In order to illuminate the path from the gate to the house or the yard in front of the entrance, it is not at all necessary to use bright spotlights or lanterns on poles. For the most part, a point source of light, enough to dispel the darkness, will suffice. Wall-mounted street sconces are best suited for these purposes. They can perform an exclusively practical task: illuminate the way home or approaches to important places, or in addition to this, carry an aesthetic role, being decorative elements in the design of the facade of the building or the path on the way to it.
What lamps can be called street sconces, technical characteristics
In any case, the lighting device, whether it is for beauty or not, when located in the open sky, must meet certain safety standards and comply with safety standards. For street lighting devices of any format, it is permissible to use devices with a degree of protection – IP33. Although the best option would be devices with IP44 protection. In the latter case, the manufacturer guarantees that the lamp will not be damaged by bad weather and will not fail under the influence of wind and rain.
Options with lower protection IP33 can be used, but it is desirable to place them under the visor of the building, where they are at least protected from direct environmental influences.
The light element, the lamp, must be protected from the external environment by a protective screen, a ceiling, so that moisture and dust do not fall on it. Wiring in street sconces must be laid through protected channels with gaskets and seals that prevent the accumulation of liquid or dirt in the channels. Thus, there is no risk of a short circuit even with severe external contamination or damage to the insulation of the wiring due to improper operation.
Materials for street sconces
The simplest version of a street sconce is an anti-vandal lamp of the wall-mounted, overhead type. In it, a standard E27 lamp base and an input for wiring with rubber seals are fixed on a rigid base, all of this is hermetically closed with a cover made of transparent glass or plastic, more often polycarbonate.
Metal, plastic, and glass can be used in more expensive decorative lamps. With some rare exceptions, it is allowed to use wood, when forming external decorations, part of the ceiling, but at the same time, the wood must be properly processed to meet the declared degree of protection, to withstand the conditions of operation on the street. This differs from the requirements for wooden lamps in the interior.
Lamps in the classic style are more often made with a metal body under a standard base and with a ceiling made of glass or plastic of a cylindrical shape. The joints between the ceiling and the case must be equipped with sealing rings. Provide protection of the electrical part at least from above.
Modern wall-mounted street sconces, made in a minimalist style, are often made entirely of plastic and with a diffuser made of polycarbonate, which provides reliable protection. In terms of dimensions, modern models are extremely small, while they can include not only a lamp, but also a motion sensor or an adapter with a controller that controls the switching time.
The style of the lamp
Models in the classic style, as they were created in past centuries, are losing popularity. Most often, this style is chosen for lighting paths and approaches in private houses, where, in addition to wall mounting, lamps on racks are used, light paths are formed. At the same time, the lamp plays the role of decorative filling to a greater extent than as an element of lighting.
Lamps and street sconces in antique style are gaining popularity. At the same time, part of the ceiling is decorated in metal or plastic with metal painting and ornaments of one or another ancient culture. Much more common are wall-mounted lamps with disk shades, on the contour of which an ornament is applied. In some versions, there are street sconces that can be fixed on the wall and on a stand in the form of torches and oil lamps. It is appropriate to use such lamps, except for the overall design of the facade of the building in the style of antiquity, because individually they will often seem like just a bright spot on the general background.
Modern lamps in the style of minimalism or hi-tech are most often made with minimum dimensions and maximum functionality. Often, the case in its modern form is made with the aim of hiding it from an outside observer or, at least, not drawing attention to it. If an aspect is made on the design decision, then it is more often a uniform ceiling of a simple shape without unnecessary parts of the body that stand out for it. For example, a sphere made of polycarbonate or a sector of a sphere attached to a wall. All fasteners, lamp and wiring are completely hidden behind such a ceiling.
Design of street sconces, places for installation
By content, all sconces are designed for attachment to walls or other elements of the facade of the building, outbuildings. At the same time, the device can be attached directly to the wall, that is, the lampshade, plinth and lamp are located directly next to the wall. Most often, these are just street sconces in the style of minimalism, hi-tech and antique. Classic options and all others that originate from it are a lamp fixed on a bracket. At the same time, the ceiling stands back from the wall for some distance and is connected to it only by a fastener and a suspension.
From a practical point of view, wall-mounted lamps are better suited for those places where they can be easily caught and damaged. It is better to raise the lamps on the bracket higher or place them in a place where no one will deliberately walk. For example, on the side of the entrance door already above the flower bed or above the height of a person.