 9 meters.
• For main roads and dense traffic routes with a road width of no more than 10-11m, it is a good choice to use lamp posts with a height of 11-12m.

2. Installation distance between 2 lamp posts

The installation distance between the two post top light poles depends on the lighting area, lamp capacity, usage requirements, budget and many other factors. The further the distance between the poles, the higher the pole height.

According to the standard of installing street light post top light, the distance between two light poles is 33-36m. This standard distance applies to highways, parks, streets, landscapes.

With small towns, the distance is shortened and the lamppost height is also shorter, about 5m.

3.Lighting needs

In areas such as rural areas, parks, industrial areas, etc., spotlight is required. Due to the high requirements for lighting, a lamp post height of 4 to 8 meters is the most suitable.

For major roads and highways that require long and wide lighting capabilities, the street lights are about 10 to 12 meters high.

4.Bulb capacity

Bulb capacity is also another factor in choosing a post top light height.

How to choose post top light for your home?

Choosing the right post top light for your patio or garden can be difficult, but don’t worry, we’re here to help!

In just a few simple steps, you can better evaluate the right combination of options, get guests to applaud your wonderful style, and transform a simple space from “your house” to “that house” on the street.

1. Understand the environment

Imagine a space you are considering adding post top light to and ask yourself: “Is this space part of the main structure or is it a separate surface? Is the area covered? Do I need high output lights for safety? Ambient soft lighting for entertainment? Or a spotlight for landscape lighting?”

Most outdoor light sources have very specific uses, so it’s important to understand the type of environment you’re trying to create.

For primary outdoor lighting, consider using natural gas hoods or high output LEDs in lamp models with large, clear glass panes and minimal decorative accents.

For ambience, a flickering open flame or soft light bulb would be more appropriate. You can also add tinted or decorative glass panels and/or choose light models with less clear surface space to reduce the amount of bright primary light from luxury accent lights.

2. Choose the type of installation and purpose that suits your home

Familiarize yourself with your lighting options so you can choose the right light fixture. The most common outdoor lights are:

Wall-Mounted Lights: A wall or wall-mounted light is a fixture that attaches to a flat vertical surface with a mounting bracket, perpendicular to the ground, ideal for framing entry doors, patios, or close to high-traffic garage doors.

Ceiling or Pendant Lights: Ceiling lights or pendant lights are mounted on overhead structures/ceilings, either flush mounted or suspended from chains or poles.

Post Top Lights: Post top lights are self-contained fixtures separate from any structure, extending directly from the ground and positioned 6-12 feet above the ground to illuminate in a 360-degree unobstructed manner. Columns can be either buried in the ground or fastened to concrete pads. Post lights are often used to illuminate exterior walkways and areas separate from the main structure of a home.

3. Find the right SIZE light for the location you need

You need to choose a light fixture that fits the installation location.

A standard residential post should extend about 6 feet high from the ground, and the post top light should be increased by 2 feet, making the total height of the post top light about 6 feet. 8 feet tall. This will ensure that the lights are positioned slightly above average height, so the lights can be enjoyed and easily maintained, but also kept off the ground for safety.

If the fixture is to be mounted on a hillside or sloping surface, a slightly longer post (perhaps 7 or 8 feet) may be appropriate.

For larger real estate or commercial projects, a 6-12 foot post can be used, depending on the application, the light on top should expand with the size of the post.

4. Think about what style you want!

Choosing the right style of post top light for your home’s architecture can enhance or distract from the overall feel of your home. For example, you don’t want to install ultra-modern features on a very traditional structure. So alignment is key!

If you’re not sure about your home’s architectural style, start here! The National Association of Realtors has compiled a list of the most common home styles for you to choose from. Once you have this information, you can conduct your own research based on the style of your home.

5. Use decorative accessories

You have your installation type, you have your size, you have your style. Now for the finishing touches; small details will make your light unique.

Some of the most popular accent options for outdoor lighting include:

Top decoration: The decoration at the top of the exterior lighting fixture.

Glass: clear, beveled, tinted, water, frosted…there are many options.

Color: Choose an exterior finish that complements the rest of your project.

Other Accessories: Ladder frames, trim panels and decorative bases are just some of the accessories that can be used to complete the custom look of your outdoor lighting.

If you have any questions about these tips, or need support in choosing the right option for you, please feel free to contact our team by emailing phoebe@bbier.com. We provide you with free design consultation!