The lighting of the balcony must be designed in every detail in order to make it a comfortable environment ready to host your evenings in the open air. Find out now how to do it: ideas and advice.
With the arrival of the beautiful days and the progressive increase of the hours of light, we bet that you can’t wait to resume organizing aperitifs and dinners on the balcony. Think about it, sure you are well equipped for lighting?
In a small balcony, those typical of city apartments, outdoor wall lamps will suffice therefore equipped with IP44 protection. If you have plants, you can use them as a support for the plants solar chains: just bring them close to the railing (to understand better, look at the photo in the gallery at the end of the article).
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Attention, let’s talk about functional lighting that is the one that will serve to illuminate the area. If instead we refer to the ambient light, you can choose anything you like, from candles to light garlands. Give free rein to your imagination, without overloading the space too much and risking making it unusable.
No doubt, if you have the chance, the best decision that you can take is the one of rely on a professional. It is no coincidence that we speak of a lighting “project” as this requires special precautions and tricks of the trade that only an expert technician has at his disposal.
If, on the other hand, you will do everything independently, not necessarily for budget reasons, but only because you are passionate about DIY, read on: now we will go into detail and see some simple practical tips.
5 rules to follow
- We have already mentioned the difference between functional and mood lighting. Basically, you will have to first of all stable the objective for which you want to light up your balcony; very different final effects will derive from this choice. In fact, if with the scenographic light you create relaxing and convivial atmospheres, it is only with the functional one that you will allow your guests to see what they have on their plate;
- Depending on the characteristics of the balcony or open / covered, its dimensions, the furniture, the use you will make of it, you will be able to establish not only the type of lamps to choose from, but also the amount; still, very important is also the position where you will place them;
- Make sure you make the passage areas clearly visible to avoid unpleasant inconveniences;
- Pay attention to the regulations in force: in Italy there are specific directives to be respected and they may vary from region to region. In principle, the light beams must not be directed towards the sky and not higher than 90 °; light dispersion, power, consumption must also be taken into consideration. It would be advisable to also check the condominium regulations and more generally avoid annoying the neighbors with too strong or direct lights, we are sure that otherwise it would bother you too;
- It is recommended that the lamps choices are anti-dazzle, anti-corrosion and durable to thermal changes and adverse weather conditions; finally, consider that they are waterproof so that they allow insects to enter.
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Useful tips
Before purchasing, we suggest you read these tips carefully.
As for temperature and color, for the lighting of a balcony, light tending to warm or neutral white is recommended (2700K / 3000K warm light, 4000K neutral light), in order to promote relaxation; on the contrary, the cold ones (over 4000K) would risk being too “lively”.
Sometimes, spend more in the beginning ie invest in energy-saving and high-quality products, proves to be the best choice because it allows you to have a durable good whose cost will be amortized over time. For example, with lamps of a certain level, in the event of failures, it is almost always possible to replace only the damaged part and not the entire lighting body.
Yet, a great solution, indeed also eco-friendly, I’m outdoor motion sensors with timers. Excellent especially for passageways, they can also be useful on the entire surface of the balcony as you will only have to activate the timer devices to enjoy perfect lighting every evening.
If your balcony is entirely covered, you can also take advantage of the ceiling e choose pendant lamps. In that case, you can also choose them with a degree of protection lower than IP65, i.e. it is not necessary that they have total protection against jets of water and dust.
Finally, if you love plants, you can give free rein to your creativity and embellish them with Led lights with spike included (in this case to be planted directly in the ground). The light garlands are a gimmick with a sure wow effect, not only at Christmas: nowadays you can find them for sale almost everywhere, both online and in stores.
How to design balcony lighting: pictures and photos
Ideas and suggestions for a well-lit balcony. Don’t miss this rich photo gallery, start designing the outdoor area of your dreams.
